Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Saturday, October 7
Murfreesboro, TN
2:00 PM
Middle Tennessee
vs
Florida International University
What to watch for against FIU
10/6/2017 3:00:00 PM | Football
Homecoming kickoff set for 2:05 PM Saturday
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – A disappointing 38-20 loss to Florida Atlantic in Week 5 started the Conference USA season on the wrong foot for Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders will again shoot for their first league win Saturday when FIU travels to Murfreesboro for MT's homecoming.
Where can you watch or listen?
TV: ESPN 3, espn3.com
Radio: 102.5 FM, 89.5 FM, 100.5 FM, 101.9 FM, 1450 AM
Search 'Middle Tennessee' on the TuneIn app.
It will be the 13th meeting all-time between the Blue Raiders (2-3, 0-1) and Panthers (3-1, 2-0), and while the game comes in just Week 6 of the season, it's a critical contest for both teams.
Middle Tennessee is hoping to right the ship with several men down due to injury. The Blue Raiders can ill afford an 0-2 start in Conference USA if they have title aspirations.
FIU, the only 2-0 team currently in the C-USA East Division, is looking for the best start in the program's 16-year history and a second straight season starting 3-0 in C-USA (they finished 4-4 in 2016).
Middle Tennessee currently holds an 8-4 advantage in the series and has won two in a row. Last season's matchup came down to the wire, with senior linebacker D.J. Sanders' interception return for a touchdown with 1:22 left in the fourth quarter being the difference in the 42-35 MT victory.
As was the case in a lot of Blue Raider matchups last season, Stockstill and the MT passing attack led the way over FIU. The southpaw threw for 332 yards and four touchdowns, and his second TD of the day gave him the all-time school record for career passing scores (currently 65).
The Panthers kept things close thanks to a balanced offense. They racked up 517 total offensive yards behind quarterback Alex McGough (307 passing yards and four total TDs) and a three-headed rushing attack that racked up 210 yards, led by Alex Gardner's 95.
Middle Tennessee has looked good and bad at times this season through five games, being without Stockstill for the last three. The Raiders and quarterback John Urzua are hoping to find some sort of consistency in Saturday's contest.
FIU's 3-1 start to this season can't be ignored, but close contests against Charlotte and Rice raise questions about how good the Panthers actually might be. All of their wins have come by a possession or less against two teams with a combined 1-9 record (Charlotte and Rice) and one 3-2 FCS team (Alcorn State).
Here's what to watch for on Saturday:
Some Blue Raiders are getting healthier, but they're still limited
Quarterback Brent Stockstill and wide receiver Richie James are progressing, but both may not be on the field Saturday. However, despite missing their two best offensive players, the Blue Raiders are slowly getting healthier.
Four players – wide receivers Shane Tucker and Isiah Upton, cornerback Mike Minter and defensive end Walter Brady – will all be back after missing last week's contest against FAU.
Running back Terelle West, who hasn't been on the field yet this season because of a knee procedure in fall camp, is slowly progressing and could be in line for playing time in the near future, though this week could be too soon.
Despite the injuries that have plagued the Blue Raiders this season, head coach Rick Stockstill has been pleased with the fight his short-handed team has shown.
"I think you can always find out a little bit more about the character of your team when you have adversity," he said during Monday's weekly press conference. "I know we'll bounce back, I really do. You learn from each game, whether you win or lose, you learn from it."
Can Middle Tennessee finally win the turnover battle?
This season has been tough on the Blue Raiders in the turnover department. They haven't won the turnover battle in any game and are currently minus-10 in turnover margin.
Both Middle Tennessee's offense and defense are to blame for the poor showing in turnover margin so far. The offense has coughed up 12 (eight interceptions, four fumbles), while the defense has only forced two, both coming in Week 2 against Syracuse.
It could be tough for the Blue Raiders to force FIU into too many mistakes Saturday with the Panthers experienced offense behind seniors McGough and Gardner. They've only turned the ball over seven times in four games.
Luckily for the blue and white, the Panthers haven't been good at forcing takeaways, either. They've only forced three this season, one fumble and two INTs.
"We've got to do a much better job of protecting the ball," Coach Stockstill said. "You go through every college game and every NFL game probably, and the team that wins the turnover battle is the team that's probably going to win. We've stunk it up here so far … we've got to get it better."
Keep in mind, Middle Tennessee won last year's contest on the back of a D.J. Sanders pick-six with just 1:22 left in the game that brought the score to the 42-35 final. The Blue Raiders also forced a Panther fumble on the ensuing possession to effectively close out the game.
Will MT reach McGough?
If Middle Tennessee wants to force McGough and FIU into turnovers, getting a good pass rush into the QB's face could go a long way.
Through four games, the Blue Raider pass rush was proving much improved over recent years with 11 sacks to put them in the top 40 nationally. A sack-less game last week against FAU's heavy rushing attack makes those numbers drop a little, but a big game against the Panthers could be in the cards.
FIU has only given up eight sacks this season, the fourth-best mark in C-USA, and last week didn't allow Charlotte to reach McGough at all. However, the five sacks Rice picked up the week before proved the Panthers can be susceptible to a good pass rush.
Middle Tennessee will benefit Saturday from the return of redshirt junior Walter Brady, who missed the FAU game while recovering from concussion symptoms. He had sacks in the first two games of the season before missing time due to a targeting suspension and the injury.
How will the Blue Raiders slow down the balanced Panther offense?
FIU hasn't shown much favoritism toward the rush or pass offensively this season, attempting 140 rushes and 119 passes through four games.
The balanced attack was on full display last week against Charlotte. The Panthers threw for 241 yards and four players rushed at least five times and combined for 234 total yards.
McGough has paced the FIU passing attack with 907 yards and three touchdowns this season, and his favorite target has been Thomas Owens. The senior currently ranks third in C-USA with 75 receiving yards per game and last season torched MT for six catches, 93 yards and two TDs.
Gardner currently leads the Panthers in rushing with 270 yards, though four players have run for over 120 yards.
Coach Stockstill is hoping his defense, especially against the run, resembles what it looked like the first four games of the season, not last week against FAU when it gave up 252 rushing yards.
"You know," he said, "we've been pretty good against the run up until last week. They broke some tackles, we missed some tackles. Their backs were really good last week.
"We've got to do a better job of maintaining gap integrity. We've got to do a better job of tackling in space. Again, I have no doubt we can do better than that this week, but FIU's got a good running attack."
How will MT be effective offensively?
The Blue Raider offense has shown flashes of its potential with Urzua in place of Brent Stockstill, but turnovers and an often-poor running game have blemished its success.
Middle Tennessee set season highs in back-to-back weeks against Bowling Green and FAU with 290 then 385 passing yards, but Urzua also threw four interceptions in those games (three against FAU).
While the passing game looks to have at least found a way to move the football, the Blue Raider rushing attack has only topped the 100-yard mark once this season, a 243-yard explosion against Bowling Green. It will have to be better to take some of the pressure off Urzua.
A tough FIU defense to decipher could make things interesting for MT's offense on Saturday. The Panthers gave up 439 passing yards in their season-opening loss to Central Florida, but since have only given up 164.7 passing yards per game. On the flipside, they allowed just 108.9 rushing yards per game through three games, but last week Charlotte pounded them for 349.
Anticipate a close affair
Middle Tennessee may hold a clear advantage in the win column in the series (8-4 and 5-1 in Murfreesboro), but the matchup consistently provides close affairs. Of the 12 previous meetings, eight were decided by 10 points or less, including the last three.
The last time FIU came to Murfreesboro in 2015, the Blue Raiders escaped with a 42-34 victory.
Middle Tennessee hoping to get back on track on homecoming
While MT sports a 51-24-2 all-time record on homecoming and a 22-7 mark in the last 29 years, recent homecoming history hasn't been kind to the Blue Raiders.
They've lost four of their last five homecoming contests, including two in a row. Last season's homecoming night was spoiled in a 44-43 double-overtime fashion by rival WKU, who blocked an extra point attempt in the second overtime for the victory.
Where can you watch or listen?
TV: ESPN 3, espn3.com
Radio: 102.5 FM, 89.5 FM, 100.5 FM, 101.9 FM, 1450 AM
Search 'Middle Tennessee' on the TuneIn app.
It will be the 13th meeting all-time between the Blue Raiders (2-3, 0-1) and Panthers (3-1, 2-0), and while the game comes in just Week 6 of the season, it's a critical contest for both teams.
Middle Tennessee is hoping to right the ship with several men down due to injury. The Blue Raiders can ill afford an 0-2 start in Conference USA if they have title aspirations.
FIU, the only 2-0 team currently in the C-USA East Division, is looking for the best start in the program's 16-year history and a second straight season starting 3-0 in C-USA (they finished 4-4 in 2016).
Middle Tennessee currently holds an 8-4 advantage in the series and has won two in a row. Last season's matchup came down to the wire, with senior linebacker D.J. Sanders' interception return for a touchdown with 1:22 left in the fourth quarter being the difference in the 42-35 MT victory.
As was the case in a lot of Blue Raider matchups last season, Stockstill and the MT passing attack led the way over FIU. The southpaw threw for 332 yards and four touchdowns, and his second TD of the day gave him the all-time school record for career passing scores (currently 65).
The Panthers kept things close thanks to a balanced offense. They racked up 517 total offensive yards behind quarterback Alex McGough (307 passing yards and four total TDs) and a three-headed rushing attack that racked up 210 yards, led by Alex Gardner's 95.
Middle Tennessee has looked good and bad at times this season through five games, being without Stockstill for the last three. The Raiders and quarterback John Urzua are hoping to find some sort of consistency in Saturday's contest.
FIU's 3-1 start to this season can't be ignored, but close contests against Charlotte and Rice raise questions about how good the Panthers actually might be. All of their wins have come by a possession or less against two teams with a combined 1-9 record (Charlotte and Rice) and one 3-2 FCS team (Alcorn State).
Here's what to watch for on Saturday:
Some Blue Raiders are getting healthier, but they're still limited
Quarterback Brent Stockstill and wide receiver Richie James are progressing, but both may not be on the field Saturday. However, despite missing their two best offensive players, the Blue Raiders are slowly getting healthier.
Four players – wide receivers Shane Tucker and Isiah Upton, cornerback Mike Minter and defensive end Walter Brady – will all be back after missing last week's contest against FAU.
Running back Terelle West, who hasn't been on the field yet this season because of a knee procedure in fall camp, is slowly progressing and could be in line for playing time in the near future, though this week could be too soon.
Despite the injuries that have plagued the Blue Raiders this season, head coach Rick Stockstill has been pleased with the fight his short-handed team has shown.
"I think you can always find out a little bit more about the character of your team when you have adversity," he said during Monday's weekly press conference. "I know we'll bounce back, I really do. You learn from each game, whether you win or lose, you learn from it."
Can Middle Tennessee finally win the turnover battle?
This season has been tough on the Blue Raiders in the turnover department. They haven't won the turnover battle in any game and are currently minus-10 in turnover margin.
Both Middle Tennessee's offense and defense are to blame for the poor showing in turnover margin so far. The offense has coughed up 12 (eight interceptions, four fumbles), while the defense has only forced two, both coming in Week 2 against Syracuse.
It could be tough for the Blue Raiders to force FIU into too many mistakes Saturday with the Panthers experienced offense behind seniors McGough and Gardner. They've only turned the ball over seven times in four games.
Luckily for the blue and white, the Panthers haven't been good at forcing takeaways, either. They've only forced three this season, one fumble and two INTs.
"We've got to do a much better job of protecting the ball," Coach Stockstill said. "You go through every college game and every NFL game probably, and the team that wins the turnover battle is the team that's probably going to win. We've stunk it up here so far … we've got to get it better."
Keep in mind, Middle Tennessee won last year's contest on the back of a D.J. Sanders pick-six with just 1:22 left in the game that brought the score to the 42-35 final. The Blue Raiders also forced a Panther fumble on the ensuing possession to effectively close out the game.
Will MT reach McGough?
If Middle Tennessee wants to force McGough and FIU into turnovers, getting a good pass rush into the QB's face could go a long way.
Through four games, the Blue Raider pass rush was proving much improved over recent years with 11 sacks to put them in the top 40 nationally. A sack-less game last week against FAU's heavy rushing attack makes those numbers drop a little, but a big game against the Panthers could be in the cards.
FIU has only given up eight sacks this season, the fourth-best mark in C-USA, and last week didn't allow Charlotte to reach McGough at all. However, the five sacks Rice picked up the week before proved the Panthers can be susceptible to a good pass rush.
Middle Tennessee will benefit Saturday from the return of redshirt junior Walter Brady, who missed the FAU game while recovering from concussion symptoms. He had sacks in the first two games of the season before missing time due to a targeting suspension and the injury.
How will the Blue Raiders slow down the balanced Panther offense?
FIU hasn't shown much favoritism toward the rush or pass offensively this season, attempting 140 rushes and 119 passes through four games.
The balanced attack was on full display last week against Charlotte. The Panthers threw for 241 yards and four players rushed at least five times and combined for 234 total yards.
McGough has paced the FIU passing attack with 907 yards and three touchdowns this season, and his favorite target has been Thomas Owens. The senior currently ranks third in C-USA with 75 receiving yards per game and last season torched MT for six catches, 93 yards and two TDs.
Gardner currently leads the Panthers in rushing with 270 yards, though four players have run for over 120 yards.
Coach Stockstill is hoping his defense, especially against the run, resembles what it looked like the first four games of the season, not last week against FAU when it gave up 252 rushing yards.
"You know," he said, "we've been pretty good against the run up until last week. They broke some tackles, we missed some tackles. Their backs were really good last week.
"We've got to do a better job of maintaining gap integrity. We've got to do a better job of tackling in space. Again, I have no doubt we can do better than that this week, but FIU's got a good running attack."
How will MT be effective offensively?
The Blue Raider offense has shown flashes of its potential with Urzua in place of Brent Stockstill, but turnovers and an often-poor running game have blemished its success.
Middle Tennessee set season highs in back-to-back weeks against Bowling Green and FAU with 290 then 385 passing yards, but Urzua also threw four interceptions in those games (three against FAU).
While the passing game looks to have at least found a way to move the football, the Blue Raider rushing attack has only topped the 100-yard mark once this season, a 243-yard explosion against Bowling Green. It will have to be better to take some of the pressure off Urzua.
A tough FIU defense to decipher could make things interesting for MT's offense on Saturday. The Panthers gave up 439 passing yards in their season-opening loss to Central Florida, but since have only given up 164.7 passing yards per game. On the flipside, they allowed just 108.9 rushing yards per game through three games, but last week Charlotte pounded them for 349.
Anticipate a close affair
Middle Tennessee may hold a clear advantage in the win column in the series (8-4 and 5-1 in Murfreesboro), but the matchup consistently provides close affairs. Of the 12 previous meetings, eight were decided by 10 points or less, including the last three.
The last time FIU came to Murfreesboro in 2015, the Blue Raiders escaped with a 42-34 victory.
Middle Tennessee hoping to get back on track on homecoming
While MT sports a 51-24-2 all-time record on homecoming and a 22-7 mark in the last 29 years, recent homecoming history hasn't been kind to the Blue Raiders.
They've lost four of their last five homecoming contests, including two in a row. Last season's homecoming night was spoiled in a 44-43 double-overtime fashion by rival WKU, who blocked an extra point attempt in the second overtime for the victory.
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