Blue Raiders host Sam Houston on Senior Day

11/21/2025 1:00:00 PM | Football

By: @MTAthletics

Saturday, Nov. 22 \| 2:02 p.m. \| Floyd Stadium (27,303) \| Murfreesboro, TN

	MIDDLE TENNESSEE BLUE RAIDERS 1-9, 0-6 CUSA	VS	SAM HOUSTON BEARKATS 2-8, 1-5 CUSA

WATCH: ESPN+ \| STATS: LINK \| RADIO: WGNS (LINK)

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee hosts Sam Houston on Saturday for the final home game of the season as they say good-bye to 20 student-athletes on Senior Day. Kickoff is set for 2 PM CT and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.

The Blue Raiders (1-9, 0-6) are coming off a 42-26 loss to rival WKU where a lot of positives on the offensive side of the ball is something they hope to build on this week. MTSU had a season-high 542 yards of offense that was led by first-time starter Roman Gagliano at quarterback. Playing for the injured Nicholas Vattiato, Gagliano accounted for 471 yards of total offense with 383 passing yards and 88 yards on the ground. His effort made him the Conference USA Freshman of the Week and the TSWA Offensive Player of the Week.

Sam Houston (2-8, 1-5) started the year with eight straight losses but have since put together back-to-back wins. The Bearkats are playing their best football of the season as they make their way to Murfreesboro. In a win last week over Delaware, QB Landyn Locke make his first collegiate start and threw for 213 yards, while running back Coco Brown rushed for 109 yards. Defensively, the Bearkats recorded eight sacks.

GAME 11

» Saturday, November 22- 2:02 p.m. CT
» Floyd Stadium
» Murfreesboro, TN

SERIES HISTORY

» This will be just the fourth all-time meeting in football between MTSU and Sam Houston and the second as conference foes. The series stands at 2-1 in favor of the Bearkats. SHSU won the first meeting, 27-13, in the 1956 Refrigerator Bowl in Evansville, Ind. before the Blue Raiders took a 20-19 OT win at home during the 1991 I-AA Playoffs. Sam Houston won the 2023 meeting in Huntsville, 23-20.
BLUE RAIDER NOTES

» Senior Parker Hughes had his first career INT last week at WKU and returned it 62 yards. That went down as the longest return by an MTSU linebacker in the FBS era.
» Jekail Middlebrook ranks 28th nationally in all-purpose yards at 108.8 per game.
» In his last six games, Jekail Middlebrook has amassed 734 all-purpose yards for 122.3 yards per game.
» TE Hunter Tipton, who entered the season with 21 career receptions, has registered 23 in the last five games combined.
» MTSU has started 10 different players along the offensive line this season. That total ranks tied for the most in the country.
» Consecutive Start Leaders: Mateo Guevara: 22
» MT owns just 38 explosive plays of 20 or more yards this season, including a high of 10 against WKU. The Blue Raiders had 44 total in 2024.
» Among active FBS career leaders in passing yards, Nicholas Vattiato ranks 3rd with 9,674 yards and is only the 7th to reach 9,000 yards. His 918 completions is 2nd most.

BLUE RAIDERS AT FLOYD STADIUM

» Since Floyd Stadium opened in 1933, the Blue Raiders have compiled an overall mark of 310-142-13 (.681), including a record 31-game win streak from 1987-94. Since joining the FBS ranks in 1999, the Blue Raiders are 88-56 (.611) overall at Floyd Stadium and 60-33 in conference games (32-17 vs CUSA; 28-16 vs SBC). MT has a 44-27 record at home in its last 71 games.

SENIOR DAY

» The Sam Houston game will mark the final home game for 20 seniors. The list includes: Ellis Adams (OL/7th Year), Aaren Alexander (OL/r-Sr.), Zach Benedict (K/r-Sr.), Brandon Buckner (OLB/r-Sr.), Myles Butler (WR/r-Sr.), Juwon Gaston (S/r-Sr.), Mateo Guevara (OL/r-Jr.), Brendon Harris (S/8th Year), EJ Harris (OL/r-Sr.), John Howse (S/r-Sr.), Parker Hughes (LB/r-Sr.), De'Arre McDonald (CB/6th Year), Marcus Miller (OL/6th Year), Abdul Muhammad (CB/Sr.), Jacob Otts (OL/6th Year), Damonte Smith (DT/r-Sr.), Mykah Stone (LS/6th Year), Hunter Tipton (TE/r-Jr.), Ikani Tuiono (OL/6th Year), and Nicholas Vattiato (QB/r-Sr.).

HELLO, COLLEGE FOOTBALL

» Redshirt freshman quarterback Roman Gagliano got his first collegiate start against WKU and responded in resounding fashion. The Opelika, Ala., native accounted for 471 yards of total offense to equal the second most in a game in school history. He amassed 383 passing yards to go with 88 yards on the ground. His 383 yards through the air was the most by a Blue Raider QB in his first career start (breaking previous mark of 379 yards by Chase Cunningham in 2021) and the most ever by a freshman at MTSU. He broke the previous freshman record of 381 yards set by Brent Stockstill against LA Tech in 2015.

OFFENSE BREAKS OUT

» The Blue Raiders churned out 541 total yards of offense against WKU which went down as the most in the Derek Mason era and the most by MTSU since gaining 615 yards against FAU in 2022. The unit had 68 total plays for an average per play of 8.0 yards which was another high in the Mason era.

LACY ELEVATING HIS PLAY

» Redshirt sophomore receiver Cam'ron Lacy has elevated his play over the last six games for MTSU. During that span, the speedster has 30 receptions for 456 yards and three touchdowns. His season totals are 35 catches for a team-best 519 yards, while his 14.8 yards a reception is also tops on the team. Lacy also has two 100-yard receiving games during that span which are the first two of his career.

MIDDLEBROOK RANKS SECOND NATIONALLY

» RB Jekail Middlebrook has become quite the weapon for the Blue Raiders in the passing game. The Fayetteville, Ga., native owns 37 receptions to rank second nationally among running backs. It's the most grabs in a single-season during his three seasons and gives him 63 for his career. The most catches by a RB in a single-season at MTSU is 66 by I'Tavius Mathers in 2016 and the most in a career is 72 by Jimbo Pearson (1960-64).