Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
MT to travel to UTEP with title aspirations alive
11/5/2018 5:00:00 PM | Football
El Paso, Texas – The Conference USA East Division race got a lot more interesting Saturday, as leader FIU fell in a rivalry game to Florida Atlantic.
Sitting right behind the Panthers in the standings, Middle Tennessee hosted its own rival, WKU, on Friday, and left with a 29-10 win.
The victory sets the Blue Raiders (6-3, 5-1) up for a road showdown at UTEP (1-8, 1-4) with their title aspirations still very much alive. They currently lead the division in wins, but FIU (6-3, 4-1) holds the tiebreaker thanks to a 24-21 Oct. 13 win over the blue and white.
"We wish we were in control of our own destiny, but we're still excited to play and have a lot to play for," MT redshirt senior quarterback Brent Stockstill said. "Just to know we have a chance gives everybody that added boost. We're excited to play."
UTEP hasn't had a memorable season, but it'll go into Saturday afternoon's matchup on a high.
The Miners traveled to Rice last week and took down the Owls 34-26 for their first win of the season, snapping a 20-game losing streak that was the longest of its kind in the FBS.
"They got a taste of winning and some confidence, I'm sure," MT head coach Rick Stockstill said. "There's nothing that beats winning … so I know they'll be feeling good about themselves.
"I know we're going to get their best shot. They're going to be excited to play us."
Despite what its record says, UTEP has been competitive in some league games this season, losing to West Division foes North Texas and LA Tech by three then seven, respectively, in back-to-back contests.
The Blue Raiders are trying to look past the records while preparing.
"They don't have the best record, but we have to be locked in on what we have to do," MT redshirt senior linebacker Darius Harris said. "We have to stay focused, not play down to their record and don't lose sight of what we're trying to do and what we're trying to be at the end of the year."
If nothing else looks to be in the Miners' favor on Saturday, they'll at least have the advantage of playing at home at the Sun Bowl Stadium.
It'll be a long trip for Middle Tennessee from Murfreesboro to El Paso, including roughly a four-hour flight. That in itself will create challenges the Blue Raiders will have to contend with.
"We'll have to be really good mentally and in our focus on this trip," Rick Stockstill said. "It's a long trip to get out there, so we have to be ready to go this week."
The Conference USA East Division crown won't be handed out on Saturday, but a win for Middle Tennessee could go a long way in helping the Blue Raiders reach their ultimate goal.
Josh Vardaman is the staff writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Vardaman and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
Sitting right behind the Panthers in the standings, Middle Tennessee hosted its own rival, WKU, on Friday, and left with a 29-10 win.
The victory sets the Blue Raiders (6-3, 5-1) up for a road showdown at UTEP (1-8, 1-4) with their title aspirations still very much alive. They currently lead the division in wins, but FIU (6-3, 4-1) holds the tiebreaker thanks to a 24-21 Oct. 13 win over the blue and white.
"We wish we were in control of our own destiny, but we're still excited to play and have a lot to play for," MT redshirt senior quarterback Brent Stockstill said. "Just to know we have a chance gives everybody that added boost. We're excited to play."
UTEP hasn't had a memorable season, but it'll go into Saturday afternoon's matchup on a high.
The Miners traveled to Rice last week and took down the Owls 34-26 for their first win of the season, snapping a 20-game losing streak that was the longest of its kind in the FBS.
"They got a taste of winning and some confidence, I'm sure," MT head coach Rick Stockstill said. "There's nothing that beats winning … so I know they'll be feeling good about themselves.
"I know we're going to get their best shot. They're going to be excited to play us."
Despite what its record says, UTEP has been competitive in some league games this season, losing to West Division foes North Texas and LA Tech by three then seven, respectively, in back-to-back contests.
The Blue Raiders are trying to look past the records while preparing.
"They don't have the best record, but we have to be locked in on what we have to do," MT redshirt senior linebacker Darius Harris said. "We have to stay focused, not play down to their record and don't lose sight of what we're trying to do and what we're trying to be at the end of the year."
If nothing else looks to be in the Miners' favor on Saturday, they'll at least have the advantage of playing at home at the Sun Bowl Stadium.
It'll be a long trip for Middle Tennessee from Murfreesboro to El Paso, including roughly a four-hour flight. That in itself will create challenges the Blue Raiders will have to contend with.
"We'll have to be really good mentally and in our focus on this trip," Rick Stockstill said. "It's a long trip to get out there, so we have to be ready to go this week."
The Conference USA East Division crown won't be handed out on Saturday, but a win for Middle Tennessee could go a long way in helping the Blue Raiders reach their ultimate goal.
Josh Vardaman is the staff writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Vardaman and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
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