Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Narrowly Defeated at Riccardo Silva Stadium by Florida International Golden Panthers in Football Showdown
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders faced off against the Florida International Golden Panthers in a closely contested football game that ended with a score of 21-24. The Blue Raiders now stand with a record of 0-1, while the Golden Panthers hold a record of 1-0.
In Miami's Riccardo Silva Stadium, the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders displayed an impressive ground game against the Florida International Golden Panthers. The Blue Raiders rushed for a total of 181 yards over 46 attempts, achieving an average of nearly four yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns on rushes, with the longest being an eleven-yard dash to the end zone. Their rushing efforts contributed to thirteen first downs and were pivotal during five redzone attempts.
The passing game was less fruitful for Middle Tennessee as they managed to complete fifteen out of twenty-seven pass attempts for 142 yards. Despite their efforts, they could not secure any touchdowns through the air and suffered one interception. However, their completion rate stood at approximately fifty-six percent and they achieved nine first downs via passing plays.
Special teams had mixed results; while no punts were blocked or returned for touchdowns, Middle Tennessee punted four times totaling 154 yards and successfully pinned three within the twenty-yard line. Penalties seemed under control as only five were committed by Middle Tennessee totaling fifty-two penalty yards.
Defensively, Middle Tennessee did not record any sacks or interceptions but managed two tackles for loss among their sixty combined tackles. They also held firm on third down conversions allowing only ten successes out of seventeen attempts by Florida International which is approximately fifty-nine percent conversion rate.
Despite these efforts from Middle Tennessee players across all fronts, it was not enough to secure victory as they fell short by three points in this hard-fought contest attended by sixteen thousand fans who witnessed every play unfold live at Riccardo Silva Stadium.
Looking ahead, fans can anticipate another opportunity for victory when the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders host Charlotte 49ers at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro on October 20th at 7:00 PM local time. This upcoming game will be broadcasted on ESPN3 where supporters can tune in to cheer on their team from afar.