Middle Tennessee, coming off an upset win at SEC foe Missouri last week, jumps back into conference play to take on FIU Saturday in Miami. It marks the 12th meeting between the two schools.
The Blue Raiders have won three of the last four meetings and own a 7-4 advantage in the series which began in 2005.
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3 with kickoff coming at 6:02 PM Central.
TV INFORMATION: ESPN3
GAME INFORMATION
(FULL GAME NOTES)
Hashtag: BeatFIU, BlueRaiders
Twitter: MT_FB
Instagram: @MTAthletics
Facebook: Blue Raider Athletics
Game Captains: OL Daniel Stephens, DL Raynard Felton, OL Hunter Rogers
Date: Saturday, Oct. 29
Time: 6:02 p.m. (central)
Teams: Middle Tennessee (5-2; 2-1) vs FIU (3-5; 3-1)
Location: Miami, FL
Stadium: FIU Stadium (20,000)
National Anthem: 5:53 p.m.
Raiders take field: 5:58 p.m.
Weather Forecast: Cloudy, windy, 82 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 7-4
At Middle Tennessee: MT leads 5-1
At Miami: FIU leads 3-2
At Neutral Site: 0-0
Rick Stockstill vs FIU: 7-3
Ron Cooper vs MT: 0-0
Last MT Win: 2015 (42-34 in Murfreesboro)
Last FIU Win: 2014 (38-28 in Miami)
QUICK HITTERS What to look for at FIU: QB Brent Stockstill can become the school’s career leader in TD passes, I’Tavius Mathers is 60 rushing yards from 1,000 and Richie James is 95 receiving yards from 1,000. MT received 3 votes in this week’s Amway Coaches Poll which ties them for 34th nationally. The 2016 season is the 102nd for Blue Raider football and the 18th at the FBS level. A win over FIU would move the Raiders to 6-2 on the season which would be their best 8-game record to start a year since 2001 (also 6-2). PK Canon Rooker has hit 10 of his last 11 field goals and ranks 6th nationally in field goals made per game. I’Tavius Mathers has rushed for 100 or more yards in five straight games which equals second longest stretch in school history. In MT’s last 11 wins it has averaged 595.0 yards of total offense and allowed just 371.8. I’Tavius Mathers, who has scored 12 of the team’s last 22 TDs, ranks 3rd nationally in scoring. QB Brent Stockstill has thrown for 300 or more yards in nine of his last 13 outings. Middle Tennessee is 19-4 in its last 23 home games. The Blue Raiders have been bowl eligible seven times in 10 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 36.5 on the road in 2016. In their last 35 conference games, the Blue Raiders have a mark of 25-10. Over the last 50 games, the Blue Raider defense has come up with 58 interceptions. The team had 15 picks in 2013 by eight different players, 13 in 2014 and 17 in 2015. Consecutive Starts Leaders: Shaquille Huff (32), Daniel Stephens (25) and Steven Rhodes (23). 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 69 victories. In 132 games under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders are +25 in turnover margin. Middle Tennessee has scored 30 or more points 58 times under Rick Stockstill. The most 30-point games in a season under Stockstill is nine (2009) and the Raiders have 6 through 7 games in 2016.
STOCKSTILL EMBARKING ON RECORD
With two more touchdown passes, sophomore Brent Stockstill will be Middle Tennessee’s new career record holder in that category. Stockstill enters the FIU game with 52 career TD passes which is one shy of all-time leader Logan Kilgore (53). What’s impressive is that Stockstill has only played in 21 games compared to Kilgore’s 39. In 2015 he set the single-season mark with 30 touchdown passes and already has 22 through seven games in 2016.
MATHERS CAN SMELL 1,000
Senior I’Tavius Mathers is just 60 yards shy of joining the elite 1,000-yard club at Middle Tennessee. Mathers would be 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 registered 15 1,000-yard seasons in its history by nine different players so Mathers would be just the 10th all-time.
