Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Saturday, November 11
Charlotte, NC
1:00 PM
Middle Tennessee
at
Charlotte
What to watch for against Charlotte
11/10/2017 11:00:00 AM | Football
Kickoff set for 1:05 PM CT
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Following a big 30-3 win over UTEP that ended a two-game losing streak, Middle Tennessee will again try to inch toward bowl eligibility on the road Saturday.
Where can you watch or listen?
TV: ESPN3, ESPN3.com
Radio: 102.5 FM, 89.5 FM, 100.5 FM, 101.9 FM, 1450 AM
Search 'Middle Tennessee' on the TuneIn app.
The Blue Raiders (4-5, 2-3) will travel to Charlotte (1-8, 1-4) and try to best the struggling 49ers in a 1 p.m. CT kickoff. A win would mean MT would be back at the .500 mark and one win away from becoming bowl eligible once again.
"Looking forward to this week's game versus Charlotte," head coach Rick Stockstill said at Monday's weekly press conference. "They're not having a great year, record wise (1-8). But, like I've said and told our team, it doesn't matter who you play, it's why you play. So, we've got to get ready to play this game this week."
It will be a rematch of last season's thrilling 38-31 Middle Tennessee road win, the second for the Raiders in the short two-game history of the series. They also won the first contest 73-14 in Murfreesboro.
Sophomore wide receiver Ty Lee was the savior for MT against Charlotte a year ago. With just over a minute remaining in the ballgame, he entered as a running back and took his second carry of the afternoon up the middle for a 61-yard touchdown. The game-winning score broke a 31-all tie, giving the Blue Raiders a much-needed 38-31 victory.
Lee finished that game with 68 yards rushing and another 76 receiving on five catches. He scored twice, once apiece rushing and receiving.
With two wins needed to become bowl eligible and three games left on the schedule, Middle Tennessee can't afford a slip-up against the 49ers with rival WKU on the schedule next week.
Here's what to watch for in Saturday's game:
Can MT's defense take advantage of a struggling Charlotte offense?
Last week, Middle Tennessee was granted with playing one of the worst offensive teams in the country in UTEP. The Blue Raiders showed out defensively, allowing the Miners just 137 total yards (48 passing), the fewest total given up by MT this season.
Charlotte enters Saturday not much better off offensively than UTEP. The 49ers rank just above the Miners in points per game (12.9) and total offense (310.4), coming in 13th out of 14 Conference USA teams in both categories.
While Charlotte's offensive numbers won't make Middle Tennessee shake in its boots, there are still some things to key in on if the Blue Raiders want to take care of business as they should, most notably 49er quarterback Hasaan Klugh.
The redshirt junior signal caller won't kill MT through the air, as evidenced by his 125.5-yard-per-game average passing and 6:10 TD-to-INT ratio this season. But, he can hurt teams with his legs.
Klugh has only thrown for 1,004 yards this year, but his 471 rushing yards are second on the team to running back Benny Lemay. He's also scored seven rushing TDs this season, good for a tie for fourth in C-USA.
Last season against MT, Klugh rushed for 46 yards to go with 239 passing, and he scored four times (three rushing, one throwing). Middle Tennessee will have to be more disruptive in the backfield, like it was against UTEP, if it wants to limit him more this go-round.
The Blue Raiders are currently the fourth-best C-USA team in rush defense, giving up just 144.8 yards per game, and are tied for fifth in sacks with 18 after grabbing three last week.
"We try to get a certain number of hits on the (opposing) quarterback, and we hope to keep doing that," junior safety Jovante Moffatt said. "Stopping [Klugh] from running is going to be really big. I mean, as far as his passing, I think the DBs can hold on. I just feel that stopping him from running is going to be the main key."
Brent Stockstill nearing another milestone
Redshirt junior quarterback Brent Stockstill returned against UTEP after missing the prior six games due to a sternum injury suffered against Syracuse in Week 2.
While he came back a little rusty at times, completing 13-of-30 passes for 190 yards, three TDs and an INT, he also showed flashes of his old self. On a drive to end the first quarter, he completed 3-for-4 passes with a 25-yard TD strike to Lee to give MT an early 10-0 lead.
"It's been a long time coming," Brent Stockstill said after the game, "and just to get back out there with the guys and start this November off with a win, I couldn't ask for much more. It was a good team win."
He'll try to make those good drives occur a little more frequently this week against a team he didn't play against last season. Brent Stockstill was injured two weeks prior to the matchup when he broke his right collarbone against UTSA.
The Murfreesboro native can reach another milestone this week with a good performance. Already the owner of numerous career school records, including TD passes (68) and passing yards per game (292.7), he can rise to the top of the career passing yards list with 104 on Saturday. He'll overtake Wes Counts, who threw for 8,007 yards in his MT career.
Can "Smash 'N Dash" be effective against Charlotte's rushing D?
Charlotte's defense has been centered around stopping the run this season, but if Lee proved anything last year, it's that Middle Tennessee will have chances to make big plays on the ground.
The Blue Raiders' newfound running back combination of freshman Brad Anderson and junior Tavares Thomas, dubbed "Smash 'N Dash," will have to make those big plays when they're available. The duo is rolling coming off maybe their best combined game of the season, when they gashed UTEP for 136 total yards (68 apiece) and a TD.
Charlotte won't be a pushover in the rushing game, evidenced by the 49ers only allowing Old Dominion 148 yards on 49 carries last week (3-yard average). They've also held opponents under 200 yards rushing in three straight games.
Middle Tennessee owns a 46-8 record under Coach Stockstill when a running back reaches the 100-yard rushing mark. Anderson and Thomas may not have to reach that plateau alone, but combined they'll have to break the century mark or more to help balance out Brent Stockstill and the passing game.
Anticipate a close affair
If last season's matchup proved anything, it's that Charlotte is going to fight against the Blue Raiders no matter what.
Middle Tennessee held a 24-6 halftime lead in that contest, but the 49ers came roaring back to tie it at 31 with just under five minutes left in the game before Lee's heroics.
This year, Charlotte has again shown it likes close games. Five of its nine games have been decided by 11 points or fewer, including four out of the last five.
Last week, the 49ers were beaten 6-0 by Old Dominion just a game after they won in thrilling, overtime fashion, 25-24, against UAB.
If anything is clear, it's that Rick Stockstill is anticipating a close game, and he's preaching that to his team.
"You just look at who they've played and the scores of those games – they're a competitive football team, and a break here or there might've changed the outcome in the some of those games," he said. "They've lost to some good teams, and they've hung in there and played them close. So, we've got to be ready to play, that's the bottom line. We've got to be ready to go."
Raiders inching towards bowl eligibility in favorite month
With a win, Middle Tennessee will move within one game of bowl eligibility. If it makes six wins, it'll be the ninth time in 12 years under Coach Stockstill and sixth year in a row the blue and white will reach the milestone.
In Coach Stockstill's 12 seasons, the Blue Raiders have been helped to bowl eligibility by being good in November, and they're hoping that trend continues this year.
MT is 27-15 all-time under Rick Stockstill in November games, and it's won 15 out of its last 20 in the month. With three games left on the docket this season and two wins needed to reach six and bowl eligibility, the Raiders will have to again make November memorable.
"We take pride in playing well in November," he said. "We take a lot of pride in that a lot of people a few weeks ago wanted to write us off. But, we're not going to write ourselves off. That's the pride, the personal pride, the discipline, the toughness, the mental toughness that you have as a football player.
"We practice every day as hard as we can to get better. This team has done a good job of staying focused and staying the course. And we'll continue to fight here this week."
Where can you watch or listen?
TV: ESPN3, ESPN3.com
Radio: 102.5 FM, 89.5 FM, 100.5 FM, 101.9 FM, 1450 AM
Search 'Middle Tennessee' on the TuneIn app.
The Blue Raiders (4-5, 2-3) will travel to Charlotte (1-8, 1-4) and try to best the struggling 49ers in a 1 p.m. CT kickoff. A win would mean MT would be back at the .500 mark and one win away from becoming bowl eligible once again.
"Looking forward to this week's game versus Charlotte," head coach Rick Stockstill said at Monday's weekly press conference. "They're not having a great year, record wise (1-8). But, like I've said and told our team, it doesn't matter who you play, it's why you play. So, we've got to get ready to play this game this week."
It will be a rematch of last season's thrilling 38-31 Middle Tennessee road win, the second for the Raiders in the short two-game history of the series. They also won the first contest 73-14 in Murfreesboro.
Sophomore wide receiver Ty Lee was the savior for MT against Charlotte a year ago. With just over a minute remaining in the ballgame, he entered as a running back and took his second carry of the afternoon up the middle for a 61-yard touchdown. The game-winning score broke a 31-all tie, giving the Blue Raiders a much-needed 38-31 victory.
Lee finished that game with 68 yards rushing and another 76 receiving on five catches. He scored twice, once apiece rushing and receiving.
With two wins needed to become bowl eligible and three games left on the schedule, Middle Tennessee can't afford a slip-up against the 49ers with rival WKU on the schedule next week.
Here's what to watch for in Saturday's game:
Can MT's defense take advantage of a struggling Charlotte offense?
Last week, Middle Tennessee was granted with playing one of the worst offensive teams in the country in UTEP. The Blue Raiders showed out defensively, allowing the Miners just 137 total yards (48 passing), the fewest total given up by MT this season.
Charlotte enters Saturday not much better off offensively than UTEP. The 49ers rank just above the Miners in points per game (12.9) and total offense (310.4), coming in 13th out of 14 Conference USA teams in both categories.
While Charlotte's offensive numbers won't make Middle Tennessee shake in its boots, there are still some things to key in on if the Blue Raiders want to take care of business as they should, most notably 49er quarterback Hasaan Klugh.
The redshirt junior signal caller won't kill MT through the air, as evidenced by his 125.5-yard-per-game average passing and 6:10 TD-to-INT ratio this season. But, he can hurt teams with his legs.
Klugh has only thrown for 1,004 yards this year, but his 471 rushing yards are second on the team to running back Benny Lemay. He's also scored seven rushing TDs this season, good for a tie for fourth in C-USA.
Last season against MT, Klugh rushed for 46 yards to go with 239 passing, and he scored four times (three rushing, one throwing). Middle Tennessee will have to be more disruptive in the backfield, like it was against UTEP, if it wants to limit him more this go-round.
The Blue Raiders are currently the fourth-best C-USA team in rush defense, giving up just 144.8 yards per game, and are tied for fifth in sacks with 18 after grabbing three last week.
"We try to get a certain number of hits on the (opposing) quarterback, and we hope to keep doing that," junior safety Jovante Moffatt said. "Stopping [Klugh] from running is going to be really big. I mean, as far as his passing, I think the DBs can hold on. I just feel that stopping him from running is going to be the main key."
Brent Stockstill nearing another milestone
Redshirt junior quarterback Brent Stockstill returned against UTEP after missing the prior six games due to a sternum injury suffered against Syracuse in Week 2.
While he came back a little rusty at times, completing 13-of-30 passes for 190 yards, three TDs and an INT, he also showed flashes of his old self. On a drive to end the first quarter, he completed 3-for-4 passes with a 25-yard TD strike to Lee to give MT an early 10-0 lead.
"It's been a long time coming," Brent Stockstill said after the game, "and just to get back out there with the guys and start this November off with a win, I couldn't ask for much more. It was a good team win."
He'll try to make those good drives occur a little more frequently this week against a team he didn't play against last season. Brent Stockstill was injured two weeks prior to the matchup when he broke his right collarbone against UTSA.
The Murfreesboro native can reach another milestone this week with a good performance. Already the owner of numerous career school records, including TD passes (68) and passing yards per game (292.7), he can rise to the top of the career passing yards list with 104 on Saturday. He'll overtake Wes Counts, who threw for 8,007 yards in his MT career.
Can "Smash 'N Dash" be effective against Charlotte's rushing D?
Charlotte's defense has been centered around stopping the run this season, but if Lee proved anything last year, it's that Middle Tennessee will have chances to make big plays on the ground.
The Blue Raiders' newfound running back combination of freshman Brad Anderson and junior Tavares Thomas, dubbed "Smash 'N Dash," will have to make those big plays when they're available. The duo is rolling coming off maybe their best combined game of the season, when they gashed UTEP for 136 total yards (68 apiece) and a TD.
Charlotte won't be a pushover in the rushing game, evidenced by the 49ers only allowing Old Dominion 148 yards on 49 carries last week (3-yard average). They've also held opponents under 200 yards rushing in three straight games.
Middle Tennessee owns a 46-8 record under Coach Stockstill when a running back reaches the 100-yard rushing mark. Anderson and Thomas may not have to reach that plateau alone, but combined they'll have to break the century mark or more to help balance out Brent Stockstill and the passing game.
Anticipate a close affair
If last season's matchup proved anything, it's that Charlotte is going to fight against the Blue Raiders no matter what.
Middle Tennessee held a 24-6 halftime lead in that contest, but the 49ers came roaring back to tie it at 31 with just under five minutes left in the game before Lee's heroics.
This year, Charlotte has again shown it likes close games. Five of its nine games have been decided by 11 points or fewer, including four out of the last five.
Last week, the 49ers were beaten 6-0 by Old Dominion just a game after they won in thrilling, overtime fashion, 25-24, against UAB.
If anything is clear, it's that Rick Stockstill is anticipating a close game, and he's preaching that to his team.
"You just look at who they've played and the scores of those games – they're a competitive football team, and a break here or there might've changed the outcome in the some of those games," he said. "They've lost to some good teams, and they've hung in there and played them close. So, we've got to be ready to play, that's the bottom line. We've got to be ready to go."
Raiders inching towards bowl eligibility in favorite month
With a win, Middle Tennessee will move within one game of bowl eligibility. If it makes six wins, it'll be the ninth time in 12 years under Coach Stockstill and sixth year in a row the blue and white will reach the milestone.
In Coach Stockstill's 12 seasons, the Blue Raiders have been helped to bowl eligibility by being good in November, and they're hoping that trend continues this year.
MT is 27-15 all-time under Rick Stockstill in November games, and it's won 15 out of its last 20 in the month. With three games left on the docket this season and two wins needed to reach six and bowl eligibility, the Raiders will have to again make November memorable.
"We take pride in playing well in November," he said. "We take a lot of pride in that a lot of people a few weeks ago wanted to write us off. But, we're not going to write ourselves off. That's the pride, the personal pride, the discipline, the toughness, the mental toughness that you have as a football player.
"We practice every day as hard as we can to get better. This team has done a good job of staying focused and staying the course. And we'll continue to fight here this week."
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