MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — This Saturday is not your typical FCS opponent for Middle Tennessee.
When Saturday's season opener kicks off at Floyd Stadium, the Blue Raiders will be one of 36 FBS teams to begin their 2021 season against an FCS opponent. But few, if any, will start out with an FCS foe that has the resume of the Monmouth Hawks over the past two seasons.
Back-to-back winners of the Big South, the Hawks return 20 out of 22 starters from last year's squad that went 3-1 in the shortened spring FCS season. Monmouth's only loss came in the FCS playoffs to eventual national champion, Sam Houston State.