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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (FIUSports.com) – Crucial first-half turnovers for FIU along with Middle Tennessee capitalizing on the big play allowed the Blue Raiders to take a 48-0 victory over the visiting Panthers, Saturday evening at Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Turnovers were a big factor in the game, as FIU gave the ball away three times and the Blue Raiders accumulated 17 points off those turnovers. Middle Tennessee outgained the Panthers 556-233 in total yards of offense.

Middle Tennessee scored on the opening possession going 81 yards on eight plays, ending with a Shane Tucker 48-yard rushing touchdown. On the opening play, Middle Tennessee was flagged for offensive pass interference to have first and 19 from its own 10-yard-line. Two plays later on third and nine, Logan Kilgore darted for a 12-yard rush to keep the drive going.

On the ensuing FIU drive, E.J. Hilliard found Clinton Taylor streaking down the sideline for a 40-yard completion, but a Middle Tennessee cornerback forced a fumble at the Blue Raider 19-yard-line that went 19 yards forward through the endzone for a touchback. FIU was able to get the ball back on a turnover when Justin Halley forced a fumble on Tucker, however, four plays later the FIU drive ended with Austin Taylor missing right on a 40-yard field goal attempt.

The Blue Raiders added a 22-yard field goal just after the start of the second quarter on a 72-yard drive which included pass plays of 17 and 31 yards.

Down 17-0, the Panthers drove 13 plays and 61 yards deep into Middle Tennessee territory, but lost the ball when Kevin Byard forced a fumble on Panther running back Silas Spearman on what would have given FIU a first-down at the Blue Raider 13. Middle Tennessee responded with a nine-play, 73-yard drive ending with a Kilgore four-yard touchdown rush and a 24-0 lead going into halftime.

To open the second half, on second down, Hilliard threw an interception to Byard, returning the ball 51 yards for a score and a 31-0 lead. The Blue Raiders added two additional touchdowns and a field goal in the third quarter to increase their lead to 48-0.

The Panthers will next travel to C-USA West Division foe UTEP on Saturday, Nov. 16. Kick-off with the Miners is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET from Sun Bowl Stadium. The game will not be televised. Live-game coverage can be heard through the FIU Sports Radio Network at FIUSports.com.

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For the latest information on Panthers football, follow us on Twitter, @FIUFootball, and check out Pete Pelegrin's in-depth coverage of FIU Athletics on his official blog, The Prowl, at FIUSports.com.

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Remaining 2013 FIU Football Schedule

Nov. 16 at UTEP*; 8 p.m.

Nov. 23 MARSHALL* (FOX College Sports); 6 p.m.

Nov. 29 at Florida Atlantic* (FOX Sports 1); 3 p.m.

* denotes Conference USA Games

Home games at Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium are capitalized

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GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

The Panthers have one remaining home game, Senior Night presented by the Florida Lottery, on Saturday, Nov. 23, against Marshall at 6 p.m. Single game tickets are currently on-sale. Fans can purchase great seats along the sideline ($21) or in the endzone ($15).  Group pricing (20 or more) is also available. Tickets can be purchased by calling the FIU Athletics Ticket Office at (305) FIU-GAME (348-4263) or conveniently online at FIUSports.com.

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About FIU Athletics: FIU is a proud new member of Conference USA. The University is home to more than 400 student-athletes across 18 intercollegiate athletic programs. The Panthers play events in seven venues on both the Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay campuses, including Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium, U.S. Century Bank Arena and Biscayne Bay Aquatic Center. FIUSports.com is the official website of FIU Athletics, providing fans with all the latest news and game day ticket information.

About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelor¹s, master¹s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida¹s anchor institutions, FIU is Worlds Ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. FIU has awarded 200,000 degrees and enrolls 50,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.