IRVING, Texas (Oct. 3, 2016) – Junior linebacker
Anthony Wint has been named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 2 the league announced on Monday.
Wint tied a season-high in tackles with 12 on Saturday night to help FIU defeat rival Florida Atlantic, 33-31, and guide the Panthers to their first win of the season. The Homestead, Florida, native also had a tackle for loss and forced a key fumble in the third quarter that led to an FIU touchdown.
Wint, who has recorded double-digit tackles in three-straight games as well as in four of the team's five outings on the year, anchored a defense that made a number of crucial stops versus the Owls as FIU claimed this year's Shula Bowl Trophy. His forced fumble came midway through the third quarter as the Panthers trailed the Owls 24-21. With FAU looking to respond to an FIU score, Wint stripped running back Greg Howell at the opposing 30-yard line. The Panthers pounced on the ball at the FAU 26 yard-line and scored on the team's ensuing possession to take a 27-24 lead.
His 12 total tackles (eight of them solo) increased Wint's total to 55 on the year. Averaging 11.0 tackles-per-game, Wint ranks No. 8 in the nation in tackles-per-game and is No. 3 in the conference.
The Panthers travel to El Paso, Texas, to take on the UTEP Miners on Saturday, Oct. 8. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET.
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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/.
