MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The FIU football team committed a total of three turnovers in the opening half as it was defeated by a 50-10 margin at Middle Tennessee State on Saturday afternoon.
 
Middle Tennessee State capitalized on each of those miscues by the Panthers and scored on its opening six possessions as it raced out to a 34-3 halftime lead – including a 27-0 margin during the second quarter of play.
 
FIU senior quarterback Max Bortenschlager was limited to 98 yards while connecting on 9-of-20 pass attempts.  He tossed a pair of interceptions – one of which was returned for a touchdown.
 
MTSU's offense was paced by its ground game – which averaged 5.6 yards per carry while totaling 261 yards for the game.
 
Blue Raider signal caller Nicholas Vattiano completed 20-of-24 passes for 147 yards, including a pair of touchdowns.  His top target was Martell Pettaway who snared 11 receptions for 95 yards and a score.
 
Middle Tennessee State opened the contest's scoring at the 9:00 mark of the first quarter on a 12-yard touchdown reception by Jimmy Marshall - to cap a 14-play, 75-yard march after receiving the opening kickoff.
 
Freshman Chase Gabriel hit a season-long 53-yard field goal on FIU's opening possession to make the score 7-3 with 4:27 left in the first.
 
The Blue Raiders extended the lead to 14-3 at 13:30 of the second quarter on a one-yard scoring reception by Yusuf Ali to finish off a 15-play, 75-yard scoring drive that featured 45 rushing yards.
 
MTSU scored a touchdown for the third consecutive possession to open the game on a two-yard rush by Frank Peasant with 6:53 left before the half to push its advantage to 21-3.
 
On the first play of the Panthers' ensuing drive, Bortenschlager had a pass intercepted by MTSU's Quincy Riley, who returned it 45 yards for a score to give the Red Raiders a 28-3 lead.
 
Another miscue by the Panthers led to a fifth straight MTSU score.  Following a fumble by Tyrese Chambers inside FIU's own 20-yard line which was recovered by Middle Tennessee's Decorian Patterson, freshman place kicker Zeke Rankin hit a 24-yard field goal to up the margin to 31-3 with under four minutes left before the break.
 
MTSU's Reed Blankenship hauled in the second interception for the Blue Raiders, which resulted in a 46-yard field goal by Rankin to send the Panthers into halftime trailing 34-3.
 
The Blue Raiders added a safety by Marley Cook 4:47 into the second half and then needed just one play to add a touchdown on a 57-yard run by Martell Pettaway to make the score 43-3.
 
Following a scoreless third quarter, Jaylin Lane broke loose for a 29-yard scamper that increased the lead to 50-3 with 14:11 left in regulation.
 
The Panthers got in the end zone with 6:08 remaining on an eight-yard touchdown scamper by junior Maleek Williams – the first scoring run of his FIU career.
 
NOTABLES

• Freshman kicker Chase Gabriel connected on a season-long 53-yard field goal at the 4:27 mark of the first quarter.
• MTSU scored on its first five possession of the game – four touchdowns and a field goal.
• Freshman Grayson James entered the game at quarterback for FIU in the fourth quarter.
• FIU junior Maleek Williams scored the first rushing TD of his career on an eight-yard run in the fourth quarter.

 
UP NEXT
The Panthers return home for the final home game of the 2021 season as they host North Texas on Saturday, Nov. 20 at FIU Stadium.
 
The game will be televised on ESPN3 and will also air on the FIU Radio Network.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.