MIAMI, Fla. — Jakobe Thomas came up big in the Middle Tennessee's final two defensive possessions, running back an interception for a touchdown to give MTSU a 33-28 lead over FIU, then picking off a pass on fourth down to ice the game and make his pick-6 the deciding score.
Taking a 20-7 lead into the locker room at halftime, the Blue Raiders (7-5, 4-4 C-USA) quickly took a 27-7 lead in the third quarter on Chase Cunningham's second rushing touchdown of the evening. But the Panthers (4-8, 2-6 C-USA) had a counter punch in their final game of 2022, scoring 21 unanswered points to take the lead.