Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009 10:56 pm

Two of the most exciting offenses in the country, led by dual-threat quarterbacks, will take the national stage tonight when Middle Tennessee takes on Southern Mississippi in the Ninth Annual New Orleans Bowl in the Superdome

Kickoff for the game is 7:32 p.m. for the game to be televised nationally on ESPN.

The bowl appearance caps a magical year for the Blue Raiders who posted a 9-3 regular season mark, finished the season with six straight wins, won four games on the road, including a notable victory at Maryland and racked up a host of SunBelt Conference honors, including coach of the year for Rick Stockstill and defensive player of the year for end Chris McCoy.

The Raiders have a chance to post the school’s first Football Bowl Subdivision bowl victory and first FBS 10-win season.

Stockstill led the Raiders to their first FBS bowl in 2006 when Middle played in the Motor City Bowl, falling to Central Michigan.

The Raider coach had straightforward goals for his team heading into the bowl game.

“There are only going to be 34 teams who will say they are bowl champions. I tell them we are going to win this game, prepare to win this game and have fun in that order,” he said.

“It is hard to win bowl games. There are a lot of teams who get to bowls and can't win and there are a lot of teams who get to bowls and win them quite regularly. To say you are New Orleans Bowl Champions or whatever it is that is a special thing. We are here to win and if you get to pick one you would pick the win,” Stockstill added.

Offensive fireworks shouldn’t be lacking as the two teams are averaging more than 30 points a game each. The Golden Eagles have racked up 33 a game, the Raiders 31.2.

Dwight Dasher ignites the Middle offense and is ranked ninth in the nation in total offense. Named the SBC offensive player of the week three times this season, Dasher has thrown for 21 touchdowns and 2,627 yards while running for 11 TDs and 953 yards.

Dasher has a host of capable receivers with Patrick Honeycutt the leading pass catcher with 36 catches for 411 yards and four scores.

And the Raiders’ rushing game has emerged in the six-game win streak with D.D. Kyles coming on strong during that period notching three 100-yard games.

The Golden Eagles, who beat SBC champ Troy in last year’s New Orleans Bowl, is led by on midseason replacement quarterback Martevious Young. Young is an accurate passer, 13 TDs versus one interception, and a potent running threat.
He’ll be helped by senior tailback Damion Fletcher who surpassed 1,000 yards for the fourth consecutive season.

Middle will try to thwart the Southern Miss offensive show with an attacking defense that is a national leader in producing turnovers with 17 interceptions and 14 recovered fumbles, a nation-leading 14 tackles for loss, a school record 38 sacks and school record eight blocked kicks.