THE COUNTDOWN: No. 114: Middle Tennessee State

Middle Tennessee State was fairly competitive for six weeks. The Blue Raiders took Purdue down to the wire in the season opener, losing on a late field goal. Two weeks later, Middle Tennessee lost to Troy, 38-35, in the Sun Belt opener for both teams. That was followed by a win over Memphis, which was followed by an overtime loss to Western Kentucky; by December, the Hilltoppers would be recognized as one of the most improved teams in college football. Two weeks later, following a bye, the Raiders would beat Florida Atlantic, 38-14, to move to 2-4 at the midway point. With only Sun Belt play and a trip to Tennessee to go, M.T.S.U. was in a good position to earn a third consecutive bowl berth. What followed, from Oct. 29 through Dec. 3, was the program’s worst stretch of play since moving up to the F.B.S. in 1999.

http://www.presnapread.com/no-114-middle-tennessee-state/