1996 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team

The 1996 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represented Middle Tennessee State University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season

1996 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football
Conference	Ohio Valley Conference
Record	6–5 (4–4 OVC)
Head coach	Boots Donnelly (18th season)
Home stadium	Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium

1996 Ohio Valley Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 4 Murray State $^		8	–	0					11	–	2
No. 16 Eastern Illinois ^		6	–	2					8	–	4
Eastern Kentucky		6	–	2					6	–	5
Middle Tennessee		4	–	4					6	–	5
Tennessee Tech		4	–	4					5	–	6
Tennessee State		3	–	5					4	–	7
Southeast Missouri State		3	–	5					3	–	8
Austin Peay		1	–	7					1	–	10
Tennessee–Martin		1	–	7					1	–	10
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
August 31	at Louisiana Tech*	No. 13	Joe Aillet Stadium Ruston, LA	L 0–20	17,912
September 7	at Tennessee State	No. 18	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	L 14–24
September 14	Chattanooga*		Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium Murfreesboro, TN	L 17–26	13,571
September 28	at No. 10 Murray State		Roy Stewart Stadium Murray, KY	W 7–34
October 5	at Jacksonville State*		Paul Snow Stadium Jacksonville, AL	W 30–23	12,013
October 12	Austin Peay State		Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium Murfreesboro, TN	W 50–14
October 19	Eastern Kentucky		Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium Murfreesboro, TN	L 13–20
October 26	at Southeast Missouri State		Houck Stadium Cape Girardeau, MO	L 13–16 OT
November 9	at Tennessee–Martin		Graham Stadium Martin, TN	W 30–12
November 16	No. 14 Eastern Illinois		Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium Murfreesboro, TN	W 31–24
November 23	Tennessee Tech		Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium Murfreesboro, TN	W 16–10
*Non-conference game Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game