FIU Panthers
(0-0; 0-0 SBC)
vs.
North Texas Mean Green
(0-0; 0-0 SBC)
Thursday, September 1, 2011 • 7:04 p.m. (ET)
Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium (18,000) • Miami, Fla.
Gameday Central
THE GAME – Football season is back! And so are the defending Sun Belt Conference Champion FIU Panthers! On Thursday, the Panthers embark on their journey towards another championship as they host a Sun Belt rival, the North Texas Mean Green.
Thursday's matchup will feature, arguably, the two best and most feared offensive players in the Sun Belt in FIU's T.Y. Hilton and North Texas' Lance Dunbar, the 2011 SBC Co-Preseason Offensive Players of the Year. FIU won the last four meetings against North Texas, including a 34-10 victory in Denton last year.
The Panthers and Mean Green have a history together, as they can both stake claim to being the last two college football teams to play in Miami's historic Orange Bowl. On December 1, 2007, FIU closed out the legendary stadium by beating North Texas, 38-19, to snap a 23 game losing streak.
The game is being broadcast on ESPN3.com, and along with 14 other contests, it is kicking off the football season as tonight marks the first night of college football in 2011.
BACK FOR MORE – Coming off the most successful season in program history, one that saw the Panthers capture their first-ever Sun Belt Conference championship, as well as their first bowl appearance and victory, a thrilling 34-32 victory over Toledo in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, FIU is set to build upon last year's success and make another run at the conference crown.
The Panthers return 15 starters from last season's championship squad, including Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Heisman hopeful T.Y. Hilton, as well as four other All-Sun Belt selections from 2010.
PICK TO CLICK – FIU, the defending Sun Belt Conference champion, has been picked to repeat as champion in the SBC preseason coaches' poll. The Panthers also earned seven Preseason All-Sun Belt selections, including Heisman hopeful T.Y. Hilton, who was selected as the Co-Preseason Offensive Player of the Year along with North Texas running back Lance Dunbar.
Hilton was also selected as a preseason all-conference wide receiver and return specialist. Joining Hilton on the preseason all-conference squad are offensive lineman Caylin Hauptmann, linebacker Winston Fraser, defensive lineman Tourek Williams and safety Jonathan Cyprien. FIU's seven selections were the most of any Sun Belt team.
HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU, KID– The eyes of the nation will be on FIU's Heisman hopeful T.Y. Hilton this year. The senior receiver has been named to the Fred Biletnikoff Award watch list. The Biletnikoff Award is presented to the top receiver in college football. Hilton is one of three Sun Belt Conference players to appear on the list, joining Ladarius Green from Louisiana and Dwayne Frampton of Arkansas State.
In August, The Louisville Sports Commission named 50 college football student-athletes to the 2011 Watch List for the Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse, and FIU senior and Heisman hopeful T.Y. Hilton made the list for the second year in a row.
GRIFFIN FOR GROZA – FIU junior kicker Jack Griffin was named to the 2011 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Watch List. The list features 30 of the top place-kickers in college football. Griffin is the only Sun Belt player to be recognized on the watch list.
In 2010, Griffin had one of the best seasons of any SBC kicker hitting an FIU record 17-of-20 field goals and connecting on all 45 extra points, which is also an FIU record. He finished the season riding on the shoulders of his teammates after kicking the game-winning field goal at the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl as time expired in FIU's 34-32 win over Toledo, the first bowl victory in school history.
DP's RUN FOR THE RECORDS – Darriet Perry's 16 rushing touchdowns in 2010 are not only the most single-season rushing touchdowns in FIU history, but they are the most single season touchdowns ever by a Panther. In 2011, DP will make a run at the all-time record in both categories as he is five away from tying Rashod Smith for the most rushing touchdowns ever (24) and seven behind teammate T.Y. Hilton for the most touchdowns ever at FIU (26)
LET'S GO CARROLLING – FIU quarterback Wes Carroll returns for his senior season after breaking nearly every FIU single-season passing record in 2010. Carroll set program records for passing yards (2,623), passing touchdowns (16), completions (226) and total offense (2,615).
This year Carroll comes into the opener with a season under his belt in offensive coordinator Scott Satterfield's system, and is poised to break every single-season record he set a year ago.
BROKEN RECORD - The 2010 version of the Panthers broke all sorts of program records, not the least of which was wins in a season with seven victories. Here's a quick look at some of the records that were broken in 2010:
Career TDs - T.Y. Hilton - 28
Career Kick Return Yards - Hilton - 2307
Career Punt Return Yards - Hilton - 428
Career Kick Return TDs- Hilton- 4
Career INTs Returned for TD - Anthony Gaitor - 3
Single Season Rushing TDs - Darriet Perry - 15
Single Season Passing TDs - Wes Carroll - 16
Single Season Total Offense - Carroll - 2615
Single Season Total Points Scored - Jack Griffin/Darriet Perry - 96
Single Season FGs - Griffin - 16
Single Season PATs - Griffin - 45
Single Season Team Rushing Yards - 2438
Single Season Team Rushing TDs - 25
Single Season Team Rushing YPG - 187.5
Single Season Team Total Points Scored - 374
Single Season Team Total Offense - 5136
Single Season Team TDs - 46
Single Season Team Sacks - 33
Single Game Total Yards - 668
Single Game Rushing Yards - 448
Single Game Rushing TDs - 4
DEFENSIVE DIFFERENCE – FIU's defense will be under new direction in 2011 as former UConn Defensive Coordinator Todd Orlando has taken over the reigns of the Panthers' D. Orlando comes to FIU after a 12-year stint with the Huskies, including six seasons as the defensive coordinator. Orlando had coached UConn's inside linebackers since the 1999 season and, in 2005, he also assumed the role of defensive coordinator. In 2010, Orlando's defense helped the Huskies capture the Big East championship, and play in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
In his first year as defensive coordinator, UConn led the BIG EAST in total defense in 2006, ranking seventh in the nation. The team's 297.1 yards per game average for total defense was the program's best since 1979. His second season, 2007, saw UConn claim the BIG EAST Championship behind the nation's 10th-ranked passing efficiency defense and the 14th best scoring defense at 19.0 points allowed per game.
REMARKABLE TURNAROUND - To explain the Panthers' rise to the top of the Sun Belt Conference one needs to look no further than the improvements in the running game and the defense. In 2010 the Panthers ranked 27th in the country in rushing offense after finishing 107th in 2009. The Panthers' defense, which ranked 119th in the Nation in 2009, finished 2010 ranked 61st in the country.
