Raiders face Falcons Saturday

MURFREESBORO – Middle Tennessee will look to get back on the winning track when it faces Mid-American Conference power Bowling Green on Saturday. The game will kick-off at 11 AM Central and will be televised by the American Sports Network and ESPN3.

This marks the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

TV LISTINGS
Comcast (Nashville): 228
Direct TV: 628
Dish: 434
ASN Station Finder

GAME INFORMATION
(FULL GAME NOTES)

(GAMEDAY CENTRAL)

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

Game Captains: OL Josh Chester, S Alex Dale and LB DJ Sanders.

Date: Saturday, Sept. 17
Time: 11:06 AM
Teams: Middle Tennessee (1-1) vs Bowling Green (1-1)
Location: Bowling Green, OH
Stadium: Doyt Perry (24,000)
Weather Forecast: Scattered thunderstorms and high of 81 degrees (60% chance at kickoff)
TV: ASN/ESPN3
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: First Meeting
At Middle Tennessee: 0-0
At Floyd Stadium: 0-0
At Bowling Green: 0-0
At Neutral Site: 0-0
Rick Stockstill vs Bowling Green: 0-0
Mike Jinks vs MT: 0-0
Last MT Win: NA
Last BG Win: NA

QUICK HITTERS

The 2016 season is the 102nd for Blue Raider football and the 18th at the FBS level.
In the first quarter this season, Brent Stockstill has completed 35 of 41 passes combined.
In MT's last eight wins it has averaged 548.6 yards of total offense and allowed just 301.9.
Dating back to last season, WR Richie James has 75 receptions over his last eight games combined.
QB Brent Stockstill has thrown for 300 or more yards in seven of his last eight outings.
Middle Tennessee is 18-3 in its last 21 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 averaged 44.3 points a game at home and 25.1 on the road in 2015.
Middle Tennessee enters the Bowling Green game having hit 208 consecutive extra points. That is the third longest current streak in the nation.
In their last 32 conference games, the Blue Raiders have a mark of 23-9.
Over the last 45 games, the Blue Raider defense has come up with 55 interceptions. The team had 15 picks in 2013 by eight different players, 13 in 2014 and 17 in 2015.
Consecutive Starts Leaders: Shaquille Huff (27), Daniel Stephens (20) and Steven Rhodes (18).
Under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders have been involved in 18 games that were decided in the final minute of regulation or overtime. The team is 11-7 in those games and have won seven of the last eight.
Head Coach Rick Stockstill is third on the school's all-time wins list with 65 victories.
In 127 games under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders are +20 in turnover margin.
Middle Tennessee has scored 30 or more points 53 times under Rick Stockstill. The most 30-point games in a season under Stockstill is nine (2009).

RAIDERS VS THE MAC
Middle Tennessee has faced six teams currently in the Mid-American Conference and carries a mark of 10-10 in those games. The Blue Raiders have taken on Akron, Ball State, Central Michigan, Miami, OH, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan.

WHERE IS OHIO?
Middle Tennessee will be heading to the Buckeye State this Saturday on what will be a very rare visit. Since joining the FBS ranks in 1999, the Blue Raiders have played in the state of Ohio only once and that came at Akron in 2004. MT won that game, 31-24. The previous visit to Ohio before 2004 was in 1991 when MT played at Cincinnati. Overall, the Blue Raiders are 5-3 all-time in the state of Ohio.

NATIONAL PRESENCE
The season is only two games old but quarterback Brent Stockstill is making his presence known nationally. The sophomore enters the Bowling Green game ranked in the Top 10 nationally in seven different statistical categories. The left is 3rd in touchdown passes, 5th in completions per game, 6th in passing yards, 7th in total offense, 7th in points responsible for, 7th in passing yards per game and 9th in points responsible for per game.

JAMES SETS SCHOOL RECORD
It was only a year old, but sophomore receiver Richie James broke Middle Tennessee's single-game receptions record when he hauled in 14 passes at Vanderbilt. James broke the previous mark of 13 set by Ed Batties last season against Illinois. James finished with 14 catches for 183 yards and a touchdown. The yards also went down as the fifth most in school history.

STOCKSTILL SETS NEW COMPLETIONS, ATTEMPTS RECORD
Quarterback Brent Stockstill broke his own completions and attempts mark with another eye-opening statistical performance at Vanderbilt. The lefty completed 38 of 65 passes for 399 yards and three touchdowns. The completions and attempts were new single-game records at MT and his yardage went down as the fifth highest in school history.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

16 different players have caught passes after two games this season. MT had 17 different players catch at least one pass all of last season.
MT put up 681 yards of total offense in win over Alabama A&M which went down as the most under Rick Stockstill and the second most in school history. All-time record is 685 yards set in 2001 against Idaho.
The 35 first downs by MT vs AAMU went down as the third most ever registered in a single game.
The six passing touchdowns in win over AAMU equaled the school record set vs Idaho in 2001.
MT completed a school record 40 passes in the win over AAMU in the season opener.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

MT is T18th nationally in total defense and 4th in passing yards allowed entering the Bowling Green game.
MT allowed just 146 total yards of offense in the 2016 season opener vs AAMU which went down as the fewest in a game since giving up 138 yards against Arkansas State in 2007 - span of 105 games.
In the last five regular season games, MT's defense has allowed 1,403 total yards (280.6) and 15.6 points a game while holding the opposition to a combined 15 of 64 on third down (23%). They also have allowed just 24 total second half points during the five games.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ed Batties

Josh Chester

Jeremy Cutrer

Alex Dale

William Eads

Myles Harges

Shaquille Huff

Richie James

Steven Rhodes

Daniel Stephens

Brent Stockstill

Kamani Thomas

Middle Tennesee State University Athletics