Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Raiders focus turns to FAU
11/21/2016 4:34:00 PM | Football
Program will honor 22 seniors Saturday
MURFREESBORO - Middle Tennessee fans get the chance to see the Blue Raiders one final time at home this season on Saturday as Florida Atlantic comes to Murfreesboro on senior day.
As is the case every season, it will be an emotional day as the Blue Raiders highlight the accomplishments both on and off the field of their 22 seniors.
"It's always bitter sweet when you have this day," MT head coach Rick Stockstill said. "The good thing about this day is it's not their last game – it's their last home game, but it isn't their last game. That's the good part, the fun part, the enjoyable part, that they can go out there and enjoy the pregame stuff."
Once the senior day festivities are complete before the game, MT (7-4, 4-3) will shift its focus to a Florida Atlantic (3-8, 2-5) team that tends to give the Raiders fits.
Middle leads the all-time series against the Owls 10-3, but seven of the 13 contests and all of the last three have been one-possession differences.
"This game over the history of the two schools, at least since I've been here, has always been a close game, especially the last three or four," Stockstill said. "They've lost four games by one possession [this season]. This is a good football team coming in here … don't determine how good this team is by looking at their record."
The key to the matchup, according to Stockstill, is an easy one. Middle Tennessee has to start taking care of the ball like it did early in the season.
Through eight games, the Blue Raiders had only committed eight turnovers and were plus-five in turnover margin. In their last three contests, though, they've turned the football over 10 times (seven interceptions, three fumbles) and have a minus-eight turnover margin.
"I'm really disappointed in our ball security," Stockstill said. "We're not doing a very good job of protecting the ball and we're not doing a very good job of getting takeaways. We lost the turnover battle at Charlotte last week 2-0, and when you lose a turnover battle the game is close and you have a hard time winning."
Whichever team wins the ground attack may also be in good shape to end its regular season with a win. Neither team goes into the game ranked very high in rush defense in Conference USA, as MT sits eighth giving up 189 yards per game and FAU is last giving up 222.7 yards per contest.
Behind running backs Greg Howell (777 rushing yards) and Devin Singletary (786 rushing yards), the Owls rank fifth in CUSA at 178.1 rushing yards per game on the ground. Middle is currently sixth with a 171.7-yard average, but against Charlotte the Raiders may have found a new way to dominant the ground game.
Wide receivers Richie James, Ty Lee and Dennis Andrews all joined running back I'Tavius Mathers in the backfield in wildcat looks. That resulted in 221 yards rushing as a team, Middle Tennessee's highest output since its seventh game of the season against Missouri. None were more important than the 61 yards Lee ran for the game-winning score with 1:12 left in the contest.
"I thought it was really effective," Stockstill said. "I won't say it won the game for us, but it had a big factor in it. We'll continue to utilize those guys back there either in the backfield or in the wildcat position."
The Blue Raiders also have a few players trying for school records. James currently sits just 4 yards shy of breaking his own single-season record of 1,346 receiving yards, while Mathers is 149 rushing yards away from breaking Vince Hall's single-season mark of 1,439 set in 1984.
While the players' and coaches' focus is on FAU and making sure they close out the regular season with a win, senior day is always a special event that helps create memories players will remember the rest of their lives. Junior linebacker DJ Sanders said he is making sure all of the seniors know how much they mean to the program and to the younger players.
"For me, personally, I learned from the seniors to not give up," he said. "Don't ever think the game is over and don't ever take life for granted, because you never know when your last game is going to be.
"They mean a lot. We all got close over time and now it's like a brotherhood. I'm going to miss all of them and really going to miss playing with them, especially the defensive line. It's been a fun season."
As is the case every season, it will be an emotional day as the Blue Raiders highlight the accomplishments both on and off the field of their 22 seniors.
"It's always bitter sweet when you have this day," MT head coach Rick Stockstill said. "The good thing about this day is it's not their last game – it's their last home game, but it isn't their last game. That's the good part, the fun part, the enjoyable part, that they can go out there and enjoy the pregame stuff."
Once the senior day festivities are complete before the game, MT (7-4, 4-3) will shift its focus to a Florida Atlantic (3-8, 2-5) team that tends to give the Raiders fits.
Middle leads the all-time series against the Owls 10-3, but seven of the 13 contests and all of the last three have been one-possession differences.
"This game over the history of the two schools, at least since I've been here, has always been a close game, especially the last three or four," Stockstill said. "They've lost four games by one possession [this season]. This is a good football team coming in here … don't determine how good this team is by looking at their record."
The key to the matchup, according to Stockstill, is an easy one. Middle Tennessee has to start taking care of the ball like it did early in the season.
Through eight games, the Blue Raiders had only committed eight turnovers and were plus-five in turnover margin. In their last three contests, though, they've turned the football over 10 times (seven interceptions, three fumbles) and have a minus-eight turnover margin.
"I'm really disappointed in our ball security," Stockstill said. "We're not doing a very good job of protecting the ball and we're not doing a very good job of getting takeaways. We lost the turnover battle at Charlotte last week 2-0, and when you lose a turnover battle the game is close and you have a hard time winning."
Whichever team wins the ground attack may also be in good shape to end its regular season with a win. Neither team goes into the game ranked very high in rush defense in Conference USA, as MT sits eighth giving up 189 yards per game and FAU is last giving up 222.7 yards per contest.
Behind running backs Greg Howell (777 rushing yards) and Devin Singletary (786 rushing yards), the Owls rank fifth in CUSA at 178.1 rushing yards per game on the ground. Middle is currently sixth with a 171.7-yard average, but against Charlotte the Raiders may have found a new way to dominant the ground game.
Wide receivers Richie James, Ty Lee and Dennis Andrews all joined running back I'Tavius Mathers in the backfield in wildcat looks. That resulted in 221 yards rushing as a team, Middle Tennessee's highest output since its seventh game of the season against Missouri. None were more important than the 61 yards Lee ran for the game-winning score with 1:12 left in the contest.
"I thought it was really effective," Stockstill said. "I won't say it won the game for us, but it had a big factor in it. We'll continue to utilize those guys back there either in the backfield or in the wildcat position."
The Blue Raiders also have a few players trying for school records. James currently sits just 4 yards shy of breaking his own single-season record of 1,346 receiving yards, while Mathers is 149 rushing yards away from breaking Vince Hall's single-season mark of 1,439 set in 1984.
While the players' and coaches' focus is on FAU and making sure they close out the regular season with a win, senior day is always a special event that helps create memories players will remember the rest of their lives. Junior linebacker DJ Sanders said he is making sure all of the seniors know how much they mean to the program and to the younger players.
"For me, personally, I learned from the seniors to not give up," he said. "Don't ever think the game is over and don't ever take life for granted, because you never know when your last game is going to be.
"They mean a lot. We all got close over time and now it's like a brotherhood. I'm going to miss all of them and really going to miss playing with them, especially the defensive line. It's been a fun season."
Players Mentioned
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