October 23, 2009
Winter Weather, Red Wolves Await FIU

Getting ready to depart for Jonesboro, AR....where we will experience winter early! Temperatures at ASU Stadium are expected to be around 42 degrees by kickoff tomorrow night.

Perhaps that could change the fortunes for the FIU defense, which went back to being pretty frigid last Saturday against Troy. This time, although the Trojans encountered success running the ball, the real Achilles heel for the Panthers was defending the pass. Levi Brown looked like a surgeon at times, throwing for 391 yards and 3 touchdowns. It's important to keep in mind that injuries have ravaged several units on this team, including the secondary. Free safety Ashlyn Parker tore his ACL in the opener, and now cornerback Dez Johnson is out for the year, and Parker's replacement, Kreg Brown, will miss the Arkansas State game with a knee injury. I know that fans don't like to hear about injuries as an excuse, and believe me, the coaches don't accept that an as excuse. But the cold-hard truth is, winning and losing games often comes down to health, and FIU has been tormented by injuries.

So onto preparing for brrrrrrrrrrrr, I mean, the Arkansas State Red Wolves...

I can tell you this. Tomorrow night, the chilly temperatures will not bother the FIU players unless they allow themselves to get affected. Yes, the coaching staff has prepared FIU for the elements, and last week's game in the blistering wind may have also served as a warm-up test. But preparing for cold weather is a mental issue as much as anything, and coach Mario Cristobal knows that 100 percent. Besides, you may see numerous Panther players donning the short sleeves, including McCall (and his new mohawk).

So onto game strategy. Moving the ball will not be simple against this ASU defense, which leads the Sun Belt in scoring defense (21.6 pts allowed) and total defense (353 yds). They do an excellent job of keeping things in front of them, and not missing a lot of tackles. If you know about Sun Belt football, you have read the scouting report on reigning defensive Player of the Year Alex Carrington, who has been held to one sack, because he's been hit with a barrage of double-teams. FIU's O-Line has done a nice job neutralizing Aaron Morgan and Brandon Lang the last couple weeks, but the challenges never stop. The Red Wolves linebackers are fast, led by Demario Davis(39 tackles), and there are several ballhawks in the defensive backfield.

But while ASU's defense prides itself on not surrendering the big play, teams with well-balanced offenses can do some damage. That's why the running game will be as important as ever tomorrow night. Darriet Perry is close to 100 percent, so he should be splitting snaps with Daunte Owens, and the speedster Darian Mallary this week. The triple D's need to win the battle of 1st down, and put FIU in manageable 2nd and 6 situations rather than 2nd and 9 or 10. We won't know the status of Greg Ellingson, but T.Y. Hilton will be used as much more than a decoy/safety valve this week. Oh, and you better believe the ASU folks are shaking in their boots when I write that sentence. Hilton Heave II anyone??

The key to stopping the Red Wolves, once again, lies in A. getting pressure on all-everything senior QB Corey Leonard, and B. keeping him in the pocket. The interior LB's(mostly Scott Bryant and Toronto Smith) must stay home and protect the middle of the field when ASU spreads out the offense, which they don't do as often as other Sun Belt teams. The receivers, aside from Palm Beach Lakes grad Brandon Thompkins, are serviceable but don't standout. The same can't be said about running back Reggie Arnold, who has three 100-yd games vs. FIU under his belt. The Red Wolves play more power O than any team FIU has faced since Rutgers, so be prepared for some battles at the line of scrimmage.

As a member of the media, I hate clichés as much as the next person. But the 2009 season is not about looking at the big picture. It's about playing one game at a time, and looking for steady improvement. At 1-4, ASU is hungry for a win and to exact a little revenge from last year's classic 22-21 victory. It should be a great battle! For those listening to us on Saturday at home, be thankful you won't have to bundle up!

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Panther Nation, welcome to the first post-victory edition of the Broadcasters Blog! Don't worry; we think there will be several more this season.

Before we preview this week's titanic battle against Troy, aka Blackout Night, let's review how FIU netted its first Win of 2009 at Western Kentucky. The ingredients were pretty simple.

1. O in O-Line stood for outstanding-There are multiple schools of thought on how to construct the right offensive line, but FIU seems to be adhering to the adage of putting your five best guys together and seeing where they fit best. And the Panthers have those five guys up front with Andy Leavine, David Istanich, Brad Serini, Mario Caraballo, and Joe Alajajian. They dominated the line of scrimmage, not allowing a sack for the first time this season, and paved the way for a season-high 206 rushing yards. See, we told you Darriet Perry and Darian Mallary could run the ball! Now add Daunte Owens (80 yards, 2 TD) to that list. But hats off to the offensive line, who played nastier than ever last week. Nasty in a good way, of course.

2. McCall was McCall-Take this prediction to the bank: As long as he stays healthy, FIU's senior quarterback will shatter every single-season passing record in 2009. Paul McCall has complete control of Bill Legg's offense, and has become a master of spreading the ball around the last couple games, even without numero quatro for most of the Hilltopper victory. McCall himself said he would sometimes get caught up reading coverages too much early on, but that hasn't been an issue in the slightest recently. And credit both McCall and coach Legg for moving the pocket around more.

3. Gaitor has some Help-Reigning Sun-Belt first team corner Anthony Gaitor is up to his old tricks this year. But now, he's getting assistance on the other side. O'Darrius D'Haiti filled in admirably for the injured Dez Johnson last week. And the more Jonathan Cyprien and Jarrell McGee play, the more they accumulate tackles and help FIU avoid the secondary breakdowns that led to big plays against early this season.

4. D-Line stood for decent-No, the defensive line did not perform as well as you would have liked vs. WKU, still surrendering 263 rushing yards. But the most important part of the game plan was keeping athletic Kawaun Jakes in the pocket. Mission accomplished.

OK, now to the million dollar question: What's T.Y. Hilton's status for Saturday night? There are only a couple people that have the million dollar answer, and I'm not one of them. What I can tell you is that T.Y. did some work in practice Thursday, and if there's anyone that plays through pain, it's the Freshman All-American. My guess is by game-time, its all systems go for T.Y.

Speaking of all-systems go, this Troy team is almost unrecognizable to the one that got shellacked by Bowling Green and UF to open 2009. This is bad news for the Sun Belt. The Trojans possess a true pocket passer in Levi Brown, plus a barrage of weapons at receiver including Tebiarus Gill and a fully healthy Jerrell Jernigan, who caught an 86 yard TD vs. FIU and threw for another score in last year's 33-23 Troy victory. The rushing game has been spotty, but DaJuan Harris is coming off a 1,000 yard season in 2008. And defensively, the front seven is as good as it gets, with Brandon Lang projected by some as a first or second round pick, and Boris Lee and Bear Woods probably the best linebacking duo in the conference(although Scott Bryant and Toronto Smith are pretty darn good).

However, there are weak spots in this Troy club, and they so happen to be in the areas where FIU thrived last week. So lets review.

1. O-Line play: Keeping Lang and D-End tag team partner Cameron Sheffield out of the backfield will be a handful. But its still a smaller Troy defensive line that relies on a speed rush. Speed hasn't been the problem for the FIU hogs as much as size. With Daunte Owens a bigger part of the offense, at 5-10, 205 pounds, he's the right type of back to gash this Trojan team.

2. McCall being McCall: I haven't mentioned Troy's secondary yet for good reason. They are the weak link. All four starters are new, and they allow 260 passing yards a game-good for 109th in the country. T.Y.'s participation will be huge, but watch for Greg Ellingson, Ty Frierson and the tight ends to make a lot of plays underneath Saturday.

3. Secondary: Anthony Gaitor can't cover everybody. And with two all-word receivers on Troy, whoever plays opposite Gaitor will be a huge factor in the final results. There's no doubt FIU will need to be aggressive and get pressure on Levi Brown, who is not very nimble. I think you will see coach Phil Galiano release the hounds!

4. D-Line needs to be at least decent: The Trojans interior offensive line-returning starters. The two tackles-new and still kind of green. The combination of Troy's inconsistent running offense and the two new tackles plays better to FIU that most people will think.

And finally, there's that huge factor that can boost up the play of a home team: YOU! Wear your black on Saturday and get loud!! Because if FIU upsets the three-time Sun Belt champs, you will be part of the reason why. And if FIU upsets the three-time Sun Belt champs, guess who's back in the Sun Belt race?

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In some ways, FIU's 48-35 loss to ULM last week was the best performance since opening night at Alabama. The Panthers got off to a quick start, possessing a first quarter lead for the first time this season. Paul McCall re-aligned the passing game, winging the ball around to a career-best 11 different receivers. And after forcing just one turnover throughout the first three weeks, FIU registered three takeaways against the Warhawks, starting with an interception from Scotty Bryant, who I think had his best performance in a Panthers uniform.

But those are accentuating the positives. The reality of the situation is FIU is 0-4, and although they've been competitive in every game, line play continues to separate this team from winning and losing. And once again, FIU came up short in the battle of the trenches, especially when it came to the defensive line.

No, the Panthers didn't have an elite defensive line last year. But guys like Quentin Newman and Daniel Chacreton were seniors who were able to wreck some havoc in the backfield with more reps and experience. And with 3/4ths of the starting D-Line departed from last year, the unit has taken a hit due to A. playing guys who were behind the Newman's and Chacreton's, or B. relying on younger players that are still getting acclimated, both on the field and in the weight room. The defensive line is an area where FIU will get stronger in the next couple of years, but this unit simply needs to find a way to get more pressure on the QB, and hold their own at the line, so opposing O-Lineman don't get to the second level and start blocking linebackers.

Now, what to expect from WKU (Western Kentucky University) Saturday in Bowling Green? The record at 0-4 doesn't look very good. And neither does the 2nd worst scoring offense in FBS play, or the worst scoring defense. However, their new quarterback Kawaun Jakes, went 22-28 against Navy in his first collegiate start. And he's a lot like ULM's Trey Revell, who repeatedly had success running QB draws and ball-fake option plays vs. the Panther defense. The Hilltoppers running back, Bobby Rainey, is 2nd in the Sun Belt to T.Y. Hilton in all-purpose yards and has been described as a mini-TY.

Defensively, yes those horrible WKU numbers jumped off the page to me. But I've been told that the numbers are inflated due to the caliber of the competition (Tennessee, USF, and Navy). I still like FIU's chances to run the ball quite often against an undersized 3-4 front. And the passing game should be able to once again click, even without tight ends Dudley LaPorte and Eric Kirchenberg, and receiver Junior Mertile.

Like almost everyone else in the Sun Belt, the 2009 version of WKU is better than the 2008 version. But I go back to the simple truth that line play usually dictates the winner of a football game. If FIU's offensive and defensive lines win the battle at the line of scrimmage, then the Panthers will taste victory for the first time in 2009.

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Before Panther Nation starts to panic about FIU's 0-3 start, I invite you to scroll down to my first entry on the Broadcaster's Blog. Specifically the end, where I discuss how the 'Cats end every practice huddling up near midfield, and in unison, screaming "FIU....Sun Belt Champs!"

What's the point of reinforcing this? The goal of this team is to contend for a Sun Belt title in 2009. And those goals are as alive as ever, even amid the disappointing start.

We'll get a better grasp of these Panthers following the completion of Saturday's Sun Belt opener versus 2-2 ULM in Bayou Country. And don't get me wrong, in order to notch a win Saturday, a lot needs to be cleaned up from last week's loss to Toledo. The passing game was off-target. The tackling was extremely poor. FIU's secondary allotted big plays for the first time this season. Coach Mario Cristobal described it best following the Rockets game: "The only thing we did well was play hard."

So what do I see as keys for a turnaround performance versus the Warhawks? Let's start with taking a page from Toledo's fast-break Phoenix Suns like offense. They waste no time making the scorekeeper punch buttons. The Panthers, on the contrary, have netted just three first-half points in each of the last two games. In a homecoming game from Malone Stadium, a fast start equals quieting the rabid crowd. Oh, and did I mention it's Homecoming Week for ULM, which is coming off a surprise 27-25 victory at Florida Atlantic?

For the defense, in some ways, it's back to square one, which for this team, means playing assignment football. ULM has a new quarterback, big 6-5 Trey Revell (who actually started his first career game against FIU in 2007, throwing all of three passes). He likes to move outside the tackle box and make plays with both his arm and his feet. Coach Galiano's unit needs to simply keep Revell in the pocket. The Warhawks have also been described as one of the better play-action teams in the country and hide the ball well. Just ask FAU's defense, which got duped badly on a Revell play-fake allowing him to score the game-clinching TD last week on a 7-yard run. By practicing disciplined, assignment football, it's paramount for the Panthers to recognize who has the football at all times.

ULM leads the all-time series 4-1, and a bad Warhawks team helped crush FIU's bowl hopes last year in Miami. The Panthers certainly would love payback, but will need to play their best game of the season against a Hawks squad, that quite frankly, is as good as anyone else in the Sun Belt right now. But if FIU wins on Saturday, that's what people will be saying about your Panthers.

The only record that matters right now is 0-0. Panther Nation, the real season begins on Saturday!

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It's 1:30 PM on Friday. Wow, I'm running late to catch the FIU football bus en route to the airport.

Oh wait, that's right....FIU is at home this weekend! Yes, we broadcasters are just as excited as you all are, and of course share the team's excitement to bring FIU Football back to the Cage this season, beginning with the Toledo Rockets tomorrow night.

Unfortunately, the polluted air of the Garden State handed me a nasty cold during the early portion of the week, so I will have to condense the Rutgers recap and Toledo preview in one entry. And I will start with a little warning message.

While it is vital for FIU to win this game in order to get itself in position for Sun Belt play and a bowl-eligible win total, I feel like Panther Nation is not giving the Rocketship from Ohio enough credit.

The biggest factor to me will be FIU's health, especially in the secondary. While free safety Ashlyn Parker may not be ready for another week, his backfield partner Jeremiah Weatherspoon should be green lighted after he was a late scratch last weekend. Cornerback Dez Johnson and safety Kreg Brown are hopefully at full strength after suffering some bumps and bruises at Rutgers. Whomever patrols the defensive backfield will have their hands full against improved senior QB Aaron Opelt(313 yards per game), and a trio of 6-4 plus receivers. And it's up to the front seven to ensure FIU Stadium sees just the pocket passing version of Opelt rather than the dual threat version.

Of course, I'm not overlooking the health of FIU's signal callers. But starter Paul McCall has practiced all this week without any issues, and will definitely play. Chris Schirripa has taken more snaps in practice and could get elevated to No. 2 status depending on how Wayne Younger's shoulder feels. More eyeballs have been placed on the well-being of FIU quarterbacks, but my focus is on the secondary.

If the DB's are healthy, then there are a lot of Toledo weaknesses that FIU can exploit. Mark my words, Darriet Perry and Darian Mallary are the two best backs I've seen in blue and gold, and should be able to rattle off some big runs against a small Rockets front after a sluggish start, especially with the addition of tackle David Istanich in the starting lineup. The Toledo secondary, outside of Barry Church, is suspect, and don't have the team speed to counter a T.Y. Hilton or Wayne Times, both of whom I expect big games from. And I thought the most encouraging facet of the Rutgers loss was the emergence of Thatcher Starling and Kambriel Willis as two potentially lethal pass rushers.

Don't get me wrong, I feel like FIU has better speed and overall talent than the visitors from the Midwest. But don't take Toledo lightly just because of last year's one-sided score. I know your FIU Panthers aren't.

And get to FIU Stadium and make some noise on Saturday!!!!

Remember, I do answer your FIU football related questions at jmp1091@yahoo.com.

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I am back after adhering to my version of the "24 Hour Rule."

Of course my version is different from those of your Panthers or most college or NFL teams, in which players are given 24 hours to reflect over a win/loss and then move on to next week's opponent. For me, I took the day off from college football to enjoy Week 1 of the NFL. That is the part not involving the Miami Dolphins.

Today, it's back to FIU football, beginning with another viewing of the Panthers hard-fought 40-14 loss to No. 4 Alabama from Bryant-Denny Stadium, courtesy of the folks at CSS.

Obviously, there were a lot of positives to take out of the '09 opener, beyond, surprise surprise, the Cats exceeding the national public's expectations (they were 33.5 point underdogs).

1. Passing Offense-Through the first two and a half quarters, Bill Legg's precision passing game was precise indeed. There's no doubt No. 4 is number one in terms of dynamics and overall skill, but a case could be made for labeling Greg Ellingson(5 rec, 92 yards) 1A as a receiver. Ellingson gained more yards than the entire Va. Tech passing game vs. 'Bama last week, and quite frankly, could also sub as the Hokies No. 1 receiver.  Third play of the game, Ellingson beats Robby Green down the sideline for 46 yards. He gets inside position on a slant pass for FIU's only offensive score, putting the Panthers up 14-13. Later, he leaps over top SEC corner Kareem Brown for a big gainer. If Greg Ellingson keeps it up, he may be the second FIU receiver ticketed to an NFL roster.

Just like the rest of the squad, the passing game ran out of gas late, and not having tight ends Dudley LaPorte or Eric Kirchenberg were a thorn in the side. All in all though, a very encouraging debut for the FIU aerial attack.

2.  Linebackers-The 275 rushing yards is a misleading stat, since 153 of them came in the 4th quarter against a worn down defense. Through the first three quarters, 'Bama kept almost everything in between the tackles because of the Winston Fraser, Toronto Smith, and Scott Bryant's ability to seal off the edges. And while the DL encountered problems against Bama's beefy O-Line, the Tide's terrifying rushing attack only had three-double digit runs and nothing longer than 16 yards in the first three quarters. The linebackers deserve a lot of credit for that.

3. Secondary-With big receivers like Julio Jones, Mike McCoy, and Darius Hanks, 'Bama is going to win one-on-one matchups on the outside. The key is to eliminate the deep ball. FIU's secondary did that. I counted one deep ball thrown by Greg McElroy, which was well covered. Obviously, Panther fans need to monitor the status of safeties Jeremiah Weatherspoon(hamstring) and Ashlyn Parker(knee) throughout the week.

4. Silly Mistakes Were Scarce-Only one turnover, and it came late on a deflected pass. Only one needless penalty(an unsportsmanlike conduct). Very few busted coverages. Solid tackling for the first half, until FIU's defense ran out of gas. As we said last week, FIU has to let Alabama beat them and not beat itself. 'Bama's victory was not handed to them on a silver platter.

5. T.Y. Goodbye-After his career-long 96 yard dash to paydirt in the first quarter, ESPN's excellent writer Bruce Feldman tweeted "T.Y. Hilton can play with anybody in the country." I think that says it right there. 12 touchdowns last year, mark one in your scorebooks for 2009!

That said, the FIU coaching staff does not believe in moral victories, and neither do I. So let's go over things the Panthers need to improve in before the trip to Rutgers Saturday.

1. Line Play-It's tough to lay blame at the feet of the offensive or defensive lines, who were sometimes trumped by 40-50 pounds. And they have gotten much more physical, and play with more refined technique and better pad level. But there's no doubt who won the battle in the trenches Saturday night. 'Bama tallied up 5 sacks and plenty more pressures. And let's see who can emerge as a consistent pass rushing threat from the 10-12 defensive linemen that saw PT in game one.

2. Running Game-It wasn't there on Saturday. Perry broke off a couple of decent runs, and Mallary showed good quickness getting to the hole, but Mt. Cody certainly made sure to devour any chance of the home run threat FIU is looking for. Of course, the one rushing yard doesn't look as bad when you consider Va Tech gained 66 against the Crimson Tide. I would expect to see more success from the running game, and from the option running game in subsequent weeks.

3. Special Teams Coverage-Very good in the first half, very leaky in the second half. Javier Arenas, aka the Tide's T.Y, ripped off returns of 29, 20 and 46 yards. Part of the problem came from the injury of long snapper Michael Davies midway through the contest.

We play both sides on the Broadcasters Blog, but there's a lot to be pumped about Panther fans! I'll be back on Friday with a preview of Rutgers before our trip to the tranquil and scenic Garden State. Also, feel free to shoot me over any questions/comments to jmp1091@yahoo.com. I will post select responses right here on the blog.

And also, if you haven't already, make sure to check out my man Pete Pelegrin's FIU Golden Panthers Prowl Blog at http://miamiherald.typepad.com/fiusports/.

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"One, Two, Three, FIU!"

"One, Two, Three, Sun Belt Champs."

That's what nearly 100 FIU players and coaches say in unison before filtering off the FIU Stadium practice fields. And thus, there's your explanation of the Panthers goal over the next few years.

2008 was my first year calling "The Cage" my second home. And like the rest of you Panther fans, I saw the massive gains made in Coach Mario Cristobal's second year. A jump in the record from 1-11 to 5-7. The arrival of Freshman All-American T.Y. Hilton, who could be in line for Sun Belt Player of the Year Honors in '09. Tough-minded defenders such as Anthony Gaitor and Scott Bryant, who enforced the mantra of FIU being a blue-collar football team. An unrivaled offensive leader in Paul McCall, who constructed the best season of any Panther quarterback.

But still 2008 was only an initial step in what Coach Cristobal calls "building something special at FIU."

The next step is fully unearthing offensive coordinator Bill Legg's playbook-after all he led the Big 10 in total offense as the chief of the Purdue offense. The next step is sustaining enough of a pass rush up front so a talented core of 3-deep linebackers can fly to the football and make plays. And the next step is reducing the number of penalties: No. 1 in the conference last year.

But I have no doubt this team can achieve all of that and more. Why? Because everything is on the rise, most notably the talent level. The 2009 offseason brought the first two four-star recruits in FIU history. And those returning players, including 16 starters, may be a little less recognizable after going through Roderick Moore's tenacious strength and conditioning program. Many lettermen come back with 10-15 pounds more muscle. 

And the coaching staff returns, with one new addition: 32-year coaching veteran Cary Godette, who marshals the FIU defensive line. Coach Godette and everyone else buy into the vision that Coach Cristobal has bestowed on this team and community: Win by playing tough, physical, assignment-oriented football and by outworking and out preparing everybody else. I can tell the message is reverberating around campus when players are talking football in between drills on the sideline, when the offensive celebrates over a touchdown in the special teams scrimmage, and when the defense chants a certain freshman's high school nickname whenever they swallow him up for a loss.

So how many wins will the hardwork and goodwill in practice translate to? We don't know until the real games play out. And Saturday night provides quite a test: No. 4 Alabama, who Cristobal told me may be the most physically explosive team he's seen in 5-10 years. The five starters returning on the offensive line will have to hold their own in individual matchups against guys like 360-pound nose tackle Terrance Cody. McCall will need to spread the ball around against a Bama defense that allowed a paltry 91 passing yards against top 10 Virginia Tech last week. The Panther defense will need to contain the Tide rushing attack, and put the game in the hands of inexperienced quarterback Greg McElroy. Of course, it should go without saying, no silly penalties, mental mistakes, or turnovers. And that's all in front of 92,000 plus rabid fans expected at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Saturday's game will, in some ways, set the bar for the 2009 season. But the long-term goal is still clear, and still shouted at the conclusion of practice: "FIU, Sun Belt Champs." And after seeing how far this program has grown in such a short time, I believe that "FIU, Sun Belt Champs" may be an attainable goal, not in the long-term, but right around the corner.

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