By Pete Pelegrin
Twitter: @Petepelegrin

FIU (3-1, 2-0 Conference USA) heads to Music City this weekend to try and record the best start in the Panthers' 16-year football history. No FIU team has ever started a season 4-1 and only last year's FIU team started conference play 3-0. 

The task of coming home with the best start in FIU history will be a tough one as conference nemesis Middle Tennessee is the opponent and in a place, Floyd Stadium, where the Panthers have won just once in six tries.

The Blue Raiders (2-3, 0-1 C-USA) are dealing with several key injuries, one reason for their uneven start after being tabbed one of the preseason favorites in the conference. For more on MT here is Erik Bacharach, who is the Blue Raiders beat writer for the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro. You can follow Erik on Twitter for all Middle Tennessee things: @ErikBacharach.

  

1. Middle Tennessee seems to have been up and down during its first five games. What's been the story so far with the Blue Raiders and what's Brent Stockstill's status?

EB: So far, the story in Murfreesboro has been the Blue Raiders' failure to live up to a significant amount of preseason hype. The offensive line has been lackluster, the rushing attack has been almost nonexistent and the injuries continue to mount.

MT quarterback Brent Stockstill suffered a cracked sternum and separated collarbone in a game against Syracuse on Sept. 9 and has subsequently missed three straight games. He is unlikely to play against FIU.

2. How has quarterback John Urzua played in place of Stockstill? What does Urzua do best? Where is he limited?

EB: Urzua has shown flashes of being a really good quarterback, only to have a few lapses in judgement disrupt his progress. He's got a strong arm and is capable of picking apart a defense for big chunks of yardage at a time, with his 359-yard performance at FAU last week setting a new personal best. But the sophomore has been undone by interceptions. He threw three against the Owls, giving him six in three games this year. On the season, MT is minus-10 in turnovers and has lost the turnover battle in each of its five games.

3. How's the rest of the MT offense? Are the Blue Raiders a better run or passing team?

EB: Despite Stockstill being on the shelf and Urzua's struggles with turnovers, MT is still a much better passing team than it is a running team. Aside from 243 rushing yards against a struggling Bowling Green defense on Sept. 23, the Blue Raiders have averaged just 64.5 rushing yards per game. Terelle West, the No. 1 running back on the depth chart in the preseason, is still in recovery mode after having arthroscopic knee surgery in mid-August, and the remainder of MT's running back corps has struggled to get anything going. As a result, the Blue Raiders have leaned upon their passing game, which has generated 258.8 yards per game.

4. Looking at their numbers overall, the MT defense seems to have held their own despite the 2-3 start. How do you think they have fared and who are some of their top players?

EB: Under first-year defensive coordinator Scott Shafer, Middle Tennessee's defense has been the strength of its team, a surprising development considering it allowed about 36 points per game a season ago. But Shafer brings an aggressive, attacking style of defense, and the Blue Raiders have responded well. Defensive end Walter Brady, linebacker D.J. Sanders and defensive back Mike Minter lead the unit.

Stopping the run, something MT did so well in its first four games (allowing an average of just 104.75 yards per game), will be an emphasis for the Blue Raiders, who struggled in that department last week, allowing 252 rushing yards and four touchdowns in their 38-20 loss to FAU.

5. What are your thoughts on Saturday's game between FIU and Middle Tennessee?

EB: It's only the second C-USA game on the schedule for MT, but the importance of Saturday's contest can't be overstated: The Blue Raiders need this one. Recent history tells us this game will be a close one, so I've got MT pulling out a 30-27 win at Floyd Stadium.