The CUSA’s third-leading receiver, Richie James (839 yards, 4 TDs), will be on display when the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders take on the Florida Atlantic Owls. Though Middle Tennessee (4-5) has not had the season it hoped, the Blue Raiders have shown signs of life in recent weeks, having won two of its last three. The game will begin Saturday, Nov 14 at 12:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on AMSN.
In last week’s matchup, Florida Atlantic fell to Western Kentucky 35-19. Jenson Stoshak had a big game in the loss, hauling in four balls for 101 yards and one TD. Middle Tennessee is hoping for another victory like last week’s performance, when it got a close victory over Marshall 27-24. Terry Pettis had a great game for the Blue Raiders, totaling five catches for 126 yards and one TD. Brent Stockstill had a big game as well, totaling 353 yards and three TDs through the air.
Middle Tennessee is a six-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 58 points.
The Owls enter the game with records of 2-7 Straight Up (SU) and 3-5-1 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. Over their last five games, the Owls have records of 1-4 SU and 2-3 ATS. The Florida Atlantic pass defense has played at another level the past five games. It has given up 241.0 passing yards per game during that span. An important aspect of the game will be if the Blue Raiders can fend off Florida Atlantic’s ability to take the ball away. The Owls currently rank 17th in the nation with two turnovers per game. On special teams, Middle Tennessee may give up some big plays to the Owls in the return game. The Blue Raiders have allowed 133.8 return yards per game, making them one of the worst in Division I.
As for their opponent, the Blue Raiders head into Week 11 with records of 5-4 ATS and 4-5 SU. In the previous five games, Middle Tennessee has a record of 2-3 SU and 1-4 ATS. Chances are Middle Tennessee will continue to rely on its passing attack, where its 314 passing yards per game ranks 17th in the nation. Shifting to the other side of the ball, it might be tough for the Owls to keep up with Middle Tennessee’s defense in a few areas. Turnovers could allow the Blue Raiders to slide by the Owls, who are 108th in the country in giveaways with 2.1 per game. The Blue Raiders usually get going immediately from the initial kickoff, averaging 9.2 points in the first quarter this year. Middle Tennessee tends to run a lot of plays during games, averaging 78.8 offensive snaps for 18th-most in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Middle Tennessee, ATS Winner – Middle Tennessee, O/U – Over
Notes
Florida Atlantic is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Florida Atlantic’s last 7 games.
Florida Atlantic is 2-12 SU in its last 14 games.
Florida Atlantic is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida Atlantic’s last 6 games at home.
Florida Atlantic is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home.
Florida Atlantic is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Middle Tennessee.
Florida Atlantic is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Middle Tennessee.
Florida Atlantic is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Middle Tennessee.
Middle Tennessee is 4-1 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Florida Atlantic is 2-2 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
Florida Atlantic is winless (0-3 SU) in games where it comes out ahead in the turnover battle, and 2-3 SU when losing the turnover battle.
Among all FBS teams, the Florida Atlantic offensive passing game is ranked 67th nationally, while the Middle Tennessee pass defense is only ranked 111th. The Blue Raiders passing attack is ranked 17th, compared to the 78th-ranked pass defense of the Owls.
