Steered Straight Thrift

Blue Raiders Awaiting Bowl Selection; Basketball Team Defending Home Win Streak

Kevin Byard with a pick 6 against Florida International.  (Top) Shane Tucker leaps in for a score in the same game.

Kevin Byard with a pick 6 against Florida International.
(Top) Shane Tucker leaps in for a score in the same game.

Senior Tweety Knight goes up for a layup.

Senior Tweety Knight goes up for a layup.

The MTSU Blue Raiders finished the 2013 college football regular season with five straight wins to post a record of 8-4, and are now awaiting Bowl Selection Sunday, Dec. 8, to see what their post-season assignment will be.

With a 325-yard performance in the the last game of the regular season, a 48-17 drubbing of Texas-El Paso, senior quarterback Logan Kilgore became the first player in school history to throw for more than 2,000 yards in three consecutive seasons.

MTSU rushed for over 200 yards in all five of the season-closing victories, which consisted of down-to-the-wire contests with Marshall and Alabama-Birmingham, and one-sided victories vs. Florida International, Southern Miss and UTEP.

Middle finish tied for second in the Eastern Division of Conference-USA, in MTSU’s first season of C-USA play. Marshall took first place in the East (Marshall’s only in-conference loss came at the hands of the Blue Raiders), while Eastern Carolina finished tied for second with MTSU. Rice took first in the West.

Marshall will face Rice in the C-USA championship on Saturday, Dec. 7.

Inside the Murphy Center
In basketball news, the MTSU women stand at 3-3 to close out November, with victories against Miami, Southeastern Louisiana and Wright State, and losses against SEC opponents Tennessee, Arkansas and Kentucky.

The men actually have the longest regular-season home winning streak in the nation, with MTSU’s last regular season loss in Murfreesboro coming back in the 2011 season. The Blue Raiders stand at 6-1 to close out this season’s first month of play, with their lone loss coming against SEC opponent Florida.

The Blue Raiders have a huge contest coming up with Belmont on Dec. 3 that will put the home win streak to the test. Belmont was the last team to defeat MTSU in Murfreesboro in a regular season contest, back in November of 2011. Belmont also defeated MTSU in Nashville last year.

Men’s Basketball
Dec. 3 Belmont, 7 p.m.
Dec. 9 Fisk, 7 p.m.
Dec. 14 @ Ole Miss, 4 p.m.
Dec. 17 Tennessee Temple, 7 p.m.
Dec. 21 @ Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Dec. 29-30 Dr. Pepper Classic, Chattanooga

Women’s Basketball
Dec 4 @ Austin Peay, 11 a.m.
Dec 12 Kennesaw State, 11 a.m.
Dec 16 @ UCF, 6 p.m.
Dec 18 @ USF, 6 p.m.
Dec 21 South Dakota State, 1 p.m.
Dec 29 @ Clemson, 1 p.m.

Go Blue Raiders!

Go Blue Raiders!

(Left) Reggie Upshaw Jr. (Right) Kerry Hammonds II

(Left) Reggie Upshaw Jr.
(Right) Kerry Hammonds II

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About the Author

Bracken, a 2003 graduate of MTSU’s journalism program, is the founder and publisher of the Murfreesboro Pulse. He lives in Murfreesboro with his wife, graphic artist and business partner, Sarah, and sons, Bracken Jr. and Beckett. Bracken enjoys playing the piano, sushi, football, chess, Tool, jogging, his backyard, hippie music, ice skating, Chopin, rasslin’, swimming, soup, tennis, sunshine, brunch, revolution and frying things. Connect with him on LinkedIn

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