Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
5-6 , 3-4
Western Kentucky University
6-5 , 4-3
Team Stats
MT 0, WKU 7
WKU - YELDER, Deon 14 yd pass from WHITE, Mike (NUSS, Ryan kick) 9 plays, 76 yards, TOP 4:10
MT 3, WKU 7
MT - ROOKER, Canon 49 yd field goal 7 plays, 27 yards, TOP 2:30
MT 3, WKU 10
WKU - NUSS, Ryan 28 yd field goal 10 plays, 69 yards, TOP 3:45
MT 10, WKU 10
MT - SMITH, Patrick 21 yd pass from STOCKSTILL, B. (ROOKER, Canon kick) 6 plays, 61 yards, TOP 2:39
MT 17, WKU 10
MT - HARRIS, Darius 40 yd fumble recovery (ROOKER, Canon kick)
MT 17, WKU 17
WKU - TOWNER, Kylen 65 yd pass from WHITE, Mike (NUSS, Ryan kick) 2 plays, 72 yards, TOP 0:46
MT 17, WKU 24
WKU - JACKSON, Lucky 93 yd pass from WHITE, Mike (NUSS, Ryan kick) 2 plays, 95 yards, TOP 0:48
MT 24, WKU 24
MT - THOMAS, Tavares 2 yd run (ROOKER, Canon kick), 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:51
MT 31, WKU 24
MT - THOMAS, Tavares 2 yd run (ROOKER, Canon kick), 4 plays, 0 yards, TOP 0:00
MT 31, WKU 31
WKU - FANT, Nacarius 5 yd pass from WHITE, Mike (NUSS, Ryan kick) 4 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
MT 31, WKU 38
WKU - ECHOLS-LUPER, C 13 yd pass from WHITE, Mike (NUSS, Ryan kick) 4 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
MT 38, WKU 38
MT - WEST, Terelle 3 yd run (ROOKER, Canon kick), 5 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
MT 38, WKU 41
WKU - NUSS, Ryan 37 yd field goal 4 plays, 5 yards, TOP 0:00
Players Mentioned
Blue Raiders fall in triple OT
11/17/2017 11:29:00 PM | Football
Game is fourth longest as FBS member
The Blue Raiders (5-6, 3-4) traveled to WKU (6-5, 4-3) for the 67th playing of the rivalry game and returned home with a tough 41-38 overtime setback. They've now lost three in a row in the series, including two straight in OT, but own a 34-32-1 advantage all-time.
"It was a good, hard-fought football game," MT Head Coach Rick Stockstill said. "It was a very competitive game that came down to the wire … and they made one more play than we did again."
As has become the norm for the series, the game couldn't be decided in regulation. It was the fourth time in the last six meetings and second contest in a row that went to OT. Middle Tennessee also lost the 2016 edition, 44-43, in extra time.
After both teams got into the end zone on their first two OT possessions, Middle Tennessee's Canon Rooker was set up with a 42-yard field-goal attempt for the win. The redshirt senior earlier in the game knocked home a 49-yarder, his seventh straight make of more than 45 yards, but missed the winner wide left.
WKU responded with a 37-yard field goal to take the game in thrilling fashion.
"It hurts, man," senior linebacker D.J. Sanders said. "This is my last game against WKU, and I wish we could have come out with a win. It's disappointing."
The finish was set up by a crazy start to the fourth quarter.
The score was 10-3 in favor of the Toppers as the game entered the final frame. On the first play of the quarter, Brent Stockstill dropped a perfect pass in stride to fellow redshirt junior Patrick Smith along the left sideline to give MT a tying 21-yard TD.
On WKU's ensuing possession, quarterback Mike White tried a backwards pass, which was mishandled by the Hilltopper running back and grabbed by redshirt junior linebacker Darius Harris. He recovered the fumble 40 yards for the Raiders' second TD in 20 seconds.
The 17-10 advantage didn't last long, though, as White connected on 65- then 93-yard TD passes on WKU's next two drives to put the Toppers back up, 24-17.
Junior running back Tavares Thomas then cashed in on a 2-yard rush with 4:51 left in the game to set up the overtime finish, capping a 35-point 10-minute stretch.
"That [stretch] was an emotional roller coaster," Brent Stockstill said. "But, that's what these games are about. It's a rivalry, and that's college football for you."
While Middle Tennessee was dominant against WKU's running game, allowing just 53 yards, it struggled to slow down White, Conference USA's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
Even though the Blue Raiders got pressure in the backfield, coming up with five sacks and 11 tackles for loss, White was undeterred. He completed his first 14 passes and 39-of-54 overall for 485 yards and five TDs.
"We knew they were a pass-heavy team," Harris said. "We gave up a lot of plays, two plays that were one-play scoring drives … and that's unacceptable. No matter what the score is, we can't let them score on one play like that."
Five Middle Tennessee stoppers reached the double-digit tackle mark, led by Khalil Brooks' 12. Reed Blankenship, Walter Brady and Jovante Moffatt each had 11, while Sanders had 10.
Sanders and Brady both had 1.5 sacks, while Brooks and Sanders led the way with two tackles for loss apiece. Harris and Moffatt had fumble recoveries.
On the other side of the ball, the Blue Raiders overcame a slow start to end with impressive stats offensively.
They combined for 431 total yards. Redshirt junior quarterback Brent Stockstill completed 27-of-46 passes for 294 yards and TD, while Thomas led the way on the ground with 18 rushes for 92 yards and two scores. Terrelle West also had a rushing TD, and Ty Lee was the team's leading receiver with 11 catches for 114 yards.
Middle Tennessee will have one more shot at bowl eligibility as it closes out the regular season at home on Saturday, Nov. 25, against Old Dominion. The game has a 2 p.m. kickoff scheduled with senior day activities prior.
"Got to keep fighting," Coach Stockstill said. "We have to keep fighting, keep playing and keep competing. We have one shot left here next week … be a man, roll up your sleeves, go back to work Sunday and see if we can get one next Saturday."
MT POSTGAME NOTES
CAPTAINS: Today's game captains were WR Isiah Upton, OL Carlos Johnson and WR Desmond Anderson.
BROOKS MOVES UP LIST: Khalil Brooks, who entered the WKU ranked 24th nationally in tackles for loss, recorded two against the Hilltoppers to give him 15.0 on the season. That ties for seventh on the all-time single-season list.
ROOKER STRIKES AGAIN: Senior PK Canon Rooker continued his stellar season when he connected on a 49-yard field goal in the second quarter.
21 STRAIGHT: Quarterback Brent Stockstill has now thrown at least one touchdown pass in 21 straight games. Stockstill's streak was in jeopardy until he found Patrick Smith early in the fourth quarter from 21 yards out. The streak ranks as the third longest in the country behind Baker Mayfield and Trace McSorley.
HARRIS COMES UP BIG: Linebacker Darius Harris provided the Blue Raiders with their first defensive points of the season when he returned a fumble 40 yards for a touchdown. It was Harris' third career fumble recovery and his second career touchdown. It went down as the first fumble return for a TD by the Raiders since Trey Wafford returned one 20 yards against Savannah State in 2014.
BACK-TO-BACK: WR Ty Lee went over the 100-yard receiving mark for the second game in a row when he hauled in a career-high 11 receptions for 114 yards. Lee now has five 100-yard games for his career and three this season.
WORKING OVERTIME: Middle Tennessee and WKU went to overtime for the second straight year. It marked the 10th overtime game for the Blue Raiders as a FBS member. It marked the fourth overtime game between MT and WKU as FBS members. The Blue Raiders dropped to 1-3 against WKU in OT. Overall, MT is now 5-5 in OT games. It marked the third triple OT game since 1999 and the fourth longest during that span. The longest game was a four OT contest against UL-Lafayette during the 2003 season.
QUICK HITTERS: PK Canon Rooker played in his team-high 50th game tonight … LB DJ Sanders made his team-leading 24th straight start … QB Brent Stockstill has now thrown at least one touchdown pass in 21 straight games played … LB DJ Sanders had a career-best 1.5 sacks tonight … Josh Fannin and Tavonn Salter made their first career starts … RB Tavares Thomas hauled in a career-best three receptions
