Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs UTEP Miners Match Player Stats On Nov 29, 2014

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 29, 2014

UTEP 24, Middle Tennessee 21: Aaron Jones had 219 yards from scrimmage and collected two touchdowns as the host Miners held on for their first victory over the Blue Raiders in Conference USA.

Jones ran for 147 yards while matching a career high with 29 carries and added a 72-yard touchdown catch for UTEP (7-5, 5-3), which earned its first winning season since 2004. Jameill Showers threw for a score and ran for another, and Jameel Erving picked off Austin Grammer in the red zone to halt a potential go-ahead score by the Blue Raiders late in the game.

Shane Tucker rushed for 101 yards with two touchdowns and chipped in 40 yards receiving on three catches for Middle Tennessee (6-6, 5-3). Grammer paced the Blue Raiders with 106 yards on the ground and had 99 yards passing.

Jay Mattox had his first punt blocked by Anfornee Stewart, the Blue Raiders recovered and Tucker reached the end zone on a pair of 4-yard scampers as Middle Tennessee took an early 7-0 lead. Mattox trimmed the deficit to four with a 34-yard field goal and Showers connected with Jones on a long touchdown strike to claim a three-point edge, but the Miners surrendered the lead before intermission when Tucker punched in a score near the goal line to make it 14-10.

Jones ran in a touchdown from 7 yards out, capping a 13-play, 80-yard drive that drained 7:46 off the clock in the third quarter. Grammer and Showers exchanged quarterback keepers for scores, and Marcus Henry hauled in a 27-yard reception to move the Blue Raiders into scoring position before Grammer had his pass picked off by Erving as the Miners mustered a pair of defensive stands in the final stanza.