Western Kentucky Defeats Blue Raiders in Overtime Thriller

By Gamari James

Motlow Buzz Contributing writer

            MURFREESBORO, Tenn.- The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers defeated the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, 41-38, in a frenetic three-overtime football game Nov. 17, potentially ending the Raiders' chances of making it to a bowl game.

With both teams coming in at a five and five record, each team needed a win to get over .500 and be bowl eligible. These two rivals went blow for blow all the way down to the last field goal from WKU kicker Ryan Nuss.

            Everything that you could expect from these high-powered offenses you got from each team. The crowd played a huge part in getting the win for the Hilltoppers. It seemed like they played the 12^th member on the field with how hyped and excited they were.

For most of the game, one could hear fans roaring as loud as the band and sad sighs throughout the night. Their student section was on an emotional roller-coaster as the night progressed, and it seemed like the Blue Raiders were on their way to victory in the fourth quarter when they took a 40-yard fumble for a touchdown.

The star of the game was WKU Senior Quarterback Mike White, who almost reached 500 passing yards with an amazing five-touchdown night. With a performance like that, White became the C-USA Offensive player of the week.  What a way to go out and perform for his school on Senior Night.

Three of his wide receivers had more than 100 yards through the air. One of his receivers, Lucky Jackson, caught a 93-yard bomb that went the distance in a late-game score that would break the tie from 17-24. This was one of the loudest moments of the game that had the stadium shaking in excitement.

The MTSU players had some of their own highlights with players like running-back Tavares Thomas, who almost racked up 100 yards rushing and bringing in two touchdowns for the Blue Raiders. Other players like Ty Lee, who almost has 1,000 yards receiving this semester, pulled in 11 receptions for 114 yards.

There wasn’t a lot of defense being played in this game between these two teams. The Hilltoppers only had one sack all night and only five tackles that were behind the line of scrimmage. The Blue Raiders did, however, have more of an impact on the defensive end with three total fumbles. They recovered two with one turning into six points. They also made 11 tackles for a loss and five sacks on the night.

The way the WKU players were scoring it reminded fans of how they played last year when they had star players like Taywan Taylor, now a receiver for the Tennessee Titans. They were putting up huge numbers week after week. This team has struggled some this year with putting up the same amount of firepower on the offensive end. With new up-and-coming young stars like wide receivers Lucky Jackson and Quin Jernigan, they have a lot of upside to build upon.

The MTSU players had a chance for revenge that they let slip through their hands once again. This was a rematch of last year’s that was held in Murfreesboro that also went into overtime. They also failed to get over the hump in the final moments of that game, losing 44-43.

When asked about what he thought about playing in such an exciting game, WKU wide receiver Quin Jernigan said, “It was super fun and emotional. Last year I had to sit on the sidelines because of an injury, but this year I had the chance to make some plays and us winning just made it even more turned up.”

Quin did make an impact on the field with three catches for 63 yards. When Quin was asked what type of player do you most compare yourself to in the NFL, Quin said “I’m like a Dez Bryant or Deandre from Houston. I like to go up and get that ball, no matter who is guarding me. They can’t guard me.”

With Quin’s height and strong arms and hands, those comparisons are good. Opposing cornerbacks will have trouble defending him every time he is thrown the ball.

Now that the WKU Hilltoppers are bowl eligible, fans will get to see this young team fight for another championship. The MTSU Raiders still have a chance to appear in a bowl for the sixth straight year after defeating Old Dominion, 41-10, on Nov. 25.

Next year, fans hope the Raiders can get some payback on the Hilltoppers when they bring them to their stadium for another annually rival. To keep up with these teams visit www.wkusports.com or www.mtsu.edu.