It was a rough afternoon in Miami Gardens on Saturday as No. 25 Miami lost its first game of the season in a stunning upset against Middle Tennessee.
The Blue Raiders put together all-around dominant effort to shock the Hurricanes on their home turf, recording a whopping 507 yards of offense while holding Miami to 10 first-half points en route to securing a lopsided 45–31 victory.
The win marked MTSU’s first over an AP-ranked opponent in program history (previously 0–24), and improved the team’s record against Miami to 3–0 all-time. The embarrassing loss is Miami’s third in its last four games against Conference USA competition, a startling stat made worse by the fact that Saturday’s defeat just so happened to fall on first-year coach and Miami alum Mario Cristobal’s 52nd birthday.
The events of Saturday’s rout captivated the college football world as viewers looked to see if MTSU, whom Miami paid $1.5 million to play, could pull off the huge win.
MTSU’s defense set the tone early with two interceptions and a fumble recovery on Miami’s first three possessions; the second INT was returned by defensive tackle Zaylin Wood for a 15-yard touchdown. After tacking a field goal on MTSU’s first possession, quarterback Chase Cunningham recovered from a pick of his own and tossed a 71-yard TD. Cunningham also ran in another to give MTSU a 24–3 lead.
From there, the Blue Raiders continued to apply pressure, forcing a turnover on downs and another fumble while allowing one TD before halftime. The Hurricanes began the second half with two punts before attempting to mount a furious comeback, only to be matched by MTSU at nearly every turn. The teams accounted for three touchdown drives a piece but, in the end, it was the Blue Raiders who emerged with the bragging rights.
In the immediate aftermath of the blowout, the CFB world had quite a few things to say about Miami’s meltdown. Check out some of the best reactions to Saturday’s stunner below:
More CFB Coverage:
