Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Raiders looking for a rivalry win
9/28/2020 5:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — More than bragging rights will be on the line Saturday when WKU makes the short trip from Bowling Green, Kentucky to Murfreesboro to battle Middle Tennessee in what's been unofficially dubbed the 100 Miles of Hate rivalry.
Both teams go into Saturday still searching for their first win of the 2020 season. The Hilltoppers (0-2) have the benefit of coming in off a bye week following losses to Louisville and Liberty, while MT (0-3) has an extra day to prepare after a Friday night affair at UTSA.
"This is a good football team coming in here," Blue Raiders head coach Rick Stockstill said. "Offensively, they've got an experienced group with a lot of good players, and defensively, they return nine of 11 starters. … This is a great challenge for us."
Widely regarded as the best rivalry in Conference USA, Middle Tennessee and WKU have played 69 times since their first meeting all the way back in 1914. The Blue Raiders hold the all-time advantage with a 35-33-1 record.
Not every matchup has been closely contested, but of late, the rivalry has been loaded with great games. Seven of the last nine meetings have been decided by a possession or less, including last year's 31-26 Hilltopper victory in Bowling Green.
"I know the anticipation that goes into this game and what the game means to people," senior linebacker DQ Thomas said. "You just try to keep that legacy going and try to go out there and play hard and get the win for your team."
The theme of the rivalry over the past 10 years has been high-octane offense.
In their last 10 meetings, the teams have averaged a combined 71.6 points per game, with Middle Tennessee holding a slim margin in total scoring, 370-346. They've split those 10 matchups evenly with five wins apiece.
For the offenses to again reign supreme on Saturday, both teams will have to see some improvement.
The Hilltoppers averaged 22.5 points and 269.5 total yards per game in their two losses. They've struggled to get the passing game going, averaging just 155 yards per outing.
The Blue Raiders looked better with the ball in their Friday night loss to UTSA, racking up a season's best 35 points in a 37-35 loss. They finished with 563 yards, including a career outing by redshirt junior quarterback Asher O'Hara, who completed 31-of-47 passes for 372 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
"Once you get a few explosive plays, they just seem to keep piling on," O'Hara said. "It's things like that that keep us going on offense. … That gives us momentum and helps us score. We need to continue those explosive plays going into this next game and throughout the rest of the season."
In a rivalry that's always hotly contested, the 2020 matchup between MT and WKU might have a little more significance since both teams are so far winless in the young season.
It hasn't been the start to the year either team had hoped for, making a rivalry win on Saturday worth a lot more than just bragging rights.
"We got punched in the gut, but our team continues to fight and continues to believe in each other," Stockstill said. "I have no doubt that we'll have a great week of preparation and get ready to go out and play this game this weekend."
Saturday's game will also serve as Middle Tennessee's homecoming. Events will be going on all week, so head to the university's homecoming page to find out more. Single-game tickets for Saturday also went on sale Monday at https://oss.ticketmaster.com/aps/mtsu/EN/buy/browse.
Both teams go into Saturday still searching for their first win of the 2020 season. The Hilltoppers (0-2) have the benefit of coming in off a bye week following losses to Louisville and Liberty, while MT (0-3) has an extra day to prepare after a Friday night affair at UTSA.
"This is a good football team coming in here," Blue Raiders head coach Rick Stockstill said. "Offensively, they've got an experienced group with a lot of good players, and defensively, they return nine of 11 starters. … This is a great challenge for us."
Widely regarded as the best rivalry in Conference USA, Middle Tennessee and WKU have played 69 times since their first meeting all the way back in 1914. The Blue Raiders hold the all-time advantage with a 35-33-1 record.
Not every matchup has been closely contested, but of late, the rivalry has been loaded with great games. Seven of the last nine meetings have been decided by a possession or less, including last year's 31-26 Hilltopper victory in Bowling Green.
"I know the anticipation that goes into this game and what the game means to people," senior linebacker DQ Thomas said. "You just try to keep that legacy going and try to go out there and play hard and get the win for your team."
The theme of the rivalry over the past 10 years has been high-octane offense.
In their last 10 meetings, the teams have averaged a combined 71.6 points per game, with Middle Tennessee holding a slim margin in total scoring, 370-346. They've split those 10 matchups evenly with five wins apiece.
For the offenses to again reign supreme on Saturday, both teams will have to see some improvement.
The Hilltoppers averaged 22.5 points and 269.5 total yards per game in their two losses. They've struggled to get the passing game going, averaging just 155 yards per outing.
The Blue Raiders looked better with the ball in their Friday night loss to UTSA, racking up a season's best 35 points in a 37-35 loss. They finished with 563 yards, including a career outing by redshirt junior quarterback Asher O'Hara, who completed 31-of-47 passes for 372 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
"Once you get a few explosive plays, they just seem to keep piling on," O'Hara said. "It's things like that that keep us going on offense. … That gives us momentum and helps us score. We need to continue those explosive plays going into this next game and throughout the rest of the season."
In a rivalry that's always hotly contested, the 2020 matchup between MT and WKU might have a little more significance since both teams are so far winless in the young season.
It hasn't been the start to the year either team had hoped for, making a rivalry win on Saturday worth a lot more than just bragging rights.
"We got punched in the gut, but our team continues to fight and continues to believe in each other," Stockstill said. "I have no doubt that we'll have a great week of preparation and get ready to go out and play this game this weekend."
Saturday's game will also serve as Middle Tennessee's homecoming. Events will be going on all week, so head to the university's homecoming page to find out more. Single-game tickets for Saturday also went on sale Monday at https://oss.ticketmaster.com/aps/mtsu/EN/buy/browse.
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