NCAAF

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at UTEP Miners

· NCAA - Football
Final
20 - 13
1-8, 1-3 Home

Vattiato's late TD run helps Middle Tennessee beat UTEP 20-13

Vattiato was 21-of-35 for 239 yards with two interceptions for Middle Tennessee (3-6, 2/3 Conference USA). Butler finished with five receptions for a season-high 101 yards.

On the go-ahead drive, the UTEP defense jumped offsides on a third-and-1 and a few plays later was called for pass interference on a third-and-9 to give the Blue Raiders fresh sets of downs before Vattiato’s TD capped the scoring.

Zeke Rankin kicked a 21-yard field goal for MTSU to open the scoring midway through the first quarter. Buzz Flabiano made a 35-yard field goal about 5 minutes later to make it 3-3 and JP Pickles added a 17-yard touchdown run to give the Miners a seven-point lead with 7:31 left in the first half.

Vattiato hit Butler over the middle at the UTEP 45 and he evaded a would-be tackler near the 40 before racing the rest of the way to the end zone to make it 10-10 with 3:40 remaining in the second.

Dorian Hopkins intercepted a pass and returned it 20 yards to the UTEP 46 to set up a 29-yard field goal by Flabiano to give UTEP (1-8, 1-5) a 13-10 lead with 13:34 left in the third quarter.

JP Pickles was 18-of-33 passing for 145 yards with an interception and added 77 yards rushing on 17 carries for the Miners. Jevon Jackson ran for 83 yards on 21 carries and caught five passes for 33 yards.

How To Watch

How can I watch Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs. UTEP Miners?
  • TV Channel: Blue Raiders at Miners 2021 College Football, week 10, is broadcasted on CBSSN.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Matchup Prediction

Miners: 59.8%
Blue Raiders: 40.2%
*According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index

Scoring Summary

MTSU FG 1st Period 7:29 Zeke Rankin 21 Yd Field Goal
UTEP FG 1st Period 2:23 Buzz Flabiano 32 Yd Field Goal
UTEP TD 2nd Period 7:31 JP Pickles 17 Yd Run (Buzz Flabiano Kick)
MTSU TD 2nd Period 3:40 Myles Butler 61 Yd pass from Nicholas Vattiato (Zeke Rankin Kick)
UTEP FG 3rd Period 13:34 Buzz Flabiano 29 Yd Field Goal
MTSU FG 3rd Period 2:42 Zeke Rankin 27 Yd Field Goal
MTSU TD 4th Period 1:53 Nicholas Vattiato 1 Yd Run (Zeke Rankin Kick)

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/2393.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originMTSU https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/2638.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originUTEP
17 1st Downs 20
3-13 3rd down efficiency 5-16
1-1 4th down efficiency 0-2
333 Total Yards 305
239 Passing 145
21/35 Comp/Att 18/34
6.8 Yards per pass 4.3
94 Rushing 160
28 Rushing Attempts 42
3.4 Yards per rush 3.8
8-70 Penalties 5-52
3 Turnovers 1
1 Fumbles lost 0
2 Interceptions thrown 1
31:26 Possession 28:34

Game Information

Sun Bowl

Location: El Paso, TX
Attendance: 14,775 · Capacity:
Full Standings

College Football News

College football Week 12 buzz: The best players and teams by conference

College football Week 12 buzz: The best players and teams by conference

Our experts asked coaches about who's dominating each conference and about which other coaches are having a rough time.

Even in death, college football fans want to be at their favorite stadiums

Even in death, college football fans want to be at their favorite stadiums

Superfans are telling their loved ones that they have one request: spread my ashes on the field.

College football recruiting: Ranking the top 10 2026 classes

College football recruiting: Ranking the top 10 2026 classes

Looking ahead to the junior class of football prospects, we break down which schools are way ahead on 2026 recruiting.

College football preview: Big matchups and storylines ahead of Week 12

College football preview: Big matchups and storylines ahead of Week 12

Our college football experts preview big matchups and storylines ahead of Week 12.

South Carolina's Beamer likely to face one-time recruit in Missouri quarterback Drew Pyne

South Carolina's Beamer likely to face one-time recruit in Missouri quarterback Drew Pyne

— South Carolina coach Shane Beamer remembers watching a lot of quarterback Drew Pyne a few years back. Beamer anticipates seeing a lot more of Pyne this weekend.