Raiders step out of conference to face Mizzou

Saturday, October 22

Columbia, MO

3:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

University of Missouri (SECN)

10/21/2016 8:00:00 AM | Football

Game to be shown on SEC Network

By: @MTAthletics

MURFREESBORO – Middle Tennessee, coming off a heart-breaking overtime loss last week, jumps out of conference play to take on SEC foe Missouri on Saturday. It marks just the second meeting between the two schools.

The Blue Raiders only visit to Memorial Stadium came in 2003 against the No. 23 ranked Tigers. MT dropped a heart-breaker to Missouri that day, 41-40, in overtime.

The game will be broadcast live on the SEC Network with kickoff scheduled for 3:01 PM.

TV INFORMATION: SEC Network
DirecTV: 611
Dish: 404 & 408
AT&T U-Verse: 607/1607
Verizon FiOS: 75/575
Comcast Nashville: 718/1738
Charter: 34/328/802

GAME INFORMATION
(FULL GAME NOTES)

(GAMEDAY CENTRAL)

Hashtag: #MTvsMIZZOU, #BlueRaiders
Twitter: MT_FB
Instagram: @MTAthletics
Facebook: Blue Raider Athletics

Game Captains: OL Daniel Stephens, DL Jimal McBride, WR Richie James

Date: Saturday, Oct. 22
Time: 3:01 p.m.
Teams: Middle Tennessee (4-2; 2-1) vs Missouri (2-4; 0-3)
Location: Columbia, MO
Stadium: Memorial Stadium (71,004)
Gates Open: 1:30 p.m.
National Anthem: 2:44 p.m.
Raiders take field: 2:55 p.m.
Weather Forecast: Sunny, 71 degrees
TV: SEC Network
Radio: WMOT-FM (89.5), WGNS (1450 AM/100.5 FM/101.9 FM), Game 2 (102.5/94.9/95.1)
Play-by-Play: Chip Walters
Analysis: Wes Counts

Live Streaming | Live Stats | Live Audio

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Missouri leads 1-0
At Middle Tennessee: 0-0
At Columbia: Missouri leads 1-0
At Neutral Site: 0-0
Rick Stockstill vs Missouri: 0-0
Barry Odom vs MT: 0-0
Last MT Win: NA
Last Missouri Win: 2003 (41-40 (OT) in Columbia)

QUICK HITTERS

The 2016 season is the 102nd for Blue Raider football and the 18th at the FBS level.
PK Canon Rooker has hit seven straight field goals with last miss coming at Bowling Green.
I'Tavius Mathers has rushed for 100 or more yards in four straight games.
In MT's last 10 wins it has averaged 531.9 yards of total offense and allowed just 346.1.
I'Tavius Mathers, who has scored 10 of the team's last 16 TDs, ranks 3rd nationally in scoring.
Dating back to last season, WR Richie James has 110 receptions over his last 12 games combined.
QB Brent Stockstill has thrown for 300 or more yards in nine of his last 12 outings.
Middle Tennessee is 19-4 in its last 23 home games.
The Blue Raiders have been bowl eligible seven times in 10 years and partcipated in five bowls during the FBS era.
Middle Tennessee has 10 players competing this season with a degree in hand. The Blue Raiders also have seven more who will earn degrees this December (Josh Chester, Jeremy Cutrer, William Eads, Myles Harges, Shaquille Huff, Brent Stockstill (Undergraduate) and Kamani Thomas).
MT is averaging 45.3 points a game at home and 31.7 on the road in 2016.
In their last 35 conference games, the Blue Raiders have a mark of 25-10.
Over the last 49 games, the Blue Raider defense has come up with 58 interceptions. The team had 15 picks in 2013 by eight different players, 13 in 2014 and 17 in 2015.
Consecutive Starts Leaders: Shaquille Huff (31), Daniel Stephens (24) and Steven Rhodes (22).
Under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders have been involved in 20 games that were decided in the final minute of regulation or overtime. The team is 12-8 in those games and have won eight of the last 10.
Head Coach Rick Stockstill is third on the school's all-time wins list with 68 victories.
In 131 games under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders are +23 in turnover margin.
Middle Tennessee has scored 30 or more points 57 times under Rick Stockstill. The most 30-point games in a season under Stockstill is nine (2009) and the Raiders have five through 6 games in 2016.
Matt Bonadies has placed 11 of his last 18 punts inside the opponents 20-yard line.

RAIDERS VS THE SEC
When Middle Tennessee kicks off against Missouri it will mark the 26th game against the SEC since the Blue Raiders moved to FBS (I-A) status in 1999 and its second of two in 2016. The Raiders have three victories during that span with each coming on the road against Vanderbilt (2001, 2002, 2005). Since 1999, the Blue Raiders have faced every team in the SEC at least once except for Auburn.

RECORD DAY FOR JAMES
Record-setting receiver Richie James continues to put up impressive numbers and last week against WKU was perhaps his best. James broke his own school record with 16 receptions to go with 223 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The 223 yards went down as the second most in school history and makes him just the second player all-time to top the 200-yard mark. James had 14 catches at Vanderbilt earlier this season to set the school record before bettering that mark against WKU.

BIG DAY FOR STOCKSTILL
QB Brent Stockstill turned in an impressive performance against WKU. The sophomore completed a school record 42 passes for 434 yards and three touchdowns. The 434 yards went down as a career-high and the third most ever recorded in a single game at MT. Stockstill is now just one of five players to have 400 or more yards in a game for the Blue Raiders.

LEE CONTINUES SOLID PLAY
True freshman Ty Lee continues to impress as a receiver and appears to get better with every game. Entering the Missouri contest, Lee is second on the team with 30 receptions for 302 yards and four touchdowns. He is coming off a career-best eight-catch game against WKU.

ROOKER ON HOT STREAK
Junior Canon Rooker, who took over placekicking duties this year for the first time in his career, has enjoyed a steady campaign. Rooker ranks 13th nationally in field goals made per game at 1.67 and is 22nd nationally in field goal made percentage at .833. He enters the Missouri game having hit seven straight three-pointers with his last miss coming in the rain at Bowling Green.

400-200-100
For the first time in school history, Middle Tennessee had a 400-yard passer, a 200-yard receiver and a 100-yard rusher in the same game. Against WKU, QB Brent Stockstill threw for 434 yards, receiver Richie James had 223 yards receiving and I'Tavius Mathers added 143 rushing yards.

BIG COMEBACK
Middle Tennessee's win earlier this season over Louisiana Tech went down as the largest comeback victory under 11th year Head Coach Rick Stockstill. The Blue Raiders were down 27-7 in the third quarter and successfullly overcame the 20-point deficit. The largest comeback under Stockstill previous to the LA Tech came was 17 points against Memphis in 2011 and FIU in 2012.

SECOND HALF RAIDERS
In 2016, the Blue Raiders have proved to be a very strong second half team. For the year, MT is outscoring the opposition, 101-58, in the second half and own a 84-44 advantage the last four games combined.

MATHERS HAS NOSE FOR END ZONE
Running back I'Tavius Mathers truly has a nose for the end zone. Through six games, Mathers has 12 touchdowns and ranks 3rd nationally in scoring.The senior owns 11 touchdowns over the past four games and has scored 10 of the team's last 16 six pointers. The career record at MT for touchdowns is 24 set by Dwone Hicks in 2001.

THE I-TRAIN IS ROLLING
Over the last four games, there may not be a more productive player in the country than I'Tavius Mathers. In the four games, Mathers has combined for 598 rushing yards, 219 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns (nine rushing, two receiving). Mathers enters the Missouri game with 725 rushing yards which puts him on pace to be the first 1,000-yard rusher at MT since QB Dwight Dasher in 2009. He would be first running back since Dwone Hicks in 2002.

MATHERS SECOND 100-100 GUY
Senior I'Tavius Mathers, playing his first and final season for MT after transferring from Ole Miss, became just the second player in school history to total at least 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in the same game. The first player to also do this in the NCAA this year, Mathers finished with 157 yards on the ground and 103 in receiving against Bowling Green. Don Calloway was the first player at MT to accomplish the feat (2000 vs ULL).

NATIONAL PRESENCE
The season is six games old but quarterback Brent Stockstill is making his presence known nationally. The sophomore enters the Missouri game ranked in the Top 10 nationally in five different statistical categories. The lefty is 7th in touchdown passes, 4th in completions per game, 8th in passing yards, 6th in passing yards per game, and 6th in total offense.