A week after beating the UAB Blazers 27–3 in Murfreesboro, the C-USA East Division champion MTSU Blue Raiders hosted the West Division champion Blazers back in Floyd Stadium. It was only the third time in NCAA history two teams played in the regular-season finale then again in a conference championship.
The away team got the better of MT this time around, winning a roller-coaster affair 27–25 to capture UAB’s first C-USA crown. Though, the day after the conference championship loss, the Blue Raiders accepted an invitation to play Appalachian State in the New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 15.
“Congratulations to UAB,” Raider head coach Rick Stockstill said after the C-USA title game. “That was a good, hard-fought game, and I’m extremely proud of our team. . . . We fought our tails off.”
MTSU held onto a 13–3 lead into the second quarter of the Dec. 1 game, but UAB then embarked on a 21-point run.
A Crews Holt kick sparked a 12–0 Blue Raider run, seeing MTSU take a 25–24 lead with 10 minutes remaining in the game. Holt hit from 37, 20, 27 and 33 yards on the afternoon.
“For the first year being a full-time kicker, he had a lot of good kicks,” Rick Stockstill said. “He did a nice job today.”
But late in the game, UAB capitalized on a short field with a 28-yard field goal that turned out to be the game-winner.
Middle Tennessee failed on a fourth down on its final possession, then was called for an illegal substitution on a punt after forcing a Blazer three-and-out. It effectively ended the contest.
“We had 12 players on the field,” Rick Stockstill said. “It was my fault.”
Quarterback Brent Stockstill, playing in his final game at his hometown stadium, had his 18th career 300-yard passing game, finishing with 362 yards.
Stockstill, who is now MTSU’s all-time passing leader, threw two scores, putting him in a tie with Tennessee Titans signal caller Marcus Mariota for 20th all-time in the NCAA with 105 touchdown passes.
His favorite target was graduate Gatlin Casey, who caught a career-high seven passes.
Freshman wide receiver Zack Dobson finished with four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown and three rushes for 52 yards.
“Zack has a bright future, and you saw that this year,” Brent Stockstill said.
Sophomore safety Reed Blankenship finished with 11 tackles for MT’s defense, while his senior safety mate Wesley Bush had 10 and an interception.
Despite the loss, the Blue Raiders are going to their eighth bowl game in the Rick Stockstill era and fourth in a row.
MTSU will play Sun Belt Conference champion Appalachian State in the New Orleans Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 15. The game will kick off at 8 p.m. from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans and will air nationally on ESPN.
Middle Tennessee appeared in the 2009 New Orleans Bowl game and upset Southern Miss 42–32, for its first FBS bowl win.
“We are honored to be representing Conference USA in the New Orleans Bowl,” said Rick Stockstill. “I am thrilled for this team and especially our senior class. This is the first class to ever play in four straight bowl games. This team has had an incredible season.”
The Blue Raiders won the Camellia Bowl against Arkansas State to cap off the 2017 season.
For tickets and more information on the Blue Raiders’ bowl trip, visit goblueraiders.com.
