The CUSA’s top passer, Brent Stockstill (3,099 yards, 23 TDs), will be on display when the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders battle the North Texas Mean Green. The Blue Raiders are 5-5 while the Mean Green are 1-9. The game starts at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov 21 and will be available on AMSN.
Middle Tennessee defeated Florida Atlantic 24-17 last week. Richie James had a great game in the win, catching nine balls for 198 yards and two TDs. Brent Stockstill also had a great game with 301 yards and two TDs through the air. North Texas didn’t have the same success as Middle Tennessee, had an ugly loss against Tennessee 24-0. Marcus Smith had a solid game for the Mean Green, registering five catches for 46 yards.
The Blue Raiders are a huge 24-point favorite and the Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is currently not available.
Heading into Week 12 of the college football season, the Blue Raiders are 5-5 Straight Up (SU) and 6-4 Against The Spread (ATS). In their five most recent matchups, the Blue Raiders went 3-2 SU and 2-3 ATS. Middle Tennessee has America’s 18th-ranked passing attack, which averages 312.7 yards per game. Turning to the Blue Raiders defense, a few key spots could be deciding factors this week. The Blue Raiders have a passing defense in the top half of the country (in terms of yards per pass allowed), but can move up in the ranks when they face off against North Texas. The Mean Green average just 10.6 yards per pass, ranking them 117th in the country. There will be plenty of opportunities for the Blue Raiders to steal the ball from North Texas. The Mean Green currently rank 103rd in turnovers given up with two per game. The Blue Raiders make it hard on their opponents early, averaging 9.3 points in the first 15 minutes. Middle Tennessee’s special teams are one of its strengths. They earn 116.1 return yards per game, putting them 13th in Division I.
On the other side, the Mean Green have 1-9 SU and 4-6 ATS records this season. In the previous five games, North Texas is 1-4 SU, but is 4-1 ATS. The Mean Green defense might be able to take away the ball as the Blue Raiders rank near the bottom in the country in fumbles lost with 1.5 per game. Special teams is usually an area of weakness for the Blue Raiders, giving up 137.8 return yards per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Middle Tennessee, ATS Winner – Middle Tennessee
Notes
Middle Tennessee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Middle Tennessee’s last 7 games.
Middle Tennessee is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Middle Tennessee’s last 6 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Middle Tennessee’s last 7 games when playing North Texas.
Middle Tennessee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against North Texas.
Middle Tennessee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against North Texas.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Middle Tennessee’s last 6 games when playing at home against North Texas.
North Texas is 0-1 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Middle Tennessee is 5-1 SU when leading after three quarters.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Middle Tennessee is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 94th-ranked rushing attack will face the 120th-ranked run defense of North Texas, while its 33rd-ranked rush defense will look to contain the 86th-ranked running game of the Mean Green.
