MT, WKU meet for 65th time

Saturday, October 10

Bowling Green, KY

11:00 AM

Middle Tennessee

WKU (FSN)

10/9/2015 10:28:00 AM | Football

Kickoff set for 11 AM on FSN

By: @MTAthletics

MURFREESBORO – After two heartbreaking non-conference setbacks in consecutive weeks, Middle Tennessee steps back into conference play against longtime rival WKU. It will mark the 65^th meeting between the two schools.

Kickoff is set for 11:05 AM central time from Houchens Stadium and will be shown regionally on Fox Sports Regional Network (DirecTV 649, Campus Cable 33.5, Comcast 1676, Dish 5415, 5416, 5417, AT&T U-Verse 1720).

Middle Tennessee and WKU have met 64 times on the football field with the Blue Raiders holding a 34-29-1 advantage. The Blue Raiders have won five of the last six in the series, including four straight in Bowling Green.

GAME INFORMATION
(FULL GAME NOTES)

(GAMEDAY CENTRAL)

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

Game Captains: OL Darius Johnson, S Quay Watt, PK Cody Clark

Date: Saturday, Oct. 10
Time: 11:05 AM
Teams: Middle Tennessee (2-3) vs WKU (4-1)
Location: Bowling Green, KY
Stadium: Houchens (22,113)
Weather Forecast: Mostly Sunny, 71°/46°
TV: Fox Sports Regional 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: Dejuan Buford
Gates Open: 9:30 AM

Live Audio/Live Streaming | Live Stats

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Middle Tennessee leads 34-29-1
At Middle Tennessee: 20-13-1
At WKU: 14-16
At Neutral Site: 0-0
Rick Stockstill vs WKU: 5-2
Jeff Brohm vs MT: 0-1
Last MT Win: 2014 (50-47 (3OT))
Last WKU Win: 36-33 (2OT) in 2011

QUICK HITTERS

WR Ed Batties has 23 receptions in his last two games combined.
MT ranks 19th nationally in fewest penalties per game (4.80).
WR Richie James is averaging 8.4 receptions a game this season as a freshman to rank 7th nationally and ranks 1st among freshmen.
Cody Clark's consecutive made PAT streak of 117 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 25 conference games, MT has a mark of 18-7.
Kevin Byard is 2nd among NCAA's active players in interceptions per game at 0.40. He also ranks 1st in total interceptions with 17.
RB Shane Tucker has scored at least one touchdown in 12 of his last 20 regular season games.
Over the last 35 games, the Blue Raider defense has come up with 46 interceptions. The team had 15 picks in 2013 by eight different players, 13 in 2014 and nine already 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 33.
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 59 victories.
In 117 games under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders are +28 in turnover margin.
Middle Tennessee has scored 30 or more points 48 times under Rick Stockstill. The most 30-point games in a season under Stockstill is nine (2009).

STOCKSTILL SETS PERSONAL MARKS
Freshman Brent Stockstill, who leads all first year players nationally in passing, is having a stellar rookie campaign. Last week 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 26 completions per game which equals out to 312 for the season and that would be a new MT record.

BYARD TIES CAREER RECORD
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 first nationally among active players.

RAIDERS GETTING OFFENSIVE
Middle Tennessee has been very effective offensively the early part of the season by averaging 445.4 yards a game to rank 35th nationally. The unit put up 659 yards against Charlotte and 73 points, which was the second most in school history. With a 70-point game in their opener vs JSU, the 2015 Raiders are the first in school history to score 70 or more points twice in a season. The unit is also averaging 38.2 points a game to rank 25th nationally.

DEFENSE NOT TOO SHABBY EITHER
MIDDLE Tennessee gets a lot of praise for its offense but the defense is quietly having a solid season as well. Through five games, MT ranks 5th in turnovers gained (13), 7th in interceptions and 6th in red zone defense (.600). The unit is allowing just 363.8 yards (best since 2009) a game and 21.8 points (best under Stockstill).

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 WKU contest with a combined 82 receptions, 975 yards and nine 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.

IMPACT NEWCOMER
Junior Jeremy Cutrer, a late transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast CC and an original LSU signee, has made quite an impact for the Blue Raiders. In just five starts, Cutrer leads the team with three interceptions, seven pass breakups to go with a blocked field goal and fumble recovery. He ranks 3rd nationally in passes defended at 2.0 per game.