Raiders, Roadrunners meet on Saturday

MURFREESBORO – After 21 days away, the Blue Raiders return to Floyd Stadium to take on UTSA Saturday. The game will be the annual Salute to Veterans and Armed Forces as UTSA makes its first visit to Murfreesboro.

The Blue Raiders won the only other meeting between the two schools last season in San Antonio, 42-7.

The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3 with kickoff coming at 1:34 PM Central.

TV INFORMATION: ESPN3

GAME INFORMATION
(FULL GAME NOTES)

(GAMEDAY CENTRAL)

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

Game Captains: OL Maurquice Shakir, LB DJ Sanders, LS William Eads

Date: Saturday, Nov. 5
Time: 1:34 p.m. (central)
Teams: Middle Tennessee (6-2; 3-1) vs UTSA (4-4; 3-2)
Location: Murfreesboro, TN
Stadium: Floyd Stadium (30,788)
Raider Walk: 11:15 AM
Gates Open: Noon
National Anthem: 1:19 p.m.
Raiders take field: 1:29 p.m.
Weather Forecast: Sunny, 73 degrees
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: First Meeting
At San Antonio: MT leads 1-0
At Neutral Site: 0-0
Rick Stockstill vs UTSA: 1-0
Frank Wilson vs MT: 0-0
Last MT Win: 2015 (42-7 in San Antonio)
Last UTSA Win: NA

QUICK HITTERS

Turnover Story: After committing 6 turnovers the first 3 games, MT has just two over its last 5 games and has played turnover free 2 straight weeks.Overall, MT is tied for 11th nationally in turnovers lost with just 8.
MT received 5 votes in this week's Amway Coaches Poll which ties them for 34th nationally.
MT is one of just five FBS team nationally with 4 road wins in 2016. Alabama, Clemson, UNC, and Western Michigan are the other four.
The 2016 season is the 102nd for Blue Raider football and the 18th at the FBS level.
A win over UTSA would move the Raiders to 7-2 on the season which would be their best 9-game record to start a year since 2001 (also 7-2).
PK Canon Rooker has hit 10 of his last 11 field goals and ranks 17th nationally in field goals made per game.
I'Tavius Mathers has rushed for 100 or more yards in six straight games which is the second longest stretch in school history. He needs one more to tie the MT record.
In MT's last 12 wins it has averaged 584.3 yards of total offense and allowed just 383.9.
I'Tavius Mathers ranks 3rd nationally in scoring and 6th in rushing touchdowns.
QB Brent Stockstill has thrown for 300 or more yards in 10 of his last 14 outings.
Middle Tennessee is 19-4 in its last 23 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 45.3 points a game at home and 37.6 on the road in 2016.
In their last 36 conference games, the Blue Raiders have a mark of 26-10.
Over the last 51 games, the Blue Raider defense has come up with 59 interceptions. The team had 15 picks in 2013 by eight different players, 13 in 2014 and 17 in 2015.
Consecutive Starts Leaders: Shaquille Huff (33), Daniel Stephens (26) and Steven Rhodes (24).
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 133 games under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders are +28 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 8 games in 2016.

RAIDERS AT FLOYD STADIUM

Since Floyd Stadium opened in 1933, the Blue Raiders have compiled an overall mark of 286-117-13 (.700), including a record 31-game win streak from 1987-94.
Under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders are 38-20 overall at Floyd Stadium and 25-13 in conference games (12-2 vs C-USA). MT has a 19-4 record at home in its last 23 games.
Since 2007, MT has had home games against Virginia, Maryland, Mississippi State, Minnesota, Georgia Tech, BYU and Vandy. MT will host Vandy in 2017, Duke in 2019 and Missouri in 2022.

GOOD IN NOVEMBER
Under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders have enjoyed success down the final stretch of the season in November. Over its last 30 games in the month of November, the Blue Raiders are 21-9 and have won 12 of its last 15. Overall under Stockstill MT carries a 24-13 mark in November.

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.

STOCKSTILL NEW CAREER LEADER
After tossing four touchdown passes in win over FIU, QB Brent Stockstill became the programs new career leader in that category. Stockstill enters the UTSA game with 56 career TD passes which moved him past previous record holder Logan Kilgore (53). What's impressive is that Stockstill accomplished the feat in just 22 games compared to Kilgore's 39. In 2015 he set the single-season mark with 30 touchdown passes and already has 26 through eight games in 2016.

MATHERS TOPS 1,000
Senior I'Tavius Mathers became just the 10th player in Blue Raider history to reach 1,000 rushing yards when he netted 148 yards at FIU. Mathers is the first player to top 1,000 yards in a season at MT since QB Dwight Dasher in 2009 but the first running back since Dwone Hicks in 2002. Middle Tennessee has now registered 16 1,000-yard seasons in its history by 10 different players.

JAMES GOES BACK-TO-BACK
With a 127-yard effort at FIU, sophomore receiver Richie James went over the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season. It marks just the second time in school history a player has registered back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons as Kerry Wright did it in 2003 and 2004. James had a school record 1,346 yards in 2015 and enters the UTSA game with 1,032 yards.

DEFENSE SCORES
For the first time this season and the first time since the UTSA game in 2015, the Blue Raider defense put points on the board in the win at FIU. Doing it at the right time, LB DJ Sanders picked off a pass and returned it 48 yards for a TD in a tie game to provide the winning edge. It was the 24th defensive score under Stockstill and the 11th longest.

OFFENSIVE LINE SHINING
A huge reason for Middle Tennessee's offensive success this season are the guys up front. Along with helping pave the way for a 1,000-yard rusher, a 1,000-yard receiver and soon-to-be 3,000-yard passer, the offensive line has allowed just five sacks all season to tie for 2nd nationally. The unit has give up just one sack in the last three games combined and allowed only one at Floyd Stadium all season (LA Tech).

ROOKER HAVING SOLID 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 17th nationally in field goals made per game at 1.63, 14th in scoring, and is 30th nationally in field goal made percentage at .813. He enters the UTSA game having hit 10 of his last 11 three-pointers. For the year, Rooker has hit 13 field goals which equals the seventh most in school history and the all-time record is 18.

RECORD DAY FOR JAMES
Record-setting receiver Richie James continues to put up impressive numbers and against WKU was perhaps his best. James broke his own school record with 16 receptions to go with 223 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The 223 yards went down as the second most in school history and makes him just the second player all-time to top the 200-yard mark. James had 14 catches at Vanderbilt earlier this season to set the school record before bettering that mark against WKU.

BIG DAY FOR STOCKSTILL
QB Brent Stockstill turned in an impressive performance against WKU. The sophomore completed a school record 42 passes for 434 yards and three touchdowns. The 434 yards went down as a career-high and the third most ever recorded in a single game at MT. Stockstill is now just one of five players to have 400 or more yards in a game for the Blue Raiders.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Josh Chester

Jeremy Cutrer

William Eads

Myles Harges

Shaquille Huff

Richie James

I'Tavius Mathers

Steven Rhodes

Canon Rooker

Maurquice Shakir

Daniel Stephens

Brent Stockstill

Kamani Thomas

Middle Tennesee State University Athletics