EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Nicholas Vattiato threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to Myles Butler and ran for a 1-yard touchdown with 1:53 to play to help Middle Tennessee beat UTEP 20-13 Saturday.
Vattiato was 21-of-35 for 239 yards with two interceptions for Middle Tennessee (3-6, 2-3 Conference USA). Butler finished with five receptions for a season-high 101 yards.
On the go-ahead drive, the UTEP defense jumped offsides on a third-and-1 and a few plays later was called for pass interference on a third-and-9 to give the Blue Raiders fresh sets of downs before Vattiato’s TD capped the scoring.
Zeke Rankin kicked a 21-yard field goal for MTSU to open the scoring midway through the first quarter. Buzz Flabiano made a 35-yard field goal about 5 minutes later to make it 3-3 and JP Pickles added a 17-yard touchdown run to give the Miners a seven-point lead with 7:31 left in the first half.
Vattiato hit Butler over the middle at the UTEP 45 and he evaded a would-be tackler near the 40 before racing the rest of the way to the end zone to make it 10-10 with 3:40 remaining in the second.
Dorian Hopkins intercepted a pass and returned it 20 yards to the UTEP 46 to set up a 29-yard field goal by Flabiano to give UTEP (1-8, 1-5) a 13-10 lead with 13:34 left in the third quarter.
JP Pickles was 18-of-33 passing for 145 yards with an interception and added 77 yards rushing on 17 carries for the Miners. Jevon Jackson ran for 83 yards on 21 carries and caught five passes for 33 yards.
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