NASHVILLE -- FIU's run defense has struggled for most of the season and did again in a 48-21 loss to Middle Tennessee on Saturday.

The Golden Panthers were also without starting quarterback Paul McCall, and top playmaker T.Y. Hilton was limited, all of which made for a long day in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

The FIU defense was gashed for 385 rushing yards -- a season-high.

The defense also gave up a season-high 587 total yards.

Blue Raiders quarterback Dwight Dasher did most of the damage, rushing for 178 yards and three touchdowns. Two of Dasher's three touchdowns went for 70 and 67 yards, and the Blue Raiders averaged 6.9 yards per carry.

Going into Saturday's game, FIU knew it was facing one of the more electric running quarterbacks in the nation but still could not stop him.

``Their quarterback is a tremendous playmaker,'' FIU coach Mario Cristobal said. ``They made plays when they needed to. [Dasher] did a tremendous job giving them enough of a cushion that we were always trying to catch up. . . . We didn't find a way to slow him down until the end of the first half.''

If the Panthers offense was going to match the Blue Raiders on Saturday, it would have had to happen without McCall and with a slower version of Hilton.

McCall missed Saturday's game with a hyperextended elbow sustained against Louisiana-Lafayette the week before.

Cristobal said McCall is day-to-day, but with ``a lot of rehab'' FIU hopes to have McCall back against North Texas at FIU Stadium on Saturday.

Hilton, who has been slowed by a knee injury sustained against Western Kentucky on Oct. 10, played against Middle Tennessee but was not 100 percent.

Hilton caught two passes for 33 yards and returned two kickoffs for 43 yards.

``T.Y. is getting better and better,'' Cristobal said.

``You see flashes of his speed coming back, but at the same time you see a little rust. Hopefully in another week or two weeks, he will be back to what he typically is. It's good to get him in the ballgame and into the flow of things and in our offense which he is a big part of.''

Backup quarterback Wayne Younger started for McCall.

The junior went 14 of 38 for 178 yards and threw three interceptions.

``I think they were winning the battle [on the offensive line],'' said Cristobal of the Blue Raiders' defensive line. ``The pass game you have to see on film whether it was batted balls, whether it was the throw, a route, a dropped ball.

``Some of it was throwing into coverage, some of it was dropping footballs and some of it was protection.

``You don't start slow against a team like that that can pile up points.''

Despite the loss, not all was bleak for the Panthers against the Blue Raiders.

Sophomore running back Kendall Berry continued his development.

Berry led FIU with 103 yards rushing on 19 carries and scored all three touchdowns.

Berry averaged 5.4 yards per carry and also had a 38-yard run that set up the third score of the game for the Golden Panthers.

``Kendall has been running the ball real well for us,'' Cristobal said. ``Kendall continues to do some things that are pretty good.''

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