Box Score Photo Gallery
HC Mario Cristobal Postgame Video
QB Wesley Carroll Postgame Video
CB Richard Leonard Postgame Video
RB Kedrick Rhodes Postgame Video
Box Score
MIAMI (Sept. 1, 2011) - FIU got the season started off on the right foot by beating North Texas, 41-16, Thursday night at Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium. Behind a relentless running game that racked up 208 yards and swarming defense, the Panthers outgained the Mean Green 401 to 301.
Reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Heisman hopeful, T.Y. Hilton amassed 283 all-purpose yards, the second-best output of his storied career, including 60 on a touchdown pass from Wes Carroll. The senior quarterback finished the contest completing 16-of-22 passes for 193 yards and the one score.
On the ground, Darriet Perry led the way with 94 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, and sophomore Kedrick Rhodes added 77 yards and another pair of scores on 16 attempts.
Defensively, Winston Fraser led all players with 11 tackles, eight of them unassisted and one for loss. Gregory Hickman was a force on the defensive line, sacking the quarterback twice and forcing a fumble.
On the opening kickoff, Hilton got started right away, returning the kick 62 yards to the North Texas 29-yard line. A few plays later, Rhodes got the Panthers on the board with a nine-yard touchdown run.
On the ensuing North Texas possession, the Panthers stopped North Texas' Lance Dunbar on fourth-and-one to force a turnover on downs at the FIU 40-yard line.
It only took the Panthers one play to capitalize as Carroll found Hilton for a 60-yard touchdown pass. Hilton hauled in the pass and made a defender miss to find the endzone for his first touchdown of the year and a 14-0 FIU lead with 10:58 to play in the first quarter.
North Texas' next drive ended in a punt that backed FIU on its own seven-yard line. However, the Panthers drove 93 yards on nine plays and capped off the drive with a 19-yard score by Rhodes. The score, which came at the 2:16 mark of the first quarter pushed FIU's lead to 21-0.
On the ensuing drive, the Panthers forced a turnover when freshman Luis Rosado sacked UNT quarterback Derek Thompson and forced a fumble that Andre Pound fell on to give the Panthers the football at the North Texas 32-yard line.
The Panthers wasted no time getting back in the endzone as Hilton took a reverse 31 yards to the one-yard line. On the next play, Perry punched the ball in for his 22nd career rushing touchdown and a 28-0 FIU lead with 47 seconds to play in the first quarter.
The 28 points are the most FIU has ever scored in the first quarter.
At the start of the second quarter, a fumble on a punt return was returned for a score by North Texas to get the Mean Green on the board at the 14:37 mark of the second quarter.
Jack Griffin got three points back for FIU with four minutes to go in the second quarter when he drilled a 23-yard field goal to push the FIU lead to 31-7.
The Mean Green's opening drive of the second half ended on a blocked field goal when North Texas lined up for a 48-yarder and Pound got a hand on the ball.
FIU took over on UNT's 31-yard line and drove 69 yards, capping it off with a Perry 19-yard touchdown run. It was Perry's 23rd career rushing touchdown, putting him one off the FIU record.
North Texas picked up another touchdown off an FIU turnover, when a fumbled snap was recovered in the endzone by the Mean Green to cut FIU's lead to 38-14 at the 13:53 mark of the fourth quarter.
Griffin added a 45-yard field goal with 9:17 to go in the game to push FIU's lead to 41-14.
A safety late in the game brought the final score to 41-16.
The Panthers will hit the road for an out-of-conference tilt with the Louisville Cardinals on Friday, September 9 at 7 p.m. ET. That game can be seen on ESPN.
Game Notes:
- Tonight's game was delayed 17 minutes due to lightning. Official start time was 7:21 p.m.
- T.Y. Hilton opened the game with a 62-yard kickoff return.
- Wesley Carroll hit T.Y. Hilton for a 60-yard TD in the first quarter (10:58). Hilton's catch was his 18th career touchdown reception.
- Kedrick Rhodes broke several tackles for a 19-yard touchdown run, his second of the game.
- Freshman Luis Rosado recorded his first career sack and forced fumble in the first quarter (1:11).
- Senior Darriet Perry rushed for his 22nd and 23rd career TD's. He is one behind tying the all-time record of 24 held by Rashod Smith.
- 28 points are the most FIU has ever scored in the first quarter.
- Carroll went 6-6 for 108 yards in the first quarter.
- The Panthers recorded 199 yards of total offense in the first quarter.
- The 41 points are the most ever scored by FIU in a season opener. Previous high was 27 in 2002, which was FIU's first-ever football game.
- T.Y. Hilton turned in 235 all-purpose yards in the first half, and finished with 283 (second-highest single game record).
- Redshirt Junior Andre Pound deflected a third-quarter field goal attempt, the first of his career.
- Tonight's win is the first season-opening victory over a Division I opponent. The last time FIU won its season opener was in 2004 vs. Youngstown State.
- Sophomore Gregory Hickman forced fumble in the fourth quarter, the second of his career.
- Chuck Grace (No. 21) was ejected in the fourth quarter.
- FIU's defense did not allow any points versus the Mean Green (Two fumbles for touchdown and a safety accounted for the 16 points).
