Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Series history points to close contest between MT, FAU
10/9/2019 6:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Many might not peg Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic as budding football rivals when looking at their series from 1,000 feet.
Get closer to the matchup, though, and you'll see just how close the two teams have been since kicking things off for the first time in 2003.
FAU's program started in 2001, and for the first two editions of the series in 2003 and 2004, legendary FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger — who retired in 2011 — and his bunch were an independent, having no conference affiliation.
The inaugural meeting ended 20-19 in favor of the upstart Owls, and the next season saw another FAU victory, 27-20. The tight games were indicative of what was to come from the series, which has been played every year since 2003.
In 16 meetings all-time, MT owns a sizeable 12-4 advantage, including nine straight wins from 2008-2016, but eight games have been decided by a touchdown or less, four by a single point.
"There's very few times when you play a conference game that there's a very big score differential," MT head coach Stockstill said. "The importance of this game is always magnified a little bit … and it amps their guys, amps our guys. It's usually two really good football teams that play."
Middle Tennessee finally got the better of the Owls in 2005, 35-14, in the teams' first season as Sun Belt Conference opponents, one year before Stockstill took the reins of the Blue Raiders in 2006.
Since, MT's head man has gone 11-2 against his foe from Boca Raton, including 5-1 since both programs moved to Conference USA in 2013.
While the Blue Raiders have dominated the series, they haven't necessarily dominated the scoreboard, especially the last six years. With last season's tight, 25-24 win, MT owns just a plus-19 score differential against the Owls since 2013, and the contests have been decided by an average of just nine points in that timeframe.
"Those wins sure give you a lot of momentum, especially when you're talking about in conference," MT senior safety Jovante Moffatt said. "Conference ball is the most important part of the season, and when you can get a win like that, it only helps you moving forward.
"I tell our young guys this is going to be a competitive game … and to be ready to adjust to a lot of stuff during the game."
It appears this season's matchup is again on a collision course for a tight affair.
FAU goes into the game off a bye week, and prior to that, its offense was truly rounding into form, scoring 41, 42 and 45 in three straight wins.
Middle Tennessee is taking its own momentum into Saturday. The Blue Raiders took down preseason C-USA East Division favorite Marshall 24-13 in their last game, forcing four turnovers and shutting out the Thundering Herd in the second half.
"We know they're going to come out in a whole bunch of different types of formations and trick plays, so we just have to do our jobs, read our keys and take care of our responsibilities," Moffatt said.
If history is any hint as to what's to come Saturday, expect a tight contest between the Raiders and Owls.
The rivalry is budding, and both teams are going in as hot as the Boca Raton sun.
"This is always a highly competitive game," Stockstill said. "They have a lot of good athletes, and we have good athletes … and we know how difficult this game will be."
Get closer to the matchup, though, and you'll see just how close the two teams have been since kicking things off for the first time in 2003.
FAU's program started in 2001, and for the first two editions of the series in 2003 and 2004, legendary FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger — who retired in 2011 — and his bunch were an independent, having no conference affiliation.
The inaugural meeting ended 20-19 in favor of the upstart Owls, and the next season saw another FAU victory, 27-20. The tight games were indicative of what was to come from the series, which has been played every year since 2003.
In 16 meetings all-time, MT owns a sizeable 12-4 advantage, including nine straight wins from 2008-2016, but eight games have been decided by a touchdown or less, four by a single point.
"There's very few times when you play a conference game that there's a very big score differential," MT head coach Stockstill said. "The importance of this game is always magnified a little bit … and it amps their guys, amps our guys. It's usually two really good football teams that play."
Middle Tennessee finally got the better of the Owls in 2005, 35-14, in the teams' first season as Sun Belt Conference opponents, one year before Stockstill took the reins of the Blue Raiders in 2006.
Since, MT's head man has gone 11-2 against his foe from Boca Raton, including 5-1 since both programs moved to Conference USA in 2013.
While the Blue Raiders have dominated the series, they haven't necessarily dominated the scoreboard, especially the last six years. With last season's tight, 25-24 win, MT owns just a plus-19 score differential against the Owls since 2013, and the contests have been decided by an average of just nine points in that timeframe.
"Those wins sure give you a lot of momentum, especially when you're talking about in conference," MT senior safety Jovante Moffatt said. "Conference ball is the most important part of the season, and when you can get a win like that, it only helps you moving forward.
"I tell our young guys this is going to be a competitive game … and to be ready to adjust to a lot of stuff during the game."
It appears this season's matchup is again on a collision course for a tight affair.
FAU goes into the game off a bye week, and prior to that, its offense was truly rounding into form, scoring 41, 42 and 45 in three straight wins.
Middle Tennessee is taking its own momentum into Saturday. The Blue Raiders took down preseason C-USA East Division favorite Marshall 24-13 in their last game, forcing four turnovers and shutting out the Thundering Herd in the second half.
"We know they're going to come out in a whole bunch of different types of formations and trick plays, so we just have to do our jobs, read our keys and take care of our responsibilities," Moffatt said.
If history is any hint as to what's to come Saturday, expect a tight contest between the Raiders and Owls.
The rivalry is budding, and both teams are going in as hot as the Boca Raton sun.
"This is always a highly competitive game," Stockstill said. "They have a lot of good athletes, and we have good athletes … and we know how difficult this game will be."
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