MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee ended a seven-year drought against Western Kentucky on Saturday night, winning 51-42 at Johnny Red Floyd Stadium after a last-second field goal and a fumble recovery on the final kickoff return.
The rivals were tied 42-42 with 31 seconds left when Roman Gagliano completed three of four passes for 42 yards, setting up Dominic Bourgeois. After an earlier miss from 51 yards, Bourgeois knocked through the go-ahead kick with five seconds remaining to make it 45-42.
Bourgeois then squibbed the kickoff. Western Kentucky lateraled twice, the ball came loose, and senior cornerback Aidan Singleton recovered it to push the final margin to 51-42. It was Middle Tennessee’s first 50-point outing under head coach Derek Mason and the Blue Raiders’ first win over the Hilltoppers since 2019.
Gagliano threw a career-high four touchdown passes and finished with 312 yards through the air, his second-best total. He hit Neo Clifton twice in the end zone and also found Ziyon Butler and Koraun Perdue. Butler finished with six catches for 129 yards, both career highs, including a 65-yard score. Antonio Martin Jr. ran for 125 yards, started the third quarter with a 75-yard scoring burst and posted his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season.
Western Kentucky (3-6, 2-3 Conference USA) piled up 497 yards and tied the game on a 5-yard keeper by Rodney Tisdale Jr. with 31 seconds left. Brock Glenn passed for 152 yards and a score and ran for 82 yards and another touchdown before Tisdale took over, going 11-of-13 for 107 yards and a touchdown. The loss snapped a seven-game Western Kentucky streak in the series, which the Hilltoppers still lead 39-36-1 after 76 meetings. Announced attendance was 12,127. Middle Tennessee improved to 5-4 and 3-2 in the league.
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