Since their first meeting on the field in 1914, WKU and Middle Tennessee State have played each other 74 times as rivals.

The rivalry began 111 years ago, but the name “100 Miles of Hate” didn’t stick until 2007, back when the teams were both in the Ohio Valley Conference. From 1982 to 2007, the rivalry was on hiatus after MTSU jumped up to Division I play by becoming a member of the Sun Belt. WKU eventually joined them in 2007, and the rivalry would reignite. 

Another hiatus took place when the Blue Raiders left for Conference USA in 2013. WKU, once again, joined them the following year, and they have played every year since.

WKU leads the rivalry 38-35-1, and is riding a hot six-game win streak. Gameday on Saturday will mark 2,570 days since the Blue Raiders have taken down the Hilltoppers.

I sat down with sophomore Willie Phaler, lead sports reporter for MTSU Sidelines, to get the Murfreesboro side of this rivalry. I wanted to hear how their season is going and what this rivalry means to the Blue Raiders fans and team from his side.

Polar Opposite Seasons

While WKU is playing for a CUSA Championship appearance, MTSU is seeking a signature win for the season, because they only have one: a 14-13 victory over Nevada back in September. After starting 1-3, the Blue Raiders have dropped six straight games, with opponents averaging 33 points per game in that span.

“They’ve always felt two or three plays away,” Phaler said. “They need to find a more balanced approach on offense. Offensive coordinator Bodie Reader hates running the ball, but they’ve got a pretty good stable of backs.”

In our discussion, there was one team that we both highlighted. Florida International, which walked into both teams’ home stadiums and stole a win, winning by double digits in both games and forcing a combined six turnovers. MTSU ran for 33 yards on 24 attempts, a trend that has been constant for them this season. They average 79.7 yards per game on the ground, which is 11th in the conference, and have six rushing touchdowns in eight games.

WKU, meanwhile, averages 121.9 yards per game with 13 touchdowns. The three-headed monster of running backs, freshman Marvis Parrish, and seniors George Hart III and La’Vell Wright have truly opened up the Hilltopper offense, rushing for at least 100 yards as a tandem in six straight games.

MTSU has shown some signs of life this season despite the one win. Prior to FIU hanging 56 points on them, the Blue Raiders lost four consecutive one-score games, going back to Phaler’s “two to three plays away.”

Just One Win

Ten years ago, the series sat at 34-29-1 in favor of MTSU. Since then, they have notched one win over the Hilltoppers, a 29-10 win in 2018. MTSU has lost five straight games in Houchens-Smith Stadium. 

The Hilltoppers have averaged 36.7 points per game against the Blue Raiders. Even in the loss in the triple overtime thriller in 2014, WKU put up 47 points, and has put up 30 points or more in Murfreesboro since 2014.

After all of that, how have the Hilltoppers put the red in Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium?

“(On) the defensive side of the ball, they just can’t stop shooting themselves in the foot,” Phaler said. They keep shooting themselves in the foot. They need to find a way to clean up penalties and clean up those little mistakes.”

WKU ranks first in the conference this season in defensive efficiency with a rating of 105.5, while MTSU ranks last with a rating of 164.3. The Blue Raiders also rank 11th in the conference in points per game, allowing 32.

The message in the MTSU locker room is clear. Just one win.

“We’ve just got to focus on playing good football, and that’s down in, down out,” Blue Raiders head coach Derek Mason said during a weekly presser. “This football game features two teams on opposite ends, but we want the record to go out the window. We want to play our best ball, and that’s exactly what we have to do. 

In a season full of heartbreak and close finishes, nothing would bring more motivation to a season than beating a rival on the road. It would not only hurt the Hilltoppers’ season, potentially taking away a chance at an appearance in the conference championship game, but also give the Blue Raiders motivation and inspiration going into next season. 

“Compared to where they were last year, it feels like they’re trending in the right direction,” Phaler said. “(Derek) is starting to mold more towards what he wants this team to look like. The results haven’t been on the field, but they’re being competitive, which is an important thing for this team right now.”

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

100 Miles of Hate doesn’t get the national attention that “The Game,” “Red River” or the “Iron Bowl” does, but that doesn’t mean the hatred between fans burns just as fiercely. This rivalry means so much more, especially when you consider that they really only have each other. WKU hasn’t played Marshall in their “Moonshine Throwdown” since 2021, and Eastern Kentucky is a Division II team and can’t compete on the level of the Hilltoppers.

Meanwhile, MTSU has Troy and Tennessee State. “The Battle of the Palladium with the Trojans was the oldest rivalry in the Sun Belt when both teams were members, but their last meeting was in 2020. Tennessee State hasn’t been as frequent and consistent as WKU. “100 Miles of Hate” ties the two teams together and their communities together better than any other rivalry.

And don’t let the 100 Miles of Hope blood drive fool you. While it’s an amazing event that helps lots of people leading up to the rivalry, the tempers and anger are all there come gameday.

“It runs deep,” Phaler said. “Hearing stories from people that have been in the athletic department or former players. Parents get into it, coaches get into it, it’s certainly a heated rivalry of two teams that really don’t like each other.”

The Blue Raider faithful will embark on the 100 miles north this Saturday to visit Bowling Green and hopefully steal a win and ruin the Hilltoppers’ season. Meanwhile, WKU will look to send them back to Murfreesboro free of a win.

“It’s a rivalry game that means a lot to a lot of people,” Helton said. “This football team we’re going to play is a very tough football team, a very competitive football team. Their coaching staff will have them ready to play, and so we need to play our best football.”