Building A Career: A NCAA Football Coaching Dynasty

[kblu54]

FIU Hires New Head Coach in Borland
FIU Football News

FIU athletic director Rick Mello was pleased to announce his most recent hiring on the FIU athletic staff --- new football head coach Kyle Borland.

"We are very excited to announce the newest head of FIU football," Mello announced at a recent press conference. "New head coach and offensive guru Kyle Borland will look to lead our Panthers into the future."

Former head coach Mario Cristobal was fired following 2 frustrating seasons which saw the Panthers collect only 1 win. Their only win under Cristobal's tenure followed a terrible streak of 23 straight losses.

Enter new hire Kyle Borland. Borland, a student and now teacher of the rising Spread Option offense, will implement his new and exciting offense in hopes of bringing the Panthers out of the cellar and into the top of the Sun Belt conference. Borland has been an offensive coordinator at several Division III and FCS (formerly I-AA) school, with each stop garnering numerous offensive and scoring records. Teams under Borland have produced exciting, efficient and high-scoring offenses, and including a large amount of wins.

Borland will enter his 1st career coaching job in a tough but promising situation. FIU has struggled the last few years and but features a young and talented rosters, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

"I am very excited for this opportunity to finally lead a football team from the top," Borland stated at the press conference. "I have overseen several successful offenses but now I want the whole package. I'm looking forward to leading these young Panthers into a successful future."

Borland inherits a young roster which features several potential starters that are sophomores or younger, including at the quarterback position. Where will the Panthers go this upcoming season?

[kblu54]

Preseason Rankings

Preseason Top 25

1) USC (39)
2) Michigan (21)
3) LSU (1)
4) Florida
5) Texas
6) West Virginia
7) Wisconsin
8) Oklahoma
9) Virginia Tech
10) Arkansas
11) Louisville
12) Ohio State
13) Auburn
14) Nebraska
15) Tennessee
16) California
17) Penn State
18) Georgia
19) UCLA
20) Rutgers
21) Florida State
22) TCU
23) Boise State
24) Texas A&M
25) Boston College
.
.
.
117) FIU

FIU Preseason All-Sun Belt

Alex Galloway, CB, Senior (2nd Team)

[kblu54]

Meet The Panthers

FIU releases roster, schedule for upcoming season
FIU Football News

As FIU prepares for their upcoming season under new head coach Kyle Borland, let's take a look at who will be suiting up for the Golden Panthers this season.

(Note: Blue = starter and Red = redshirting)

Offense

Quarterbacks (Grade = C)

To efficiently run a spread option attack, you need a quick QB who can make good decisions. In FIU's case, their leader will be a redshirt freshman who is quick on his feet. DeMarcus Jean will lead FIU's new spread option attack. The redshirt freshman has the quickness needed to run the option and impressed coaches during the preseason with his decision-making.

#10 DeMarcus Jean ---6'0, 207 Freshman (RS)
#12 Will Ferguson --- 6'0 198 Sophomore (RS)
#11 Ian Wright --- 6'4, 195 Freshman
#16 Anthony Banks --- 6'3, 195 Freshman

Halfbacks (Grade = C+)

A spread option attack also cannot be run without great running backs, and FIU has a talented bunch. The Panthers backfield will be led by redshirt junior Casey Simmons, who brings a great mix of speed and power. Expect Simmons to garner most of the carries in this run-first offense, but watch out for speedsters Justin Peterson and Ray Brooks to also play a role.

#32 Casey Simmons --- 5'10, 205 Junior (RS)
#3 Justin Peterson --- 5'9, 184 Junior
#8 Ray Brooks --- 5'9, 195 Sophomore
#28 Josh Chance --- 5'10, 200 Sophomore
#2 Alonzo Fisher --- 5'10, 207 Freshman (RS)

Fullbacks (Grade = B-)

It is unclear how much the fullback position will be used in Coach Borland's offense, but if they do use it often they will not be disappointed. Redshirt sophomore Patrick Harris will start at fullback and is a great talent. Harris is a good blocker and can also bring some speed to the table, so expect Harris to play a role in the running game.

#27 Patrick Harris --- 5'10, 233 Sophomore (RS)
#36 Jeff Harper --- 6'1, 259 Senior (RS)

Wide Receivers (Grade = C)

The largest position group on the team boasts 12 talented but young pass catchers. This group is led by sophomore Donald Anderson, who showed great ability in catching the ball and making some moves after the catch. Expect Anderson to get most of the catches, while sophomores J.J. Smith and Shannon Ernst should also get some action in the passing game.

#83 Donald Anderson --- 5'11, 206 Sophomore
#9 J.J. Smith --- 5'11, 189 Sophomore (RS)
#5 Shannon Ernst --- 5'10, 187 Sophomore
#4 Jason Morgan --- 5'10, 176 Sophomore (RS)
#88 Brandon Turner --- 6'0, 197 Sophomore
#84 Eddie Poole --- 6'0, 201 Sophomore
#18 Marcus Graham --- 5'11, 219 Junior (RS)
#81 Brian Stewart --- 5'10, 172 Freshman (RS)
#1 Mark Lloyd --- 6'3, 182 Freshman
#24 Jonathan Fowlkes --- 6'3, 200 Freshman
#82 Nathan Williams --- 5'8, 160 Freshman
#80 Matt Baker --- 6'1, 190 Freshman

Tight Ends (Grade = B-)

Similar to the fullback position, it is unclear how much the tight end will be used in Coach Borland's spread attack, but FIU does have some talented tight ends. Redshirt junior Mike Hamilton is a big target who showed the ability to go up and get the ball in camp.

#89 Mike Hamilton --- 6'3, 276 Junior (RS)
#48 Malcom Cannon --- 5'11, 245 Senior (RS)

Tackles (Grade = C)

Steven White and Kellen Marcus will man their respective ends of the FIU offensive line, which needs to be strong in the run game and also needs to be solid when the Panthers pass.

#58 Steven White --- 6'5, 292 Sophomore
#78 Kellen Marcus --- 6'4, 285 Junior (RS)
#51 David Griffin --- 6'3, 280 Sophomore (RS)
#77 Jose Mackey --- 6'3, 322 Freshman (RS)
#70 Jason Alvarez --- 6'4, 320 Freshman

Guards (Grade = C+)

The interior of the offensive line is manned by senior offensive captain Leonard Jones and is the most experienced position group on the team. Senior Clay Martinez will control the other side of the line. Guard play is extremely important for an option attack and the guards look poised to dominate the trenches.

#74 Leonard Jones --- 6'0, 285 Senior (RS)
#68 Clay Martinez --- 6'0, 305 Senior
#65 Arthur Cwik --- 6'2, 274 Sophomore (RS)
#50 Fred McNeal --- 6'3, 290 Sophomore

Centers (Grade = C)

Redshirt junior Dan Massey will patrol the midpoint of the offensive line and looked comfortable making the line calls during camp.

#55 Dan Massey --- 6'0, 295 Junior (RS)
#69 Tim Owens --- 6'2, 320 Sophomore (RS)
#60 Eric Hall --- 6'1, 327 Sophomore (RS)

Defense

Defensive Ends (Grade = C)

Despite being an offensive-minded coach, Coach Borland loves to play aggressive and blitz often on defense. The blitzing should open up a lot of pass rush lanes for these solid defensive ends, who are led by redshirt senior Jason Rodgers and junior Adrian Mason.

#93 Jason Rodgers --- 6'2, 213 Senior (RS)
#98 Adrian Mason --- 6'2, 267 Junior
#94 Mark Hill --- 6'1, 279 Junior (RS)
#86 Mike Goins --- 6'3, 218 Freshman (RS)
#57 Harvey Diggs --- 6'3, 245 Freshman
#49 Pat Smith --- 6'3, 235 Freshman

Defensive Tackles (Grade = C)

An effective 4-3 defense cannot be run without solid defensive tackles plugging up the holes. Experienced big guys in junior Dwayne Nicholson and redshirt senior Tyrone Wynn will be the interior trouble this season.

#92 Dwayne Nicholson --- 6'1, 316 Junior
#99 Tyrone Wynn --- 6'4, 305 Senior (RS)
#95 Derek Valentine --- 6'1, 297 Sophomore
#96 Kyle Sanders --- 6'3, 282 Junior
#90 Gabe Moore --- 6'3, 270 Freshman
#71 Zack Whitworth --- 6'0, 288 Freshman

Outside Linebackers (Grade = C)

Very talented sophomore Roderick Anderson leads his extremely young group of OLB's, who will be looking to play solid run defense and be going after the sack on pass plays.

#44 Roderick Anderson --- 5'10, 205 Sophomore
#52 Alfred Moore --- 6'1, 232 Sophomore (RS)
#33 Tyrone Kellner --- 6'0, 212 Sophomore
#39 Courtney Miller --- 6'2, 195 Freshman

Middle Linebackers (Grade = C-)

Expect the middle linebackers to do most of the blitzing on defense, led by redshirt junior Lorenzo Townes.

#54 Lorenzo Townes --- 6'0, 223 Junior (RS)
#56 Lonnie Houston --- 6'1, 235 Sophomore (RS)
#53 Will Gray --- 5'11, 225 Sophomore

Cornerbacks (Grade = C)

Coach Borland inherited a solid group of corners, led by Preseason 2nd Team All-Sun Belt senior defensive captain Alex Galloway. Galloway, a speed demon who will also return kicks and punts, is a special talent and should help out the aggressive front seven by shutting down opposing receivers. Junior Andre Paul will man the other side of the defensive secondary, and expect Julian Anderson and Corey Sutton to also play roles too, as FIU will run a lot of nickel and dime packages.

#22 Alex Galloway --- 5'10, 174 Senior
#17 Andre Paul --- 5'11, 195 Junior
#6 Julian Anderson --- 6'0, 196 Junior (RS)
#31 Corey Sutton --- 6'0, 185 Freshman
#29 Tyree Alexander --- 6'0, 168 Sophomore
#35 Marlon Williams --- 5'10, 175 Freshman

Free Safeties (Grade = C)

Playing centerfield for the FIU defensive secondary will be redshirt sophomore Mark Owens, who narrowly beat out redshirt senior Kyle Morales for the starting job in camp.

#20 Mark Owens --- 6'2, 205 Sophomore (RS)
#30 Kyle Morales --- 5'11, 187 Senior (RS)
#42 Eric Doyle --- 6'1, 190 Freshman

Strong Safeties (Grade = C+)

Helping out on run support and ball-hawking in the secondary will be hard hitter Joel Razzano. Razzano showed the strong ability to come up for help on the run but was also quick enough to knock down passes in camp.

#13 Joel Razzano --- 6'1, 221 Junior
#38 Jeff Allen --- 5'11, 205 Junior

Kicker (Grade = C)

Redshirt sophomore Terence Woodard will handle the kicking duties for the Golden Panthers.

#40 Terence Woodard --- 5'8, 169 Sophomore (RS)

Punter (Grade = C+)

The Panthers are hoping not to use sophomore Austin Carroll that much this season, but if they are forced into that dreaded 4th down situation, Carroll is a solid punter that should push teams back.

#41 Austin Carroll --- 6'1, 193 Sophomore

Overall (Grade = C)

The Panthers are solid at some positions but hurting at others. Overall, they are a lower to middle-of-the-pack team who will hopefully improve on their 1-23 record over the past 2 seasons. Coach Borland has some tools on offense to effectively run his spread option attack, and hopefully the aggressiveness on defense will pay off in a big way. In the end, don't expect the Golden Panthers to win a lot of games and don't expect them to contend for the Sun Belt title this season, but do expect them to learn the new system well and make some noise along the way.

Predicted Finish: 2-10 (2-5 Sun Belt)

Speaking of schedules, opponents and the Sun Belt conference, let's take a look at FIU's upcoming schedule and the conference outlook for the upcoming season. The Golden Panthers have a brutal non-conference schedule to kick off the season before Sun Belt play begins, and it doesn't get any easier later. The Golden Panthers open their campaign on the road against #17 Penn State and will also face #10 Arkansas and Heisman candidate Darren McFadden midway through the season.

Schedule
(Red = Sun Belt game)

9/1 @ #17 Penn State
9/8 vs. Maryland
9/15 @ Miami
9/22 @ Kansas
9/29 @ Middle Tennessee State
10/6 vs. Troy
10/20 @ UL-Monroe
10/27 @ #10 Arkansas
11/3 @ Arkansas State
11/17 vs. UL-Lafayette
11/24 vs. Florida Atlantic
12/1 vs. North Texas

Troy is predicted to win the Sun Belt, followed closely by Arkansas State and Florida Atlantic. FIU unfortunately finds itself at the bottom of the outlook.

Sun Belt Outlook

1) Troy
2) Arkansas State
3) Florida Atlantic
4) Middle Tennessee State
5) UL-Lafayette
6) UL-Monroe
7) North Texas
8) Florida International

How far can the Panthers go in their 1st season under head coach Kyle Borland? Can the spread option attack light a fire under the offense? Can the defense play sound and make plays? All these questions and more will be answered throughout the season.

[kblu54]

9/1 @ #17 Penn State

Big plays highlight win for #17 Penn State
FIU Football News

In his coaching debut, Coach Borland saw his team get an early turnover and convert it into 3 points for an early lead. Unfortunately, it was the last time the Golden Panthers led as #17 Penn State used big plays to ruin Coach Borland's debut in a 42-21 romp.

Junior safety Mark Owens intercepted an Anthony Morelli pass on Penn State's opening drive, and FIU's new spread option attack worked the Penn State defense down the field before stalling and settling for a 38-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Terence Woodard. The Panthers' success didn't last long though, as the Nittany Lions got a big kickoff return into FIU territory and RB Austin Scott took the handoff on the next play and rumbled 39 yards to the end zone to give Penn State the 7-3 lead.

From there, it was all Penn State. They got big plays out of WRs Derrick and Darrell Williams and saw returner Adrian Scott take a punt 68 yards to the house. The Nittany Lions led 21-6 at the half and went on to win 42-21.

For FIU, they had a decent showing in Coach Borland's debut. The running game was hit or miss but produced 2 TDs. Junior Casey Simmons led FIU with 65 yards on 22 carries and scored on a 38-yard TD run in the 3rd quarter. Sophomore FB Patrick Harris had a big 44-yard run in the 2nd half and also scored on a 6-yard run in the 4th quarter, finishing with 50 yards on 3 carries. The Panthers as a team finished with only 84 yards on 48 carries though, due mostly to DeMarcus Jean who tallied -31 yards on 18 carries. Most of his yards lost were due to 8 sacks.

The passing game was ok, as Jean completed 12 of 19 passes for 151 yards, but had an interception returned for a TD. Sophomore Donald Anderson led FIU with 127 yards receiving on 7 catches.

The Panthers return home next week to welcome Maryland.

Box Score

PSU 14 7 14 7 - 42
FIU 3 3 8 7 - 21

1st --- FIU --- Woodard 38 FG
1st --- PSU --- Au. Scott 39 run (Moore kick)
1st --- PSU --- Smith 16 INT return (Moore kick)
2nd --- PSU --- Da. Williams 28 pass from Morelli (Moore kick)
2nd --- FIU --- Woodard 42 FG
3rd --- PSU --- De. Williams 70 pass from Morelli (Moore kick)
3rd --- FIU --- Simmons 38 run (Jean pass to D. Anderson)
3rd --- PSU --- Ad. Scott 68 punt return (Moore kick)
4th --- PSU --- De. Williams 26 pass from Morelli (Moore kick)
4th --- FIU --- Harris 6 run (Woodard kick)

Team Stats

1st Downs: PSU 8 ... FIU 15
Total Offense: PSU 284 ... FIU 235
Rushing: PSU 16 att. - 32 yds ... FIU 48 att. - 84 yds
Passing (C-A-I): PSU 15-20-1 ... FIU 12-22-1
Pass Yards: PSU 252 ... FIU 151
Turnovers: PSU 1 ... FIU 1
3rd Down Conversions: PSU 2-8 ... FIU 7-19
Sacked: PSU 3 ... FIU 8

Individual Stats

Penn State Leaders

Morelli, QB --- 14 comp. - 19 att. - 231 yds, 3TD, 1 INT

Au. Scott, RB --- 6 att. - 43 yds, TD

De. Williams, WR --- 5 cat. - 143 yds, 2 TD
Da. Williams, WR --- 1 cat. - 28 yds, TD

Evans, DE --- 10 tkl (4 TFL), 2 sacks, FF
King, CB --- 6 tkl (1 TFL)
Lee, OLB --- 6 tkl (5 TFL), sack
Gaines, DE --- 6 tkl (5 TFL), sack

Ad. Scott, FS --- 68-yd punt return TD

FIU Leaders

Jean, QB --- 12 comp. - 19 att. - 151 yds, 1 INT, 18 att. - (-31) yds

Simmons, RB --- 22 att. - 65 yds, TD
Harris, FB --- 3 att. - 50 yds, TD
Peterson, RB --- 5 att. - 0 yds

Anderson, WR --- 7 cat. - 127 yds
Smith, WR --- 2 cat. - 26 yds

Galloway, CB --- 6 tkl
Townes, MLB --- 5 tkl (3 TFL), 3 sacks, FF

Woodard, K --- 2/2 FG

[kblu54]

Week 1 Results

Top 25 Week 1 Results

#1 USC, 49
Idaho, 3

#2 Michigan, 70
Appalachian State, 10

#3 LSU, 51
Mississippi State, 14

#4 Florida, 52
Western Kentucky, 3

#5 Texas, 42
Arkansas State, 13

#6 West Virginia, 42
Western Michigan, 13

#7 Wisconsin, 48
Washington State, 0

#8 Oklahoma, 37
North Texas, 14

#9 Virginia Tech, 56
East Carolina, 13

#10 Arkansas, 56
Troy, 14

#11 Louisville, 72
Murray State, 7

#12 Ohio State, 41
Youngstown State, 7

Kansas State, 28
#13 Auburn, 24

#14 Nebraska, 42
Nevada, 10

#15 Tennessee, 56
#16 Cal, 28

#17 Penn State, 42
FIU, 21

Oklahoma State, 35
#18 Georgia, 30

#19 UCLA, 42
Stanford, 3

#20 Rutgers, 46
Buffalo, 12

#21 Florida State, 35
Clemson, 28

#22 TCU, 38
Baylor, 7

#23 Boise State, 62
Weber State, 3

#24 Texas A&M, 42
Montana State, 10

#25 Boston College, 31
Wake Forest, 14

New Top 25 Coaches Poll
Note: Previous Rank in ()

1 (1) USC (39)
2 (2) Michigan (21)
3 (3) LSU (1)
4 (4) Florida
5 (5) Texas
6 (6) West Virginia
7 (7) Wisconsin
8 (8) Oklahoma
9 (9) Virginia Tech
10 (10) Arkansas
11 (11) Louisville
12 (12) Ohio State
13 (14) Nebraska
14 (15) Tennessee
15 (17) Penn State
16 (19) UCLA
17 (20) Rutgers
18 (21) Florida State
19 (22) TCU
20 (23) Boise State
21 (13) Auburn
22 (16) Cal
23 (24) Texas A&M
24 (25) Boston College
25 (NR) Oklahoma State

Heisman Watch

1) Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas >>>
2) John David Booty, QB, USC >>>
3) Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville >>>
4) Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii >>>
5) Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan ^^^

National Players of the Week

Offense:
Kyle Bell, RB, Colorado State
30 att. - 222 yds, 5 TD, 24 rec. yds

Defense:
James Laurinaitis, MLB, Ohio State
9 tkl (1 TFL), 2 INT, 2 TD

Sun Belt Players of the Week

Offense:
Sean Chase, QB, Florida Atlantic
21 - 36 - 305 yds, 2 TD

Defense:
Reggie Kelly, OLB, UL-Monroe
10 tkl (1 TFL), INT, TD

Sun Belt Standings (after Week 1)

1) Florida Atlantic --- 1-0 (0-0 Sun Belt)
2) Arkansas State --- 0-1 (0-0)
3) UL-Monroe --- 0-1 (0-0)
4) North Texas --- 0-1 (0-0)
5) Florida International --- 0-1 (0-0)
6) Troy --- 0-1 (0-0)
7) UL-Lafayette --- 0-1 (0-0)
8) Middle Tennessee State --- 0-1 (0-0)

[kblu54]

9/8 vs. Maryland

Lattimore shines as Terrapins pound Panthers
FIU Football News

Keon Lattimore dominated the Golden Panthers' defense to the tune of 220 yards rushing on 40 carries and 3 TDs, including 2 dagger TD runs in the 2nd quarter that put the game away early. Lattimore led a offense that put up 377 total yards, including 242 on the ground, and was helped by a tenacious defense that held FIU to 142 total yards and 1 yard rushing in a 52-10 blowout.

For the 2nd straight game, the Panthers were the first team on the board, as freshman QB DeMarcus Jean made a great throw on the run to find a wide-open J.J. Smith for a 37-yard catch-and-run TD in the 1st quarter. Unfortunately, it did not take long for Maryland to answer, as QB Jordan Steffy diced the Panther secondary for 2 long 1st-quarter TD passes.

Already up 14-7, the Terrapins continued to find success as they slowly put the Panthers away. Top linebacker Erin Henderson returned an interception for a TD before the Terrapins handed over the reigns to Lattimore on offense. Lattimore slipped and dashed through the Panther defense at will, crossing the 100-yard mark before the 1st half had ended. 82 of those yards came off of 2 big TD runs in the 2nd quarter that helped Maryland take a commanding 35-7 lead into halftime.

The 2nd half was much of the same, as Maryland got another defensive TD and Lattimore's 3rd rushing TD to account for most of the final score. The Panthers, whose offense struggled heavily against the blitzing Terrapins, managed only a 4th-quarter field goal following an interception.

Jean, despite throwing the 1st-quarter TD, struggled mightily throwing the ball, completing only 6 of 20 attempts for 131 yards. Jean also suffered his second straight game with negative rushing yards, tallying -31 on 9 carries. He was sacked 3 times.

Junior RB Casey Simmons led the Panthers in rushing, garnering 32 yards on 16 carries. As a team, FIU managed only 1 yard on 29 carries, due mostly to Jean's negative output. The FIU defense managed to get 2 interceptions but was unable to stop the Maryland offense, especially Lattimore.

The Panthers hit the road again next week to take on a tough 2-0 Miami Hurricane team.

Box Score

MARY 14 21 7 10 - 52
FIU 7 0 0 3 - 10

1st --- FIU --- Smith 37 pass from Jean (Woodard kick)
1st --- MARY --- Jones 64 pass from Steffy (Yates kick)
1st --- MARY --- Heyward-Bey 59 pass from Steffy (Yates kick)
2nd --- MARY --- Henderson 54 INT ret (Yates kick)
2nd --- MARY --- Lattimore 38 run (Yates kick)
2nd --- MARY --- Lattimore 44 run (Yates kick)
3rd --- MARY --- Malloy 73 fumble ret (Yates kick)
4th --- MARY --- Lattimore 6 run (Yates kick)
4th --- FIU --- Woodard 36 FG
4th --- MARY --- Yates 32 FG

Team Stats

1st Downs: MARY --- 15 ... FIU --- 7
Total Offense: MARY --- 377 ... FIU --- 142
Rushing: MARY --- 48-242 ... FIU --- 29-1
Passing (C-A-I): MARY --- 4-10-2 ... FIU --- 7-22-1
Pass Yards: MARY --- 135 ... FIU --- 141
Sacked: MARY --- 2 ... FIU --- 3
Turnovers: MARY --- 2 ... FIU --- 2
3rd Down Conversions: MARY --- 7-13 ... FIU --- 1-12

Individual Stats

MARYLAND

Steffy, QB --- 3 - 8 - 134 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT; 6 att. - 14 yds

Lattimore, RB --- 40 att. - 220 yds, 3 TD

Jones, WR --- 2 cat. - 75 yds, TD
Heyward-Bey, WR --- 1 cat. - 59 yds, TD

Marshall, MLB --- 5 tkl (1 TFL)
Patterson, DE --- 5 tkl (3 TFL)
Navarre, DE --- 4 tkl (2 TFL), 1 sack, FF
Henderson, OLB --- 3 tkl (2 TFL), INT, TD

FIU

Jean, QB --- 6 - 20 - 131 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT; 9 att. - (-31) yds

Simmons, RB --- 16 att. - 32 yds
Peterson, RB --- 3 att. - 3 yds

D. Anderson, WR --- 2 cat. - 58 yds
Morgan, WR --- 2 cat. - 31 yds
Smith, WR --- 1 cat. - 37 yds, TD

R. Anderson, OLB --- 11 tkl (1 TFL), FF
Townes, MLB --- 8 tkl (4 TFL)
Rodgers, DE --- 7 tkl (1 TFL), 1 sack

[kblu54]

Week 2 Results

Top 25 Week 2 Results

#2 Michigan, 42
Oregon, 35

#9 Virginia Tech, 35
#3 LSU, 33

#4 Florida, 28
Troy, 21

#5 Texas, 31
#19 TCU, 13

#6 West Virginia, 45
Marshall, 21

#7 Wisconsin, 44
UNLV, 21

Miami, 34
#8 Oklahoma, 28

#11 Louisville, 55
Middle Tennessee State, 14

#12 Ohio State, 31
Akron, 0

#13 Nebraska, 20
Wake Forest, 10

Southern Mississippi, 27
#14 Tennessee

#15 Penn State, 35
Notre Dame, 31

#16 UCLA, 38
BYU, 21

#17 Rutgers, 24
Navy, 23

#18 Florida State, 31
UAB, 14

Washington, 38
#20 Boise State, 0

#21 Auburn, 31
South Florida, 0

#22 Cal, 28
Colorado State, 17

#23 Texas A&M, 35
Fresno State, 9

#24 Boston College, 47
N.C. State, 14

#25 Oklahoma State, 38
Florida Atlantic, 9

New Top 25 Coaches Poll
Note: Previous Rank in ()

1 (1) USC (36)
2 (2) Michigan (24)
3 (4) Florida (1)
4 (5) Texas
5 (6) West Virginia
6 (9) Virginia Tech
7 (7) Wisconsin
8 (10) Arkansas
9 (3) LSU
10 (11) Louisville
11 (12) Ohio State
12 (13) Nebraska
13 (15) Penn State
14 (16) UCLA
15 (8) Oklahoma
16 (17) Rutgers
17 (18) Florida State
18 (21) Auburn
19 (22) Cal
20 (23) Texas A&M
21 (24) Boston College
22 (19) TCU
23 (25) Oklahoma State
24 (14) Tennessee
25 (NR) Hawaii

Heisman Watch

1) Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas >>>
2) John David Booty, QB, USC >>>
3) Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville >>>
4) Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida ^^^
5) Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan >>>

National Players of the Week

Offense:
Alex Walker, QB, Rice
14 - 22 - 202 yds; 13 att. - 133 yds, 5 total TD

Defense:
Joe Roberson, SS, Texas Tech
1 tkl, 2 INT, 2 TD

Sun Belt Players of the Week

Offense:
Patrick Dombrowski, QB, UL-Monroe
13 - 22 - 214 yds; 12 att. - 32 yds, 3 total TD

Defense:
Jim Snyder, CB, Troy
2 tkl, INT, FF, FR

Sun Belt Standings (after Week 2)

1) Florida Atlantic --- 1-1 (0-0 Sun Belt)
2) Arkansas State --- 0-2 (0-0)
3) UL-Monroe --- 0-2 (0-0)
4) North Texas --- 0-2 (0-0)
5) Florida International --- 0-2 (0-0)
6) Troy --- 0-2 (0-0)
7) UL-Lafayette --- 0-2 (0-0)
8) Middle Tennessee State --- 0-2 (0-0)

Backup RB suspended
FIU Football News

Junior backup RB Justin Peterson has been suspended for 3 games due to a violation of the school's academic code.

"We are currently looking into the situation," head coach Kyle Borland stated. "Until the investigation is complete, Justin will serve time away from the team."

Peterson has not been a major factor thus far for the Panthers, gaining only 3 yards on 8 carries after 2 games. The Panthers spread option attack has not caught fire as of yet, especially following their 52-10 blowout loss to Maryland in which FIU gained only 1 yard rushing on 29 carries. Peterson had 3 yards on 3 carries in the home loss.

The Panthers return to action next Saturday on the road.

[kblu54]

9/15 @ Miami

Wright tosses 4 TDs as Miami rolls over Panthers
FIU Football News

Miami QB Kyle Wright shredded the FIU secondary for 327 yards and 4 TDs on only 9-of-11 passing as the Miami Hurricanes dominated the visiting FIU Golden Panthers 58-17.

Wright had no trouble finding open receivers for long scores, as none of his 4 TD passes were shorter than 66 yards. Miami used a solid but unspectacular run game to set up the long playaction passes, which caught the young FIU defense off guard and way out of position. Miami led 24-10 at the half but used a 27-point 3rd quarter to put the game away. Wright tossed 2 TDs in the 1st quarter and 2 more in the 3rd quarter blowout. Miami also picked up a defensive TD and a punt return TD from CB Nick Williams.

As for FIU, they vastly showed some offensive improvement despite their defensive struggles. The Panthers piled up a modest 280 yards of total offense, including 104 yards on the ground. Leading the FIU offensive attack was junior RB Casey Simmons, who turned in his best performance so far this season with 130 yards rushing on 29 carries and 2 big TD runs. Simmons helped FIU tie Miami at 7 in the 1st quarter with a 34-yard TD scamper, and then wheeled off a huge 64-yard jolt in the 3rd quarter even as Miami was pulling away.

Freshman QB DeMarcus Jean was more efficient throwing the ball (11-26-176 yards, no interceptions), but did not get any help from his receivers. His Panther targets had 9 drops out of 15 incompletions, including a combined 7 from top receivers Donald Anderson and Shannon Ernst. Anderson managed to pull in 6 catches for a game-high 105 yards, but his 4 drops came on crucial 3rd downs that killed numerous Panther drives. Ernst finished with 2 catches for 32 yards but had 3 tough drops.

Junior SS Joel Razzano led the ragged Panther defense with 7 tackles and a blocked extra point.

The Panthers remain on the road and will face a tough Kansas team next week.

Box Score

MIA 14 10 27 7 - 58
FIU 7 3 7 0 - 17

1st --- MIA --- Adams 67 pass from Wright (Davis kick)
1st --- FIU --- Simmons 34 run (Woodard kick)
1st --- MIA --- Bryant 71 pass from Wright (Davis kick)
2nd --- MIA --- Dixon 44 fumble return (Davis kick)
2nd --- MIA --- Davis 31 FG
2nd --- FIU --- Woodard 44 FG
3rd --- MIA --- N. Williams 76 punt return (David kick)
3rd --- FIU --- Simmons 64 run (Woodard kick)
3rd --- MIA --- Leggett 66 pass from Wright (Davis kick)
3rd --- MIA --- James 8 run (Davis kick)
3rd --- MIA --- Zellner 76 pass from Wright (kick blocked)
4th --- MIA --- Murray 10 run (Davis kick)

Team Stats

1st Downs: MIA --- 14 ... FIU--- 17
Total Offense: MIA --- 446 ... FIU --- 280
Rushing: MIA --- 34-113 ... FIU --- 42-104
Passing (C-A-I): MIA --- 10-12-0 ... FIU --- 11-26-0
Pass Yards: MIA --- 333 ... FIU --- 176
Sacked: MIA --- 0 ... FIU --- 4
Turnovers: MIA --- 1 ... FIU --- 2
3rd Down Conversions: MIA --- 6-9 ... FIU --- 5-15

Individual Stats

MIAMI

Kyle Wright, QB --- 9 - 11- 327 yds, 4 TD

Javarris James, RB --- 15 att. - 46 yds, TD
Adam Murray, RB --- 9 att. - 49 yds, TD

Chris Zellner, TE --- 2 cat. - 82 yds, TD
Rob Bryant, TE --- 2 cat. - 73 yds, TD
Lance Leggett, WR --- 1 cat. - 66 yds, TD
Chris Adams, WR --- 1 cat. - 67 yds, TD

Calais Campbell, DE --- 10 tkl (5 TFL), 2 sacks, 3 FF
Nate Johnson, OLB --- 7 tkl (4 TFL)
A. Gates, CB --- 5 tkl (1 TFL)

Nick Williams, CB --- 76-yd punt return TD

FIU

Jean, QB --- 11 - 26 - 176 yds; 8 att. - (-37) yds

Simmons, RB --- 29 att. - 130 yds, 2 TD
Brooks, RB --- 2 att. - 8 yds
Harris, FB --- 3 att. - 3 yds

D. Anderson, WR --- 6 cat. - 105 yds
Ernst, WR --- 2 cat. - 32 yds

Razzano, SS --- 7 tkl, 1 blk
Rodgers, DE --- 5 tkl (2 TFL)
Nicholson, DT --- 4 tkl (2 TFL)

[kblu54]

Week 3 Results

Top 25 Week 3 Results

#1 USC, 36
#12 Nebraska, 26

#2 Michigan, 49
Notre Dame, 7

#3 Florida, 23
#24 Tennessee, 17

#4 Texas, 28
UCF, 14

#5 West Virginia, 21
Maryland, 17

#6 Virginia Tech, 63
Ohio, 14

#7 Wisconsin, 41
The Citadel, 3

#8 Arkansas, 34
Alabama, 10

#9 LSU, 27
Middle Tennessee State, 10

Kentucky, 41
#10 Louisville, 34 (OT)

#11 Ohio State, 49
Washington, 30

#13 Penn State, 36
Buffalo, 7

#14 UCLA, 24
Utah, 23

#15 Oklahoma, 56
Utah State, 7

#16 Rutgers, 70
Norfolk State, 3

Colorado, 21
#17 Florida State, 20

#18 Auburn, 31
Mississippi State, 14

#19 Cal, 28
Louisiana Tech, 3

#20 Texas A&M, 38
UL-Monroe, 3

#23 Oklahoma State, 40
Troy, 14

#25 Hawaii, 38
UNLV, 16

New Top 25 Coaches Poll
Note: Previous Rank in ()

1 (1) USC (40)
2 (2) Michigan (21)
3 (3) Florida
4 (4) Texas
5 (5) West Virginia
6 (6) Virginia Tech
7 (7) Wisconsin
8 (8) Arkansas
9 (9) LSU
10 (11) Ohio State
11 (13) Penn State
12 (14) UCLA
13 (15) Oklahoma
14 (16) Rutgers
15 (12) Nebraska
16 (18) Auburn
17 (10) Louisville
18 (19) Cal
19 (20) Texas A&M
20 (23) Oklahoma State
21 (25) Hawaii
22 (NR) Miami
23 (NR) Kentucky
24 (17) Florida State
25 (NR) Georgia

Heisman Watch

1) Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas >>>
2) John David Booty, QB, USC >>>
3) Chad Henne, QB, Michigan ^^^
4) Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida >>>
5) Josh Morgan, WR, Virginia Tech ^^^

National Players of the Week

Offense:
Justin Ramirez, RB, South Carolina
28 att. - 212 yds, 5 TD, 2 rec. - 40 yds

Defense:
Steve Octavien, OLB, Nebraska
15 tkl (6 TFL), 3 sacks, INT, 2 FF, TD

Sun Belt Players of the Week

Offense:
Daniel Overstreet, QB, UL-Lafayette
15 - 33- 209 yds; 9 att. - 50 yds, 5 total TD

Defense:
Anthony Nunez, MLB, Arkansas State
9 tkl (6 TFL), 2 sacks, INT

Sun Belt Standings (after Week 3)

1) Florida Atlantic --- 1-2 (0-0 Sun Belt)
2) UL-Lafayette --- 1-2 (0-0)
3) Arkansas State --- 1-2 (0-0)
4) North Texas --- 0-2 (0-0)
5) Florida International --- 0-3 (0-0)
6) Troy --- 0-3 (0-0)
7) UL-Monroe --- 0-3 (0-0)
8) Middle Tennessee State --- 0-3 (0-0)

More suspensions for FIU, starters will sit
FIU Football News

Some more bad news from the FIU off-the-field scene, as two more players have been suspended from the team for violation of team rules. This time though, it is the starting lineup that will be affected.

Junior DE Adrian Mason will be suspended for one game and senior CB and defensive captain Alex Galloway has been hit with a 3-game suspension. Both suspensions are being cited as a violation of team rules.

Mason reportedly got in a heated argument with the strength and conditioning coach over Mason's attitude, while Galloway was reportedly involved in a fight during practice.

"I'm really disappointed in these young men," head coach Kyle Borland stated in an interview following practice today. "I was really looking forward to some good senior leadership out of Galloway and a positive attitude out of Mason, but unfortunately I have gotten neither. They both will be sorely missed for the next few games, but I will not tolerate their actions and any one else's similar. I want this team acting like adults and playing with some pride. This season has been tough on the whole team but that's no reason to go shooting off your mouth to a coach or fighting with your teammates. It is unacceptable."

Junior CB Julian Anderson will likely start in place of Galloway, while DE Mark Hill will take over Mason's spot. Anderson recorded 5 tackles in FIU's loss to Miami.

Mason and Galloway join backup RB Justin Peterson on the suspended list. Peterson was suspended due to an academic violation and will miss the next 2 games also. Coach Borland did not indicate whether Galloway will retain his captain position for the defense.

[kblu54]

9/22 @ Kansas

Coach Borland earns career victory #1 in huge upset
FIU Football News

1st year head coach Kyle Borland could only think of one word to describe his 1st career victory.

"Special," he said with a smile.

Special was an understatement, as the FIU Golden Panthers dominated the previously 2-1 Kansas Jayhawks on both sides of the ball en route to a 38-9 blowout road upset.

The Panther spread option offense, which had averaged only 219 total yards and 16 points in the previous 3 games, exploded for 472 total yards and 38 points on a normally tough Kansas defense. The running game accounted for an amazing 278 yards, including 243 from star running back Casey Simmons, and scored 3 of the Panthers 5 TDs on the day.

Simmons totaled up 243 yards on the ground on 35 carries and scored twice, including 61-yard TD on FIU's opening drive and a 21-yard game-clincher in the 3rd quarter. Simmons was quick to give credit to his offensive line, the obvious backbone behind the Panthers' big offensive day.

"They just made great holes and were able to get guys downfield," Simmons said about the hog mollies up front. "The last few games we've gotten a lot of penetration into the backfield, but today the offensive line stepped up and prevented that."

Backup RB Ray Brooks, playing in place of the suspended Justin Peterson, also recorded a great day out of the backfield, tallying 47 yards on 10 carries and his 1st career TD, a 22-yard burst in the 3rd quarter to account for FIU's final score.

With the running game working so well, freshman QB DeMarcus Jean did not have to do much in the passing game. Jean completed 7-of-14 passes for 194 yards, including a huge 90-yard TD passes to top target Donald Anderson. On a crucial 3rd down & 10 from their own 10, Kansas sent the house hoping to get to Jean for another safety, but instead Jean showed great maturity and poise in the pocket, setting up and throwing a beautiful ball to Anderson, who had nothing but green grass to cover after that. The pass put FIU up 14-2 and they never looked back.

As for the FIU defense, holding any team to under 40 points would have been an accomplishment. Even without suspended starters CB Alex Galloway and DE Adrian Mason, the Panther D put up a very impressive game, holding Kansas to only 282 total yards and 9 points. In the previous 3 games, the Panther defense had given up an average of 369 yards and 51 points, but today they answered the call and was able to continually give the ball back to their dominating offense. MLB Lorenzo Townes had the best day, causing havoc in the Jayhawk backfield with 7 tackles, including 5 for a loss, and 4 sacks. Junior CB Andre Paul, starting at the #1 cornerback spot, picked off a Todd Reesing pass and returned it 33 yards to the house to give FIU a solid 21-2 lead.

Despite all the good news, there is some bad news. Simmons, despite having such a great day, went down late in the 3rd quarter with a shoulder injury. He suffered a deep bruise and it is apparent he will miss the next 2 games. Brooks will earn his 1st career start next week as FIU opens Sun Belt play on the road at Middle Tennessee State.

Box Score

KU 2 7 0 0 - 9
FIU 14 10 14 0 - 38

1st --- FIU --- Simmons 61 run (Woodard kick)
1st --- KU --- Safety
1st --- FIU --- D. Anderson 90 pass from Jean (Woodard kick)
2nd --- FIU --- Paul 33 INT return (Woodard kick)
2nd --- KU --- Beard 35 pass from Reesing (Petty kick)
2nd --- FIU --- Woodard 37 FG
3rd --- FIU --- Simmons 21 run (Woodard kick)
3rd --- FIU --- Brooks 22 run (Woodard kick)

Team Stats

1st Downs: KU--- 12 ... FIU --- 18
Total Offense: KU --- 282 ... FIU --- 472
Rushing: KU --- 23-73 ... FIU --- 48-278
Passing (C-A-I): KU --- 17-36-1 ... FIU --- 7-14-1
Pass Yards: KU --- 209 ... FIU --- 194
Sacked: KU --- 6 ... FIU --- 1
3rd Down Conversions: KU --- 5-15 ... FIU --- 4-12
Turnovers: KU --- 1 ... FIU --- 1

Individual Stats

KANSAS

Reesing, QB --- 17 - 36 - 209, 1 TD, 1 INT

Jake Sharp, RB --- 11 att. - 63 yds

Derek Fine, TE --- 6 rec. - 59 yds
Paul Beard, WR --- 3 rec. - 58 yds, TD

J.T. Hurst, DE --- 7 tkl (3 TFL)
Ronald Simmons, DE --- 6 tkl (2 TFL)

FIU

Jean, QB --- 7 - 14 - 194 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT

Simmons, RB --- 35 att. - 243 yds, 2 TD
Brooks, RB --- 10 att. - 47 yds, TD

D. Anderson, WR --- 4 rec. - 141 yds, TD

Townes, MLB --- 7 tkl (5 TFL), 4 sacks
R. Anderson, OLB --- 5 tkl (1 TFL)
Paul, CB --- 1 tkl (1 TFL), 33-yd INT return TD

[kblu54]

Week 4 Results

Top 25 Week 4 Results

#1 USC 53, Washington State 17
#2 Michigan 38, #11 Penn State 24
#3 Florida 38, Ole Miss 17
#4 Texas 42, Rice 14
#5 West Virginia 45, ECU 14
#6 Virginia Tech 41, William & Mary 3
#7 Wisconsin 52, Iowa 31
#8 Arkansas 35, #23 Kentucky 14
#9 LSU 41, South Carolina 7
#10 Ohio State 52, Northwestern 10
#12 UCLA 34, Washington 10
#13 Oklahoma 52, Tulsa 7
#15 Nebraska 21, Ball State 16
#16 Auburn 40, New Mexico State 28
#17 Louisville 31, Syracuse 10
#18 Cal 32, Arizona 24
#22 Miami 21, #19 Texas A&M 3
Texas Tech 35, #20 Oklahoma State 14
#21 Hawaii 52, FCS East 10
Alabama 49, #25 Georgia 14

New Top 25 Coaches Poll
Note: Previous Rank in ()

1 (1) USC (41)
2 (2) Michigan (20)
3 (3) Florida
4 (4) Texas
5 (5) West Virginia
6 (6) Virginia Tech
7 (7) Wisconsin
8 (8) Arkansas
9 (9) LSU
10 (10) Ohio State
11 (12) UCLA
12 (13) Oklahoma
13 (14) Rutgers
14 (15) Nebraska
15 (11) Penn State
16 (16) Auburn
17 (17) Louisville
18 (18) Cal
19 (22) Miami
20 (21) Hawaii
21 (24) Florida State
22 (19) Texas A&M
23 (NR) Boise State
24 (NR) Tennessee
25 (23) Kentucky

Heisman Watch

1) Chad Henne, QB, Michigan ^^^
2) Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas <<<
3) Tim Tebow, QB, Florida ^^^
4) Josh Morgan, WR, Virginia Tech ^^^
5) Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville ^^^

National Players of the Week

Offense:
Matt Gibson, RB, Duke
21 att. - 157 yds, 3 TD; 3 rec. - 20 yds, TD

Defense:
Mitchell Alston, OLB, Troy
4 tkl (2 TFL), 1 sack, 2 INT, TD

Sun Belt Players of the Week

Offense:
Casey Simmons, RB, FIU
35 att. - 243 yds, 2 TD

Defense:
Mitchell Alston, OLB, Troy
4 tkl (2 TFL), 1 sack, 2 INT, TD

Sun Belt Standings (after Week 4)

1) North Texas --- 1-2 (1-0 Sun Belt)
2) Troy --- 1-3 (1-0)
3) Florida Atlantic --- 1-3 (1-1)
4) Florida International --- 1-3 (0-0)
5) Arkansas State --- 1-3 (0-0)
6) UL-Monroe --- 0-3 (0-0)
7) Middle Tennessee State --- 1-3 (0-1)
8) UL-Lafayette --- 1-3 (0-1)

[kblu54]

9/29 @ Middle Tennessee State

FIU reverts back to old form in blowout loss
FIU Football News

Following their 38-9 upset win over Kansas last week, FIU was riding high and looking ahead to their conference opener at Middle Tennessee State. Instead of sending a message to their fellow Sun Belt opponents, the Golden Panthers fell right back on their face in a 56-17 blowout loss.

RB Jordan Winston scored 4 touchdowns, QB Bill Tyler threw for 329 yards and 5 TDs, including 3 of them to WR Joe Williams, and the Blue Raiders piled up 465 yards of offense in the surprising rout. Tyler found Williams for the 1st of their 3 TD hookups barely a minute into the game and the Raiders never looked back.

FIU, whose offense shocked the Jayhawks and a defense that dominated, struggled heavily on both sides of the ball and seemed to take a big step backward after such an amazing win last week. On offense, the Panthers accumulated 313 yards but only 5 yards rushing and could only manage 10 offensive points despite being in the red zone 4 times and into Blue Raider territory for most of the game.

Freshman QB DeMarcus Jean struggled without the running help of injured RB Casey Simmons, completing only 16-of-31 passes for 245 yards and threw an interception. Jean was off-target all game and was lucky to get his 245 yards, as most of his yards went to top target Donald Anderson, who caught 8 passes for 172 yards. The porous offensive line, who was so solid last week, allowed 6 sacks and couldn't stop the Raider penetration. Jean ended up with negative yards rushing for the 5th straight game, totaling -51 on 7 carries thanks to the sacks.

Sophomore RB Ray Brooks, who began the season as 3rd string but earned his 1st career start following Simmons' injury and Justin Peterson's suspension, got off to a good start in the running game but only managed 60 yards on 30 carries. The Panthers had most of their drives get off to good starts (18 first downs for the game) but ended up stalling or ended on turnovers or failed 4th down attempts.

WR Shannon Ernst provided the only bright spot for the Panthers, returning the opening kickoff of the 2nd half for a TD. Backup QB Will Ferguson entered late in the 4th quarter following a minor injury to Jean and threw a TD pass to TE Mike Hamilton on 4th & 1.

The FIU defense was awful, allowing Middle Tennessee State to do whatever they pleased. Tyler picked apart the Panther secondary, who were without suspended CB Alex Galloway for the 2nd straight game. The run defense, which is ranked in the top 50 nationally, allowed Winston to get through holes untouched and keep drives alive.

FIU returns home next week after their long road trip but will welcome current Sun Belt 1st-place team Troy.

Box Score

MTSU 12 17 20 7 - 56
FIU 0 3 7 7 - 17

1st --- MTSU --- Williams 59 pass from Tyler (conversion failed)
1st --- MTSU --- Castorani 25 pass from Tyler (kick blocked)
2nd --- FIU --- Woodard 22 FG
2nd --- MTSU --- Williams 24 pass from Tyler (Barnes kick)
2nd --- MTSU --- Winston 81 punt return (Barnes kick)
2nd --- MTSU --- Barnes 36 FG
3rd --- FIU --- Ernst 88 kick return (Woodard kick)
3rd --- MTSU --- Winston 6 run (kick blocked)
3rd --- MTSU --- Winston 10 pass from Tyler (Barnes kick)
3rd --- MTSU --- Williams 46 pass from Tyler (Barnes kick)
4th --- FIU --- Hamilton 17 pass from Ferguson (Woodard kick)
4th --- MTSU --- Winston 25 run (Barnes kick)

Team Stats

1st Downs: MTSU --- 21 ... FIU --- 18
Total Offense: MTSU --- 465 ... FIU --- 313
Rushing: MTSU --- 25-107 ... FIU --- 43-5
Passing (C-A-I): MTSU --- 19-27-1 ... FIU --- 20-38-1
Pass Yards: MTSU --- 358 ... FIU --- 308
Sacked: MTSU --- 4 ... FIU --- 6
3rd Down Conversions: MTSU --- 3-8 ... FIU --- 5-18
Turnovers: MTSU --- 2 ... FIU --- 3

Individual Stats

MTSU

Tyler, QB --- 17 - 22 - 329 yds, 5 TD, 1 INT

Winston, RB --- 17 att. - 119 yds; 4 rec. - 31 yds; 3 PR - 90 yds, 4 total TD

Williams, WR --- 6 rec. - 212 yds, 3 TD
Joe Castorani, TE --- 4 rec. - 60 yds, TD

Richard Butler, CB --- 9 tkls (3 TFL)
Damon Nickson, FS --- 8 tkls (1 TFL), 1 INT
Jimmy Jackson, DT --- 6 tkls (5 TFL)
Blake High, DE --- 6 tkls (4 TFL), 2 sacks, FF, FR
Victor Burley, OLB --- 5 tkls (1 TFL), 1 sack, FF

FIU

Jean, QB --- 16 - 31 - 245 yds, 1 INT; 7 att. - (-51) yds
Ferguson, QB --- 4 - 7 - 63 yds, 1 TD

Brooks, RB --- 30 att. - 60 yds
Fisher, RB --- 5 att. - 7 yds

D. Anderson, WR --- 8 rec. - 172 yds
Ernst, WR --- 6 rec. - 47 yds; 88-yd KR TD
Hamilton, TE --- 2 rec. - 23 yds, TD

Paul, CB --- 8 tkls
Razzano, SS --- 7 tkls, FF
Sutton, CB --- 4 tkls, 1 INT
Nicholson, DT --- 3 tkls (2 TFL), 1 sack

[kblu54]

Week 5 Results

Top 25 Week 5 Results

#1 USC 24, Washington 10
#2 Michigan 42, Northwestern 6
#16 Auburn 31, #3 Florida 20
#4 Texas 48, Kansas State 6
#5 West Virginia 45, USF 21
#6 Virginia Tech 31, North Carolina 17
#7 Wisconsin 21, Michigan State 17
#8 Arkansas 56, North Texas 14
#9 LSU 70, Tulane 7
#10 Ohio State 35, Minnesota 7
#11 UCLA 26, Oregon State 15
#12 Oklahoma 55, Colorado 14
Maryland 39, #13 Rutgers 28
#14 Nebraska 31, Iowa State 10
Illinois 24, #15 Penn State 21
N.C. State 30, #17 Louisville 24
#18 Cal 63, Oregon 14
#19 Miami 24, Duke 21
#20 Hawaii 66, Idaho 14
Alabama 46, #21 Florida State 35
#22 Texas A&M 45, Baylor 10
#23 Boise State 45, Southern Mississippi 21
#25 Kentucky 31, Florida Atlantic 3

New Top 25 Coaches Poll
Note: Previous Rank in ()

1 (1) USC (38)
2 (2) Michigan (22)
3 (4) Texas (1)
4 (5) West Virginia
5 (6) Virginia Tech
6 (7) Wisconsin
7 (8) Arkansas
8 (9) LSU
9 (10) Ohio State
10 (11) UCLA
11 (3) Florida
12 (12) Oklahoma
13 (16) Auburn
14 (14) Nebraska
15 (18) Cal
16 (19) Miami
17 (20) Hawaii
18 (22) Texas A&M
19 (13) Rutgers
20 (23) Boise State
21 (24) Tennessee
22 (25) Kentucky
23 (NR) Alabama
24 (NR) Oklahoma State
25 (NR) Boston College

Heisman Watch

1) Chad Henne, QB, Michigan >>>
2) Sean Glennon, QB, Virginia Tech ^^^
3) P.J. Hill, RB, Wisconsin ^^^
4) Tim Tebow, QB, Florida <<<
5) Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma ^^^

National Players of the Week

Offense:
Kevin Grady, RB, Michigan
40 att. - 248 yds, 5 TD; 12 rec. yds

Defense:
Todd Holloway, CB, UCLA
6 tkls, 2 INT, TD

Sun Belt Players of the Week

Offense:
Jordan Winston, RB, Middle Tennessee State
17 att. - 119 yds; 4 rec. - 31 yds, 4 total TDs

Defense:
Blake High, DE, Middle Tennessee State
6 tkls (4 TFL), 2 sacks, FF, FR

Sun Belt Standings (after Week 5)

1) Troy --- 2-3 (2-0 Sun Belt)
2) North Texas --- 1-3 (1-0)
3) Florida Atlantic --- 1-4 (1-1)
4) Middle Tennessee State--- 2-3 (1-1)
5) Arkansas State --- 1-3 (0-0)
6) UL-Lafayette --- 2-3 (0-1)
7) Florida International --- 1-4 (0-1)
8) UL-Monroe --- 0-4 (0-1)

[kblu54]

News

Backfield Shuffle?
FIU Football News

As FIU prepares for their next big opponent Troy, there have been some questions surrounding the team and specifically on the offensive end. Experts, fans, boosters and even the players themselves are wondering --- after such a poor performance last week, who will be running the FIU offensive backfield?

The question arose following the conclusion of FIU's heartbreaking 56-17 loss to Middle Tennessee State, their Sun Belt opener. Following their 38-9 thrashing of Kansas, fans and experts alike were expecting a much better performance out of the Panthers last week, but unfortunately didn't get it. A lot of the blame was thrown onto freshman QB DeMarcus Jean, who seemed out of sync throwing the ball. When Jean went down with a minor injury late in the 4th quarter, sophomore QB Will Ferguson stepped up in his place, throwing a TD pass and leading another long drive before the clock ran out. Ferguson was 4-of-7 for 63 yards and that TD pass, which raised some doubters on Jean and some praise for Ferguson. So the question is, who is running the show now?

"Jean is our man," head coach Kyle Borland stated today. "Everybody has a bad game, and the game last week was not all on DeMarcus' shoulders. Our offensive line played poorly, we couldn't get a run game going and probably the biggest problem of all --- we couldn't get a stop on defense. There are much bigger issues at stake here."

Jean was a modest 16-of-31 passing for 245 yards and an interception. Half of his completions and 172 of his yards went to top target sophomore WR Donald Anderson, who is turning out to be the Panthers' go-to guy while junior RB Casey Simmons nurses a shoulder injury. In Simmons' place, Ray Brooks gained only 60 yards on 30 carries this past week and for the most part was ineffective. This week, the Panthers get an offensive weapon back, as junior RB Justin Peterson returns from a 3-game suspension for academic violations. That brings to mind another question --- who will carry the ball?

"I am expecting Justin to start," Coach Borland said. "Despite the suspension, he has not been a distraction to the team and has been nothing but supportive these past few weeks. I expect him to step right in and take most of the 1st team snaps. Brooks did well last week in his 1st start and he will get a good amount of carries against Troy, but Justin gives us the best chance to win.'

Peterson has only 3 yards on 5 carries so far this season. Brooks has 107 yards on 40 carries and 1 TD, which he scored in the Kansas victory.

Can the Panthers upset the 1st-place Trojans, who are sitting pretty atop the standings with a 2-0 conference record?

[kblu54]

10/6 vs. Troy

Returns, turnovers lift Troy to victory
FIU Football News

The 1st-place Troy Trojans turned a close battle into a blowout with the help of some return TDs in a 61-35 shootout win over the struggling FIU Golden Panthers. Troy returned 2 kickoffs for TDs, returned an interception for a TD and forced 5 Panther turnovers in the road victory, which boosted their Sun Belt conference record to 3-0.

FIU actually led after the end of the 1st quarter thanks to returning RB Justin Peterson, who scored 2 TDs to put the Panthers up 14-10. Troy swung the momentum in their favor early in the 2nd quarter when QB Omar Haugabook threw a TD pass to put the Trojans up 17-14. On FIU's ensuing possession, star free safety Nate Johnson put the Trojans up for good when he intercepted DeMarcus Jean's pass and returned it 43 yards to the house to put Troy up 24-14.

The teams combined for 42 points in the 2nd quarter, but Troy's 28 points gave them a 38-28 advantage at the half. Johnson returned a kickoff for a TD to ruin FIU's comeback bid. The Panthers had scored to cut the lead to 3, but Johnson's return put the Trojans back up by 10.

In the 2nd half, it was all Troy as they beat down on FIU. The big turning point in the 2nd half came after FIU blocked a Troy field-goal attempt. The Panthers took over at their own 3-yard line, but a big push from the Troy defensive line got them a safety for a 40-28 lead. On the ensuing free kick, CB Noah Jones returned it 70 yards for a TD and the game was essentially over.

Haugabook led the Trojans with 270 yards passing and 3 TDs and also was a running force with 43 yards on the ground. RB Derek Williams piled up 113 yards and scored 2 4th-quarter TDs and WR Zach Nakfoor had 161 yards receiving and a TD as the Trojans put up 426 yards of offense.

For FIU, the woes continued on both sides of the ball, and obviously special teams. The biggest problems were defense and the return coverage teams, where Troy basically dictated the pace of the game and scored at will. The return TDs for Troy proved to be the difference in the game, as they accounted for 21 of the Trojans' 61 points.

On offense, the Panthers put up some great numbers that don't really reflect the course of the game. FIU piled up 388 yards of offense and scored 35 points, but they turned the ball over 5 times and was only in the red zone once. Peterson had a great game in scoring 3 TDs for the Panthers, but his great start running the ball didn't show in the end. Peterson had 36 yards on 10 carries and scored the game's opening TD, but after that he totaled only 6 yards on 17 carries. Peterson finished with 42 yards on 27 carries, had 58 yards receiving and also returned a kick for a TD.

The bright spots on the FIU offense were RB Ray Brooks and WR Donald Anderson, who put up great numbers despite the loss. Brooks only carried the ball 4 times but earned his 1st career 100-yard rushing game with 103 yards. Most of that yardage was due to his 64-yard TD run in the 3rd quarter. As for Anderson, the Sun Belt's top receiver caught 7 passes for 164 yards and scored on a 44-yard TD reception in the 2nd quarter.

Freshman QB DeMarcus Jean completed 14-of-28 passes for 259 yards and 2 TDs, but his 4 interceptions killed many promising FIU drives.

The Panthers finally get a bye week next week, as they look to get healthy before hitting the road to take on last-place Louisiana-Monroe. Junior RB Casey Simmons will return from injury and senior CB Alex Galloway returns from suspension and the Panthers will be looking to get their 1st Sun Belt win.

Box Score

TROY 10 28 16 7 - 61
FIU 14 14 7 0 - 35

1st --- FIU --- Peterson 8 run (Woodard kick)
1st --- Troy --- Nakfoor 74 pass from Haugabook (Alvarez kick)
1st --- Troy --- Alvarez 41 FG
1st --- FIU --- Peterson 58 pass from Jean (Woodard kick)
2nd --- Troy --- Bracken 27 pass from Haugabook (Alvarez kick)
2nd --- Troy --- Johnson 43 INT return (Alvarez kick)
2nd --- FIU --- D. Anderson 44 pass from Jean (Woodard kick)
2nd --- Troy --- Johnson 91 kick return (Alvarez kick)
2nd --- Troy --- Horne 3 pass from Haugabook (Alvarez kick)
2nd --- FIU --- Peterson 95 kick return (Woodard kick)
3rd --- Troy --- Safety
3rd --- Troy --- Jones 70 kick return (Alvarez kick)
3rd --- FIU --- Brooks 64 run (Woodard kick)
3rd --- Troy --- Williams 49 run (Alvarez kick)
4th --- Troy --- Williams 2 run (Alvarez kick)

Team Stats

1st Downs: TROY --- 16 ... FIU --- 16
Total Offense: TROY --- 426 ... FIU --- 388
Rushing: TROY --- 33-156 ... FIU --- 37-129
Passing (C-A-I): TROY --- 13-19-1 ... FIU --- 14-28-4
Pass Yards: TROY --- 270 ... FIU --- 259
Sacked: TROY --- 5 ... FIU --- 1
3rd Down Conversions: TROY --- 3-9 ... FIU --- 6-13
Turnovers: TROY --- 3 ... FIU --- 5

Individual Stats

TROY

Haugabook, QB --- 13 - 19 - 270 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT; 17 att. - 43 yds

Williams, RB --- 16 att. - 113 yds, 2 TD

Nakfoor, WR --- 4 rec. - 161 yds, TD
John Horne, TE --- 3 rec. - 17 yds, TD

Dustin Davis, DE --- 10 tkls (6 TFL), 1 sack
Johnson, FS --- 9 tkls, 2 INT, FF, 2 total TD
Tavares Jones, CB --- 9 tkls (1 TFL)
Quinton Allen, CB --- 7 tkls (2 TFL), FF
Ira Wilcox, DE --- 6 tkls (5 TFL)

N. Jones, CB --- 70-yd KR TD

FIU

Jean, QB --- 14 - 28 - 259 yds, 2 TD, 4 INT; 6 att. - (-6) yds

Peterson, RB --- 27 att. - 42 yds, 1 rec. - 58 yds, 3 total TD
Brooks, RB --- 4 att. - 103 yds, TD

D. Anderson, WR --- 7 rec. - 164 yds, TD
J.J. Smith, WR --- 3 rec. - 38 yds

Mason, DE --- 5 tkls (4 TFL), 3 sacks
J. Anderson, CB --- 9 tkls (1 TFL), 1 sack
Sutton, CB --- 4 tkls (1 TFL), INT