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FIU: (3-5, 3-1 C-USA) (1-4 home) |
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Middle Tennessee: (5-2, 2-1 C-USA) (3-1 away) |
Date: Oct. 29, 2016
Location: Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium (FieldTurf) (20,000) in Miami, Florida.
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET
Press Box Phone: 305.348.1898
Television: ESPN3 - Ryan Rose (play-by-play) and Wes Carroll (color analyst) will call the action.
Radio: AM 790 The Ticket (WAXY AM 790) - Josh Appel (play-by-play) and Pete Pelegrin (color analyst) on the call. Fans can listen by tuning into 790 on their AM dial or by logging onto either www.FIUSports.com or www.theticketmiami.com
Live Stats: www.FIUSports.com
Live Video Streaming: WatchESPN.com
Tickets: 305.FIU.GAME (348.4263) -or- www.FIUSports.com
Records: FIU enters Saturday's game with a 3-5 (3-1 C-USA) record following a 44-24 loss to LA Tech on Saturday, Oct. 22. Middle Tennessee comes into this week's action with a 5-2 (2-1 C-USA) mark after a 51-45 win at Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 22.
FIU Interim Head Coach Ron Cooper: Cooper (Jacksonville State, 1983) is in his first season as interim head coach (3-1, .750) and 10th season overall as a head coach (47-57, .452). Cooper is 25-34 as an FBS head coach and 22-23 as an FCS head coach. He has never faced Middle Tennessee.
Middle Tennessee Head Coach Rick Stockstill: Stockstill (Florida State, 1982) is in his 11th season at Middle Tennessee (69-63, .522). Stockstill is 7-3 all-time versus the Panthers.
Series History: Saturday will mark the 12th meeting all-time between the two programs with Middle Tennessee holding a 7-3 edge in the series history (7-4 actual on-field record - one win vacated by FIU due to NCAA sanctions). The last meeting between the two teams resulted in a 42-34 win for the Blue Raiders on Oct. 17, 2015, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Game 9 – FIU Hosts Familiar Foe Middle Tennessee
FIU returns to action this Saturday as the Panthers host familiar foe Middle Tennessee at Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. with the game airing on ESPN3.
Ryan Rose (play-by-play) and Wes Carroll (color analyst) will call the action. Fans can also listen to the game on AM 790 The Ticket with Josh Appel (play-by-play) and
Pete Pelegrin (color analyst) in the booth.
Saturday will mark the 12th meeting all-time between the two teams with Middle Tennessee holding a 7-4 edge in the series history. The last meeting between FIU and Middle Tennessee resulted in a 42-34 win for the Blue Raiders in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, last season. However, the last time Middle Tennessee visited Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium, the Panthers topped the Blue Raiders, 38-28, back on Nov. 15, 2014. In that game,
Jonnu Smith set the school-record for receiving touchdowns in a game, including a 40-yard Hail Mary reception at the end of the first half.
FIU comes into Saturday's game averaging 21.6 points-per-game and 365.9 yards of total offense-per-contest. The Panthers are led by junior
Alex McGough, who has completed 57 percent of his passes for 1,584 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Tampa native set the school record for career touchdown passes during last week's contest, finding Smith for 17 yards late in the second quarter. McGough has totaled 45 touchdown passes during his three years at FIU. The third-year starter has eight touchdown passes over the last three games and is averaging 279 yards through the air over that span. McGough's top target is
Thomas Owens, who has recorded 35 catches for 501 yards and five touchdowns. Owens caught a pair of touchdowns last Saturday and has registered four TD catches in the team's last three contest. Junior
Alex Gardner leads all FIU running backs with 638 yards on 130 carries and four touchdowns. The Jacksonville, Florida, native comes into this week's action 20 yards shy of reaching 2,000 yards for his career. Gardner is currently third all-time at FIU in career rushing (1,980). Tight end
Jonnu Smith extended his streak of consecutive game with a catch to 40. The Ocala product caught five passes for 81 yards and a touchdown versus the Bulldogs.
The FIU defense comes into this weekend's contest ranked No. 6 in total defense (417.5 yards-per-game) in C-USA overall. Over the past four game, the Panthers are the top defense in the league, allowing 370.5 yards-per-game. The duo of
Anthony Wint and
Treyvon Williams enter this week's game with a team-high 81 tackles apiece. The linebackers are both tied for fourth in the conference and 15th in the nation in tackles-per-game (10.1) and have combined for the most tackles by any two C-USA players from the same team this season. Wint leads the Panthers with 6.0 tackles for loss, while Williams is tied for the team lead in sacks with
Fermin Silva (3.0). Silva leads all defensive linemen with 31 tackles (nine solo) followed by
Imarjaye Albury with 27 (11 solo).
Niko Gonzalez and
Shermarke Spence lead the secondary in tackles with 35 each.
Saturday will mark Interim Head Coach
Ron Cooper's 105th game overall and first versus the Blue Raiders as a collegiate head coach.
Game Notables
- Saturday will be the sixth home game for the Panthers this season.
- FIU will look to improve to 4-5 on the year.
- FIU will look to improve to 4-1 in C-USA action on the year.
- FIU will look to improve to 21-38 all-time in the month of October.
- Saturday will mark the fifth game for Interim Head Coach
Ron Cooper at FIU (3-1).
- Saturday will mark Cooper's 105th game as a college head coach (both FBS and FCS).
- Saturday will mark the 12th meeting all-time between FIU and Middle Tennessee.
- Middle Tennessee leads the series history, 7-3 (actual on-field is 7-4 - one win vacated by FIU due to NCAA sanctions).
- The Blue Raiders won the last meeting between the two teams with a 42-34 victory on Oct. 17, 2015 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
- FIU is 25-37 all-time versus teams from Conference USA.
- FIU will look to improve to 5-8 all-time versus teams from the state of Tennessee.
- Coach Cooper will look to improve to 3-4 all-time versus teams from Tennessee.
- Senior
Jonnu Smith will look to extend his streak of consecutive games with a catch to 41.
- FIU will be looking to record its 35th home victory all-time on Saturday.
- Saturday will mark the 175th game in FIU history.
- Saturday will mark Coach Cooper's first meeting with the Blue Raiders.
Ron Cooper Named Interim Head Coach
On Sunday, Sept. 25,
Ron Cooper was named interim head coach of the FIU football team. Cooper, who entered the year as the team's defensive coordinator also served as the team's defensive backs coach in 2015.
This marks Cooper's fourth head coaching stint (Eastern Michigan – 1993-1994; Louisville – 1995-1997; Alabama A&M – 1998-2001). Saturday will mark his 105th game as a collegiate head coach (FBS and FCS).
We Meet Again
Saturday will mark the 12th meeting all-time between FIU and Middle Tennessee. In the 15-year history of the FIU football program, only Florida Atlantic has faced the Panthers more times (15). FIU and Middle Tennessee were also members of the Sun Belt Conference prior to joining Conference USA in 2013.
Versus the Volunteer State
Saturday will mark FIU's 13th meeting all-time versus a team from the state of Tennessee. The Panthers own a 4-8 mark in those contests and a 3-3 record at Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium.
|
Overall |
In Miami |
| Carson-Newman |
0-1 |
|
0-1 |
|
| Middle Tennessee |
4-7 |
|
3-2 |
|
|
4-8 |
|
3-3 |
|
Top TD Passer
On Saturday, Oct. 22, junior
Alex McGough found tight end
Jonnu Smith for a 17-yard touchdown pass with 52 second's left in the second quarter. The TD pass was the 43rd of McGough's FIU career and set the school mark for career touchdown passes previously held by Josh Padrick (2002-2006). McGough enters Saturday's game with 45-career touchdown passes.
Closing in on 2,000
Junior running back
Alex Gardner comes into the Middle Tennessee game with 1,980 yards rushing for his career. The Jacksonville native is just 20 yards shy of becoming the third player in FIU history to rush for 2,000 yards in a career.
1. 2,195 Rashod Smith - 2002-04
2. 2,156 Kedrick Rhodes - 2010-12
3. 1,980
Alex Gardner - 2014-present
More from McGough
After starting the season with no touchdown passes through the first three games, junior
Alex McGough has found the endzone in five-straight games, including eight in his last three starts.
Consecutive Catches - 40
Senior
Jonnu Smith enters Saturday's game with a pass reception in 40-consecutive games. That is the tied for fifth-longest streak in the nation.
| Robert Davis, Georgia State |
44 |
| Corey Davis, Western Michigan |
44 |
| Zach Pascal, Old Dominion |
43 |
| Zay Jones, East Carolina |
42 |
| Nate Phillips, Arizona |
40 |
| Taquan Mizzell, Virginia |
40 |
| Jonnu Smith, FIU |
40 |
| Ronnie Moore, Bowling Green |
38 |
| River Carcraft, Washington State |
36 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC |
35 |
| Trent Taylor, Louisiana Tech |
35 |
| DaeSean Hamilton, Penn State |
33 |
| Christian McCaffrey, Stanford |
32 |
| Corey Jones, Toledo |
32 |
| Jordan Westerkamp, Nebraska |
31 |
| KD Cannon, Baylor |
31 |
| Victor Bolden Jr., Oregon State |
31 |
| Cam Serigne, Wake Forest |
30 |
| Allen Lazard, Iowa State |
30 |
| Thomas Sperbeck, Boise State |
30 |
| Artavis Scott, Clemson |
29 |
| Fred Ross, Mississippi State |
29 |
| Amara Darboh, Michigan |
27 |
| Jerico Richardson, Nevada |
27 |
| Tanner Gentry, Wyoming |
26 |
| James Washington, Oklahoma State |
26 |
| Nicholas Norris, Western Kentucky |
26 |
| Keon Hatcher, Arkansas |
26 |
| Travis Rudolph, Florida State |
25 |
| Ryan Yurachek, Marshall |
25 |
| Taywan Taylor, Western Kentucky |
25 |
| Jake Butt, Michigan |
23 |
| Phil Mayhue, Memphis |
23 |
| Gabe Marks, Washington State |
23 |
| Drew Morgan, Arkansas |
22 |
| Ken Golladay, Northern Illinois |
22 |
| Jesus Wilson, Florida State |
21 |
100-Yards Rushers x2
During the Panthers' 35-21 win at UTEP, FIU had two running back with 100+ yards rushing (
Alex Gardner – 141;
Anthony Jones – 128). It was the first time the Panthers had two-or-more rushers of 100 yards-or-more in the same game since Nov. 13, 2010 when FIU rushed for 448 yards at Troy (Darriet Perry, T.Y. Hilton and Darian Mallary all rushing for more than 100 yards in the game).
Dynamic Duo
Anthony Wint and
Treyvon Williams have combined for 162 total tackles this season. That is the most by any pair of players from a Conference USA team in 2016 as they are the only teammates that rank in the top five among all league players. Both Williams and Wint are tied for the team lead in tackles (81) and rank tied for fourth in C-USA and 15th in the nation in tackles-per-game (10.1).
In October
FIU will play five games during the month of October this season. Following the team's 44-24 loss to LA Tech on Oct. 22, FIU enters Saturday's game with a 20-38 record all-time during the 10th month of the year.
FIU - Middle Tennessee Connections
Below are members of both teams that went to the same high school:
Riverview (Sarasota, Florida)
FIU -
Dominic Caldwell
Middle Tennessee - Richie James
McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia)
FIU -
Andrew Tarver
Middle Tennessee - Azar Wilson, Ty Clemons, CJ Windham
Below are members of both teams that went to the same junior college:
NE Oklahoma A&M (Miami, Oklahoma)
FIU -
Newton Salisbury
Middle Tennessee - Ty Watkins
100-Yard Rusher
Junior
Alex Gardner notched his eighth 100-yard game, registering 141 yards on 21 carries versus UTEP. The eight 100-yard games rank tied for first in the FIU record books for the most 100-yard games by a Panther.
Wint Racking Up the Tackles
Junior
Anthony Wint is on the verge of breaking into the top 10 in career tackles at FIU. The starting linebacker is currently tied for first on the team in tackles this season (81) and has collected double-digit tackles in five games in 2016.
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For the latest information on Panthers football, follow us on Twitter, @FIUFootball, and check out
Pete Pelegrin's in-depth coverage of FIU Athletics on his official blog, The Prowl, at
www.FIUSports.com.
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2016 FIU Football Schedule
Sept. 1 INDIANA – L, 13-34
Sept. 9 MARYLAND – L, 14-41
Sept. 17 at UMass – L, 13-21
Sept. 24 UCF – L, 14-53
Oct. 1 FLORIDA ATLANTIC* - W, 33-31
Oct. 8 at UTEP* – W, 35-21
Oct. 15 at Charlotte* - W, 27-26
Oct. 22 LOUISIANA TECH – L, 24-44
Oct. 29 MIDDLE TENNESSEE* [ESPN3]; 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 5 at WKU* [beIN]; 5:30 p.m.
Nov. 19 MARSHALL* [ASN]; 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 26 at Old Dominion* [ESPN3]; 3:30 p.m.
* denotes Conference USA Games
Home games at Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium are capitalized and bolded;
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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including FIU Arena and Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium.
About FIU:
Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. It is a public research university with colleges and schools that offer more than 180 bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU contributes $8.9 billion each year to the local economy. FIU is Worlds Ahead in finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. FIU has awarded over 200,000 degrees and enrolls more than 54,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell, FIU@I-75, and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU also supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has over 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.
