Editor’s Note: This is Part 11 of a 12-part series previewing Western Kentucky’s 2017 football opponents.

IRVING, Texas – Brent Stockstill and Richie James know how to make big plays.

The Middle Tennessee quarterback Stockstill threw for 323.3 yards per game last season with 31 touchdowns in 10 games. The wide receiver James ended up with 1,625 receiving yards in 2016, averaging 15.5 yards per catch and accounting for 16 TDs in 13 games.

James and Stockstill are back this season to lead a Blue Raiders team with championship hopes.

MTSU was picked second in the Conference USA East Division preseason poll, behind only Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers will host the Blue Raiders on Nov. 17. CBS Sports Network will broadcast the Friday night matchup from Houchens-Smith Stadium.

“Western Kentucky, La. Tech, those guys are putting up really big numbers,” Stockstill told the Daily News last month at C-USA Media Days. “Not that we’re trying to compare ourselves with them, but we know that if we’re going to be successful, we’re going to have to move the ball and score points.

“We always have high expectations and we have a good group coming back. I’m really excited about the things we can do.”

James and Stockstill have both received their share of preseason accolades.

The Sarasota, Fla., native James was this summer named to the Biletnikoff and Maxwell Award watch lists. He was picked as a Preseason All-C-USA receiver and as an Athlon Preseason Second Team All-American.

C-USA was stacked with wide receivers last year thanks to Nicholas Norris and Taywan Taylor at WKU and Carlos Henderson and Trent Taylor at Louisiana Tech.

With those four talented pass-catchers all done with college football, the redshirt junior James can step into a role as C-USA’s best wide receiver.

“He’s just one of the best athletes I’ve ever been around,” Stockstill said. “The things he does on the football field are unlike anything I’ve ever seen – his ability to make people miss, to stick his foot in the ground and catch the ball. He can do it all.”

Stockstill was picked by Athlon as C-USA’s top quarterback for 2017, beating out the Hilltoppers’ Mike White. Preseason All-C-USA selectors however chose White, naming him the league’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native Stockstill was named to the Davey O’Brien, Maxwell and Manning Award watch lists heading into 2017. The redshirt junior – and son of MTSU coach Rick Stockstill – is healthy after missing the final three games of last season with a broken collar bone.

“If you could put one person as the leader of the team, that would be him,” James said of Brent Stockstill. “You can put the expectations on him. You can make him accountable and he’s going to do everything he can.

“He’s one of the greatest people I’ve ever been around and made my college experience better than what I thought it could be.”

Middle Tennessee and WKU fought for four quarters and two overtime periods last October before the Toppers finally won 44-43 in Murfreesboro. Anthony “Ace” Wales ran for three touchdowns, while Deon Yelder blocked a Blue Raiders extra-point attempt in double overtime.

The dramatic victory set the stage for WKU claiming a second straight East Division title and second straight C-USA crown.

Middle Tennessee’s last win against the Hilltoppers was a 50-47, triple-overtime decision in 2014.

“No disrespect to any other team, but that’s the team we have to beat to take our next step,” James said of WKU. “That’s our ultimate goal.

“It makes it even better because it’s our rival. We beat them and we have a really good chance (to win the East).”

Middle Tennessee 2017 football schedule

9/2 – Vanderbilt

9/9 – at Syracuse

9/16 – at Minnesota

9/23 – Bowling Green

9/30 – at Florida Atlantic

10/7 – FIU

10/14 – at UAB

10/20 – Marshall

11/4 – UTEP

11/11 – at Charlotte

11/17 – at Western Kentucky

11/25 – Old Dominion{&end}