Similar to the Shula Bowl, the rivalry between Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State is one that dates back to 1914 where the Blue Raiders defeated the Hilltoppers by a final score of 47-0. Since then, Western Kentucky has taken a 37-35 all-time series lead within these past few years. The Blue Raiders will try to snap a five-game losing streak to the Hilltoppers and get off to a strong 1-0 start on conference play.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (1-1, 0-0 Conference USA) @ Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (1-1, 0-0 Conference USA)

Date: Saturday, September 14

Time: 6:00 pm

Location: Murfreesboro, TN

TV: ESPN+

Betting Line: Hilltoppers favored by 7.5

A lopsided rivalry finally may see a change?

Before the Hilltoppers took a big five-game win streak in the 100 Miles of Hate rivalry, it was very close.

The last time the Blue Raiders defeated Western Kentucky came in 2018 at the site of the 2024 game: Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The final score was 29-10. Since then, only two of the five matchups have been one score wins for the Hilltoppers.

Through two games, the Blue Raiders and Hilltoppers have faced and power conference and FCS opponent, getting crushed by the power conference and defeating the FCS team.

New look Blue Raiders

The biggest change to this rivalry is on the MTSU side with new head coach Derek Mason who believes that his team is ready to win now and that no rebuild is necessary, something he’s noted since Conference USA media day.

With wide receiver Elijah Metcalf off to Marshall, the Blue Raiders will rely on the connection between quarterback Nick Vattiato and tight end Holden Willis. Auburn transfer Omari Kelly has also been crucial in Mason’s offense thus far.

It’s been only two weeks, but the Blue Raiders’ pass game ranks third in Conference USA and Vattiato is third in passing yards.

A tale of two games for Western Kentucky

Tyson Helton and his team had to face a power conference opponent and an FCS opponent to begin the season. Getting shutout against the Alabama Crimson Tide and then shutting out Eastern Kentucky.

Through two games, quarterback TJ Finley has thrown for 443 yards and one touchdown, completing 45 of 70 passes thus far in what has been a pass heavy offense. Senior Kisean Johnson has taken over that primary receiver role that was left behind by Malachi Corley as he currently has eight receptions for 134 yards.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Francine slammed into Louisiana as a category two hurricane on Wednesday night leaving neighborhoods flooded and hundreds of thousands of people without power.

A group from Nashville CARES got to New Orleans for a conference just before the storm hit. CEO Amna Osman said the heavy rain and wind forced them to shelter inside their hotel.

“We were just all advised not to be out on the streets, stay safe, stay put,” Osman said. “Last night was a little scary. I got a lot of calls from all over the country concerned.”

Osman was not expecting a storm with winds near 70 m.p.h. to rip through the city. Around 30 of their employees were supposed to fly down for the conference, but had flights cancelled due to the hurricane.

The five people already in New Orleans worked on emergency safety plans in case they had to possibly evacuate, Osman said. They were relieved that the downtown area did not have any major damage.

As the remnants of Francine moved into Middle Tennessee with much calmer weather, Osman was hopeful people would stay safe and there would not be any damage.

“It came quick, and it was quite aggressive,” Osman said. “As it moves along, we just don’t know what will happen. Just make sure that you really plan and have a good safety plan for you and your loved ones.”

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The Tennessee Titans are preparing for their home opener against the New York Jets, where both teams struggled in their respective Week 1 losses.

While the Jets drew a difficult matchup against the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers, they felt that they didn’t compete to their standard. They look to get back to that this week against the Titans.

“It’s a little surprising ’cause we pride ourselves on discipline and doing our jobs,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said via New York Post reporter Ethan Sears. “Felt like we got a little out of whack in that regard. Not gonna get into specific details, [we’ll] get it fixed. At the same time, just know we’re capable of much more. Not a physical thing, it was just guys trying to do a bit too much.”

Shaking off bad losses will be critical this season for the Jets and Titans as the two teams look to get back into the playoff race.

When it comes to the Titans, they had the opposite output compared to the Jets in Week 1. Their defense performed well, allowing just 148 yards of total offense from the Chicago Bears. However, they turned the ball over three times in the second half and allowed two touchdowns on defense and special teams.

The Titans should face a more difficult challenge this week facing off against future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Rodgers compared to a rookie making his debut in Caleb Williams, but Tennessee knows how disciplined the team has to be in order to get in the win column.

If the Jets are unable to discipline themselves in Week 2, the Titans have to take advantage if they want to grab their first win of the season and gain valuable momentum for the year.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!