# Middle Tennessee beats FIU 26-23 on Terrence Brown's 54-yard run and four Bourgeois field goals

The Blue Raiders led 13-8 at halftime and held on after FIU cut a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to three in Tuesday's Conference USA game.

By The Signal Edition | Sports / College Football
Published: 2026-10-21T01:05:55Z
Updated: 2026-10-21T03:28:46Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/middle-tennessee-fiu-football-halftime-blue-raiders-lead-13-8-1ewpr4m
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/5a5b3e0e4b8b07734f32f0d8fbabdf11.jpg (Panoramic view of the football stadium at Florida International University in Miami during a 2012 game; credit: Evill72 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0))

## Summary
- Middle Tennessee beat FIU 26-23 on Tuesday night in Miami, according to The Associated Press.
- Terrence Brown ran for 158 yards and a 54-yard touchdown; kicker Dominic Bourgeois made four field goals.
- FIU's JJ Kohl threw for 179 yards and three touchdowns, the last cutting the margin to 26-23 with 6:06 left.
- Middle Tennessee improved to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in Conference USA.

## What happened

Middle Tennessee beat FIU 26-23 on Tuesday night in Miami, the AP reported. ESPN's box score page for the game also lists the result as 26-23. The Blue Raiders improved to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in Conference USA. FIU had entered 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the league, per MTSU Athletics. [1](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/brown-bourgeois-power-middle-tennessee-024947070.html) [2](https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore/_/gameId/401871055) [4](https://goblueraiders.com/news/2026/10/19/football-blue-raiders-travel-to-fiu-for-key-cusa-mid-week-game)

FIU led 8-7 after the first quarter on a 49-yard touchdown pass from JJ Kohl to Kyle McNeal and a two-point conversion. Roman Gagliano's 30-yard touchdown pass to Brody Benke answered. Dominic Bourgeois field goals of 51 and 39 yards gave Middle Tennessee a 13-8 halftime lead, per a live blog from MTSU Sidelines and the AP. [3](https://mtsusidelines.com/2026/10/20/follow-live-mtsu-football-takes-on-fiu-in-second-weekday-matchup/) [1](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/brown-bourgeois-power-middle-tennessee-024947070.html)

## Second half

Bourgeois added a 50-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Kohl then threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Schaeffer, with Devonte Lyons running in the two-point conversion to tie it at 16, the AP reported. [1](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/brown-bourgeois-power-middle-tennessee-024947070.html)

Terrence Brown broke a 54-yard touchdown run with 2:06 left in the third quarter to make it 23-16, and Bourgeois kicked a 28-yard field goal early in the fourth for a 26-16 lead. Kohl hit Sterling Joseph from 21 yards with 6:06 left to cut it to 26-23. Middle Tennessee then ran an 11-play, 71-yard drive to finish the game, the AP said. [1](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/brown-bourgeois-power-middle-tennessee-024947070.html)

## Standouts

Brown carried 18 times for 158 yards and a touchdown, an average of 8.8 yards. Gagliano threw for 200 yards and a touchdown and ran for 41. Bourgeois made four field goals, the AP reported. [1](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/brown-bourgeois-power-middle-tennessee-024947070.html)

Kohl threw for 179 yards and three touchdowns for FIU, and Lyons rushed for 115 yards, the AP said. At halftime, MTSU Sidelines reported Middle Tennessee led in total yards 179-172, and FIU committed the only first-half turnover, a Kohl interception by Mathias Malaki-Donaldson. [1](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/brown-bourgeois-power-middle-tennessee-024947070.html) [3](https://mtsusidelines.com/2026/10/20/follow-live-mtsu-football-takes-on-fiu-in-second-weekday-matchup/)

## Background

Kickoff at Pitbull Stadium was set for 7 p.m. Eastern on CBS Sports Network, according to Fubo. Middle Tennessee's athletics department said the Blue Raiders ranked second in the conference with eight forced turnovers and were plus-four in turnover margin entering the game. [7](https://www.fubo.tv/news/ncaaf/middle-tennessee-vs-florida-international-live-stream-how-to-watch-college-football-oct-20-2026/) [4](https://goblueraiders.com/news/2026/10/19/football-blue-raiders-travel-to-fiu-for-key-cusa-mid-week-game)

FIU had a five-game home winning streak and could have set a program record with a sixth straight home win, Yahoo Sports reported. The teams have met 21 times since 2005, with Middle Tennessee leading 14-7, per MTSU Athletics; FIU won last season's meeting 56-30, according to FIU Athletics. [5](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/fiu-history-sixth-consecutive-victory-182429567.html) [4](https://goblueraiders.com/news/2026/10/19/football-blue-raiders-travel-to-fiu-for-key-cusa-mid-week-game) [6](https://fiusports.com/news/2025/11/8/blue-raided-football-rolls-middle-tennessee-in-one-sided-road-victory.aspx)

## What comes next

Middle Tennessee hosts Kennesaw State on Oct. 28, and FIU plays at Liberty on Oct. 31, the AP said. [1](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/brown-bourgeois-power-middle-tennessee-024947070.html)

## Reporting sources
1. [The Associated Press (via Yahoo Sports): Brown and Bourgeois power Middle Tennessee past Florida International 26-23](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/brown-bourgeois-power-middle-tennessee-024947070.html) (2026-10-21)
2. [ESPN: Middle Tennessee 26-23 Florida International (Oct 20, 2026) Box Score](https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore/_/gameId/401871055) (2026-10-20)
3. [MTSU Sidelines: Follow live: MTSU football takes on FIU in second weekday matchup](https://mtsusidelines.com/2026/10/20/follow-live-mtsu-football-takes-on-fiu-in-second-weekday-matchup/) (2026-10-20)
4. [Middle Tennessee Athletics: Blue Raiders travel to FIU for key CUSA mid-week game](https://goblueraiders.com/news/2026/10/19/football-blue-raiders-travel-to-fiu-for-key-cusa-mid-week-game) (2026-10-19)
5. [Yahoo Sports: FIU can make history with sixth consecutive victory at Pitbull Stadium](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/fiu-history-sixth-consecutive-victory-182429567.html) (2026-10-19)
6. [FIU Athletics: BLUE RAIDED! Football Rolls Middle Tennessee in One-Sided Road Victory](https://fiusports.com/news/2025/11/8/blue-raided-football-rolls-middle-tennessee-in-one-sided-road-victory.aspx) (2025-11-08)
7. [Fubo: Middle Tennessee vs Florida International Live Stream: How to Watch College Football (Oct. 20, 2026)](https://www.fubo.tv/news/ncaaf/middle-tennessee-vs-florida-international-live-stream-how-to-watch-college-football-oct-20-2026/) (2026-10-20)