Raiders face Charlotte on Saturday

Saturday, November 19

Charlotte, NC

1:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

Charlotte (ESPN3)

11/18/2016 6:00:00 AM | Football

Final road game of the regular season

By: @MTAthletics

MURFREESBORO – Middle Tennessee will hit the road for the final time in the regular season as it travels to Charlotte to face the 49ers. Kickoff is set for 1:06 PM CT and the game will be shown on ESPN3.

This marks just the second meeting between the two schools following last year's 73-14 win by the Blue Raiders in Floyd Stadium.

TV INFORMATION: ESPN3

GAME INFORMATION
(FULL GAME NOTES)

(GAMEDAY CENTRAL)

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

Game Captains: WR Dennis Andrews, DE Chris Hale and WR Tristan Walker.

Date: Saturday, Nov. 19
Time: 1:06 p.m. (central)
Teams: Middle Tennessee (6-4; 3-3) vs Charlotte (4-6; 3-3)
Location: Charlotte, NC
Stadium: Jerry Richardson Stadium (15,314)
Weather Forecast: Mostly Sunny/Windy 69°
TV: ESPN3
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: Wes Counts

Live Streaming | Live Stats | Live Audio

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: MT leads 1-0
At Middle Tennessee: MT leads 1-0
At Charlotte: First Meeting
At Neutral Site: 0-0
Rick Stockstill vs Charlotte: 1-0
Brad Lambert vs MT: 0-1
Last MT Win: 2015 (73-14 in Murfreesboro)
Last Charlotte Win: NA

QUICK HITTERS

MT ranks tied for 3rd nationally with four road wins this season. Western Michigan leads the nation with six followed by Alabama's five, while MT joins Clemson, Florida State, Boise State, Colorado, Georgia, Louisville, UNC, Oklahoma, Eastern Michigan, Idaho, San Diego State, Utah, Wisconsin and Washington with four.
WR Richie James needs 93 more receiving yards to break his own single-season school record of 1,346 set in 2015.
MT had 8 turnovers in its first eight games combined and now it has 8 in its last two contests combined.
WR Richie James has 100 or more yards receiving in a school record six straight games entering the Charlotte contest.
The 2016 season is the 102nd for Blue Raider football and the 18th at the FBS level.
PK Canon Rooker has hit 12 of his last 13 field goals and ranks 19th nationally in field goals made per game.
I'Tavius Mathers has rushed for 100 or more yards in six of his last eight games.
In MT's last 12 wins it has averaged 584.3 yards of total offense and allowed just 383.9.
I'Tavius Mathers ranks 13th nationally in scoring and 9th in rushing touchdowns.
Middle Tennessee is 19-5 in its last 24 home games.
The Blue Raiders have been bowl eligible eight times in 11 years and partcipated in five bowls during the FBS era.
Middle Tennessee has 10 players competing this season with a degree in hand. The Blue Raiders also have seven more who will earn degrees this December (Josh Chester, Jeremy Cutrer, William Eads, Myles Harges, Shaquille Huff, Brent Stockstill (Undergraduate) and Kamani Thomas).
MT is averaging 40.2 points a game at home and 34.2 on the road in 2016.
In their last 38 conference games, the Blue Raiders have a mark of 26-12.
Over the last 53 games, the Blue Raider defense has come up with 61 interceptions. The team had 15 picks in 2013 by eight different players, 13 in 2014 and 17 in 2015.
Consecutive Starts Leaders: Shaquille Huff (35), Daniel Stephens (28) and Steven Rhodes (26).
Under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders have been involved in 20 games that were decided in the final minute of regulation or overtime. The team is 12-8 in those games and have won eight of the last 10.
Head Coach Rick Stockstill is third on the school's all-time wins list with 70 victories.
In 135 games under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders are +22 in turnover margin.
Middle Tennessee has scored 30 or more points 59 times under Rick Stockstill. The most 30-point games in a season under Stockstill is nine (2009) and the Raiders have 7 through 10 games in 2016.

EMBARKING ON HISTORY
I'Tavius Mathers has proven to be a threat on the ground but he is also a weapon in the passing game. Mathers, who has 1,190 rushing yards entering the Charlotte game, has reeled in 54 receptions which goes down as the most by a running back in MT history. In fact, with 16 more receptions over the next three games, Mathers can become just the second player in NCAA FBS history to have 70 receptions and rush for 1,000 or more yards in a single season. He would join former Oregon St. Beaver Jacquizz Rodgers who had 78 catches and 1,440 rushing yards in 2009.

TACKLING MACHINE
Due to the injury to starter Alex Dale, safety Darryl Randolph was inserted into the lineup the past three games and has responded nicely. During the three contests, Randolph has a total of 35 tackles and is coming off a career-best 15-tackle peformance against Marshall. Prior to the FIU game he was 17th on the team in total stops and is now sixth.

SIX STRAIGHT
WR Richie James turned in his sixth straight 100-yard receiving game and seventh of the season when he tallied 122 yards on 12 catches against Marshall. James' six straight 100 yards games is a school record. He now has 12 total for his career and needs three more to break the school mark of 14 set by Kendall Newson.

8 TIMES IN 11 YEARS
In 11 years under Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee has reached bowl eligibility eight times and seven times in the last eight years. The Blue Raiders have been bowl eligible under Rick Stockstill in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. The eight bowl eligible years during the 11-year span is more than any FBS team in Tennessee and equals the most of any program in C-USA.

ROOKER HAVING STRONG FIRST YEAR
Junior Canon Rooker, who took over placekicking duties this year for the first time in his career, has enjoyed a steady campaign. Rooker ranks 19th nationally in field goals made per game at 1.50, 29th in scoring, and is 22nd nationally in field goal made percentage at .833. He enters the Charlotte game having hit 12 of his last 13 three-pointers. For the year, Rooker has hit 15 field goals which equals the fourth most in school history and the all-time record is 18.