Team Statistics Team Statistics Game Stats FAU MT First Downs 20 22 Total Offensive Yards 540 470 Passing Yards 310 160 Rushing Yards 230 310 Penalty Yards 2-19 3-20 3rd Downs 8-17 8-14 4th Downs 1-3 1-2 Time Of Possession 32:54 27:06 Game Stat Leaders
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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. Middle Tennessee became bowl eligible in riveting fashion as it came from behind to secure a 35-34 win against Florida Atlantic on Senior Day at Floyd Stadium Saturday night.The Blue Raiders (6-5) rallied from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the visiting Owls. Down to its last play, quarterback Austin Grammer connected with Marcus Henry for a 12-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal with 19 seconds remaining to tie the score, 34-34. Kicker Cody Clark's most important extra point of the season was true to give Middle Tennessee its only lead of the game.
It was a remarkable comeback on a night when not much seemed to go Middle Tennessee's way until the end.
Senior Reggie Whatley left Floyd Stadium faithful with a memorable performance. Whatley was a one-man wrecking crew, rushing for a career-high 190 yards and three touchdowns on just 19 carries. He averaged 10 yards per carry and scored on runs of 30-, 75-, and 9-yards.
Not only did Whatley ground out 190 yards, but he also piled up a whopping 321 all-purpose yards with an additional 136 yards on kickoff returns.
Grammer was 20-of-27 for 160 yards and two touchdowns and showed great poise on the game-winning drive, which covered 70 yards on 13 plays in 2:49. Grammer was 3-for-5 for 27 yards on the finishing drive.
Marcus Henry led the receiving corps with six receptions for 92 yards and the game-winning touchdown. Ed Batties had eight receptions for 57 yards.The Middle Tennessee offense piled up 470 yards total offense, gaining 310 on the ground and 160 through the air.
The Blue Raider defense yielded 540 yards against the Owls (3-8) but the unit came up big when it mattered most. They stopped FAU on a third-and-4 play at the Owl 43 to give the offense one last drive for victory.
Chris Henry led the stop squad with 12 tackles, including eight solo. Xavier Walker and Steven Rhodes added seven tackles. Jared Singletary and Kevin Byard collected interceptions in the victory.
Middle Tennessee is seeking its fifth bowl appearance since 2006. All of its bowl games during the FBS era have come under Head Coach Rick Stockstill, who has had the Blue Raiders bowl eligible six times in nine seasons.
Middle Tennessee had to play from behind from the outset.
Florida Atlantic struck first and quickly when Luck Whitehead ran 80 yards for a touchdown on the Owls' first play from scrimmage as they took a 7-0 lead 18 seconds into the game. Florida Atlantic stretched the lead to 10-0 when Greg Joseph connected on a 25-yard field goal with 7:26 remaining in the first quarter.
The Blue Raiders finally got on the scoreboard when Grammer completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Christian Collis. It was Collis' fourth career touchdown and first of the 2014 season. Clark's extra point pulled Middle Tennessee to within 10-7 with 4:38 remaining in the first quarter.
FAU answered before the quarter ended when Jaquez Johnson scored from the 1 to push the lead to 17-7 with 56 seconds remaining in the frame.
The Blue Raiders couldn't buy a break in the first half and trailed 17-7 when the Owls decided to provide them one.
Leading 17-7 late in the first half, FAU opted for a fake punt from its 22. The Blue Raiders came up big with a stop and took over possession.
Following a penalty, three plays later Whatley scored from 30 yards out to pull the Blue Raiders to within 17-14 with 2:31 remaining in the first half. The sequence of events in a two-minute span seemed to shift momentum in the Blue Raiders' favor heading into the half.Middle Tennessee would have to dig out of another double-figure deficit after Grammer was intercepted on the Blue Raiders' first drive of the third quarter. Four plays later, Jaquez Johnson completed a 23-yard touchdown to Kalib Woods to stretch the lead back to 10, 24-14, with 13 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Florida Atlantic established its largest lead of the game, 27-14, when Joseph converted a 19-yard field goal with 8:01 remaining in the third. Middle Tennessee's second turnover of the third quarter set up the field goal.
Whatley provided a spark that seemed to spring the Blue Raiders to life when he vaulted 75 yards to paydirt to pull the Blue Raiders to within 27-21 with 7:42 remaining in the third quarter.
That spark quickly diminished when Jaquez Johnson connected with Alex DeLeon for a 5-yard touchdown that proved to be the dagger. The score pushed the Owls' lead to 34-21 with 5:50 remaining in the game.
The Blue Raiders wouldn't go without a fight. Whatley's third touchdown a 9-yard run pulled Middle Tennessee to within 34-28 with 4:15 remaining to set the stage for the exciting finish.
MT will close the regular season at UTEP next Saturday.
MT POSTGAME NOTES
CAPTAINS: Today's game captains were S Kevin Byard, OL Darius Johnson and LB T.T. Barber.
BOWL ELIGIBLE: With the comeback win against FAU, Middle Tennessee (6-5) becomes bowl eligible. The Blue Raiders have played in four bowls under Head Coach Rick Stockstill and have been bowl eligible six times since 2006. MT is seeing to play in its second straight bowl game and its fourth in six seasons. As a FBS member, MT has played in the Motor City Bowl (2006), New Orleans Bowl (2009), GoDaddy.Com Bowl (2010) and Armed Forces Bowl (2013).
100 STRAIGHT: Middle Tennessee's first quarter touchdown ran the Blue Raiders' scoring streak to 100 straight games at Floyd Stadium. The last time MT failed to score at home was on Sept. 23, 1995 against Murray State.
BYARD STRIKES AGAIN: Kevin Bya rd collected his 15th career interception late in the first half against Florida Atlantic. Byard is now second on MT's all-time INT list and two shy of tying the career mark. His six picks this season lead C-USA and stands as a career-high. Byard's six interceptions rank tied for third on Middle Tennessee's single-season list.
WHATLEY CLIMBS TO 8TH: With 321 all-purpose yards tonight, Reggie Whatley passed Gerald Anderson (3,599), Kerry Wright (3,621) and Vince Hall (3,796) to move into the top ten all-time. Whatley now ranks eighth and needs 10 yards to take over seventh place from Brigham Lyons (3,831).
WHATLEY TOPS 100: For the third time this season, running back Reggie Whatley topped the 100-yard rushing mark when he piled up a career-high 190 yards on just 19 attempts against FAU. Whatley had runs of 75 (career long) and 30 to secure his sixth 100-yard game of his career.
ALL-PURPOSE MACHINE: Senior Reggie Whatley amassed 321 all-purpose yards against FAU which ranked as the second most in school history for a single game. He finished just 12 yards shy of Torin Kirtsey's single-game record of 333 by Torin Kirtsey vs TSU in 1998.
QUICK HITTERS: RB Reggie Whatley's 30-yard TD run was the 10th of his career and he added his 11th on a 75-yard run in the third WR Christian Collis' first quarter touchdown reception was his first of the season and fourth of his career Anfornee Stewart made his first collegiate start tonight at linebacker Shubert Bastien, Christian Henry and Leighton Gasque played in their team leading 48th career game today Isaiah Anderson, Kevin Byard and Darius Johnson all made their 36th straight start to lead the Raiders Ed Batties' 22-yard run was his first rushing attempt of his Raider career.
Source: http://goblueraiders.com/news/2014/11/22/FB_1122142149.aspx
