Raiders, Bulldogs meet for first time since 2000

Saturday, October 24

Ruston, LA

2:30 PM

Middle Tennessee

Louisiana Tech (ASN)

10/23/2015 10:22:00 AM | Football

Kickoff set for 2:36 PM

By: @MTAthletics

MURFREESBORO – Following a home win over FIU last week, Middle Tennessee will look to build on that victory with a tough challenge at west leading Louisiana Tech on Saturday. It will mark the first meeting between the two schools since 2000 and the first all-time as conference members.

Kickoff is set for 2:36 PM central time from Joe Aillett Stadium and will be shown nationally on the American Sports Network (WUXP [MyTV30] in Nashville; WTVC-2 in Chattanooga; DirecTV: Channel 30; Dish: Channel 30; AT&T U-Verse: Channel 30).

Middle Tennessee and LA Tech have met four times on the football field with the Bulldogs holding a 3-1 advantage.

GAME INFORMATION
(FULL GAME NOTES)

(GAMEDAY CENTRAL)

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

Game Captains: TE Terry Pettis, DT Shaquille Huff, LS William Eads

Date: Saturday, Oct. 24
Time: 2:36 PM
Teams: Middle Tennessee (3-4) vs LA Tech (4-3)
Location: Ruston, LA
Stadium: Joe Aillet Stadium (28,019)
Weather Forecast: Scattered Showers, 82°
TV: American Sports Network
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: Chris Johnson

Live Audio/Live Streaming | Live Stats

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: LA Tech leads 3-1
At Middle Tennessee: 1-1
At LA Tech: 0-2
At Neutral Site: 0-0
Rick Stockstill vs LA Tech: 0-0
Skip Holtz vs MT: 0-0
Last MT Win: 2000 (49-21)
Last LT Win: 1999 (42-18)

QUICK HITTERS

The last time MT and LA Tech met was game five of the 2000 season. The Blue Raider victory marked their first win as a I-A member against a I-A school. MT's first I-A (FBS) season was 1999.
Rick Stockstill and Skip Holtz were on the same staff at South Carolina during the 2004 season.
MT is averaging 49.5 points a game at home and 21.0 on the road.
WR Ed Batties has 34 receptions in his last four games combined.
WR Richie James is averaging 7.9 receptions a game this season as a freshman to rank 8th nationally and ranks 1st among freshmen.
Cody Clark's consecutive made PAT streak of 127 ranks as the third longest nationally.
MT's 73 points scored in the conference opener against Charlotte went down as the second most scored in school history and came on the heels of a 70-point outing in game one.
MT had 42 points in the first quarter in win over Charlotte which was a school record for points in a quarter.
When Brent Stockstill started against JSU, he became just the second head coach's son in C-USA history to start at quarterback. In 1997-98, Tyson Helton started at Houston when his dad, Kim Helton, was the head coach.
In their last 27 conference games, MT has a mark of 19-8.
Kevin Byard is 3rd among NCAA's active players in interceptions per game at 0.39. He also ranks 2nd in total interceptions with 17.
Over the last 37 games, the Blue Raider defense has come up with 48 interceptions. The team had 15 picks in 2013 by eight different players, 13 in 2014 and 11 so far in 2015 .
Kevin Byard has 352 career interception return yards to own the MT record and rank first on the NCAA active list. The NCAA all-time record is 501 by FSU's Terrell Buckley.
Consecutive Starts Leader: T.T. Barber at 35.
Under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders have been involved in 17 games that were decided in the final minute of regulation or overtime. The team is 10-7 in those games and have won six of the last seven.
Head Coach Rick Stockstill is third on the school's all-time wins list with 60 victories.
In 119 games under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders are +27 in turnover margin.
Middle Tennessee has scored 30 or more points 49 times under Rick Stockstill. The most 30-point games in a season under Stockstill is nine (2009).

ANDERSON SHINES
With Middle Tennessee's top four tailbacks out with injuries, true freshman Desmond Anderson had his number called against FIU and made the most of his opportunity. The Pacolet, SC native rushed 29 times for 144 yards and three touchdowns to lead MT to a win over FIU. It was the most yards by a true freshman since Jordan Parker had 159 yards against South Alabama in 2012.

JAMES IN TOP 10 ... ALREADY
With six catches in the win over FIU, redshirt freshman Richie James ran his season total to 55. That total currently ranks 10th on Middle Tennessee's single-season list and is well within reach of Kerry Wright's all-time record of 76. He needs six more grabs to overtake Chris Henry (60) for ninth place.

STOCKSTILL KEEPS ADDING TO FRESHMAN RECORD
With 296 passing yards against WKU, quarterback Brent Stockstill set a new freshman passing mark for the Blue Raiders. Stockstill now has 2,064 total passing yards on the season which breaks the previous freshman mark of 1,763 yards set by Kelly Holcomb in 1991.

STOCKSTILL SETS CAREER HIGH, ATTEMPTS RECORD
Freshman Brent Stockstill, who leads all first year players nationally in passing, is having a stellar rookie campaign. Against Vanderbilt, Stockstill completed 32 of 51 passes and both were career highs. The 32 completions went down as the second most in school history and the 51 attempts broke the school mark of 49. For the year, Stockstill is averaging 25 completions per game which equals out to 300 for the season and that would be a new MT record.

BYARD TIES CAREER RECORD, NEEDS ONE MORE
Senior Kevin Byard tied a 33-year old Middle Tennessee record when he hauled in his 17th career interception against Vanderbilt. Byard currently shares the school record with James Griffin (1979-82) and needs one more to own the mark outright. Byard's 17 picks is currently tied for second nationally among active players.

BATTIES HAVING CAREER YEAR
Senior wide receiver Ed Batties enters the LA Tech game with 51 receptions through seven games. Last year, Batties led MT in receiving with a personal-best 45 catches. Batties needs four more catches to tie teammate Richie James for 10th place on the single-season list.

DANDY DUO
The receiving duo of senior Ed Batties and freshman Richie James is becoming lethal in the Blue Raiders' high octane offensive attack. The pair ranks in the Top 10 nationally in receptions per game and come into the LA Tech contest with a combined 106 receptions, 1,271 yards and 12 touchdowns. The top receiving tandem in school history is Kerry Wright and Chris Henry who combined for 136 catches in 2004. The pair had a 25-catch game at Illinois where Batties hauled in a school record 13 receptions and James added 12, which would have tied the old school mark.