The nation’s second-leading passer, Brandon Doughty (2,000 yards, 15 TDs), and third-leading passer, Brandon Doughty (2,000 yards, 15 TDs), will be on display when the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers meet the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. It’s been a rough season for Middle Tennessee (2-3) and it hasn’t gotten any better as of late, having lost three in a row. The game will begin Saturday, Oct 10 at 12:00 p.m. ET.
Western Kentucky routed Rice 49-10 last week. Brandon Doughty had an outstanding performance throwing the ball in the win, completing 28 of 38 passes for 409 yards and four TDs. D’Andre Ferby added 58 rushing yards and two TDs on 19 attempts. Middle Tennessee didn’t have the same success as Western Kentucky, falling to Vanderbilt 17-13. Ed’Marques Batties had a big game for the Blue Raiders, registering 10 receptions for 82 yards and one TD. Richie James finished with 95 receiving yards on eight receptions.
The Hilltoppers, a seven-point favorite, will be looking to defend their home field when Middle Tennessee visits. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is currently unavailable.
Heading into Week 6 of the college football season, the Hilltoppers are 4-1 Straight Up (SU) and 3-1-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Western Kentucky has America’s third-ranked passing attack, which averages 404.4 yards per game. Transitioning to the Western Kentucky defense, there are a few things to keep in mind when it is on the field. One of the keys to the game will be whether the Blue Raiders can protect the ball against the ambitious defense of the Hilltoppers, who rank third in the nation with three turnovers per game. Western Kentucky usually gets off to a quick start in games, averaging 12.6 points in the first quarter.
Across the field, the Blue Raiders are a good bet so far, with a respectable record of 4-1 ATS. Their SU record, 2-3, hasn’t been quite as good. Middle Tennessee has found a lot of success through the air. Its 307 passing yards per game ranks 19th in Division I. With an average of 130.4 return yards per game (14th-most in the country), Middle Tennessee has had a great deal of success with its special teams.
Predictions: SU Winner – Middle Tennessee, ATS Winner – Middle Tennessee
Notes
Western Kentucky is 6-2-1 ATS in its last 9 games.
Western Kentucky is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games.
Western Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Western Kentucky’s last 5 games at home.
Western Kentucky is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Middle Tennessee.
Western Kentucky is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Middle Tennessee.
Middle Tennessee is 2-1 SU when leading at the half this season. Western Kentucky is 3-1 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
This season, Middle Tennessee is only 1-2 SU in games where it comes out ahead in the turnover battle, and an even 1-1 SU when losing the turnover battle.
Nationally, the Western Kentucky passing attack is ranked third, while the Middle Tennessee pass defense is only ranked 70th. The Blue Raiders passing game is ranked 19th, compared to the 107th-ranked pass defense of the Hilltoppers.
The Western Kentucky rushing attack is ranked only 124th nationally, while the Middle Tennessee run defense is ranked 59th. The Blue Raiders rushing game is ranked just 97th, compared to the 84th-ranked run defense of the Hilltoppers.
Middle Tennessee has given up 21.8 points per game this year, which is ranked 19th in the nation. Western Kentucky has scored 39.0 points per contest this year and is ranked 15th overall.
