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Miami, Fla. (FIUSports.com) – The FIU football team (1-4, 0-1 Sun Belt) is back in action this Thursday, Oct. 4, as the Panthers host Arkansas State (2-3, 0-1 Sun Belt) in a pivotal Sun Belt Conference match-up at Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium.

Kickoff with the Red Woves is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (EST) and the game will be broadcasted nationally on ESPNU. The FIU Sports Radio Network will also have the live call of the game, heard anywhere around the world on FIUSports.com.

Click HERE to view FIU-Arkansas State Game Notes

Thursday's game vs. Arkansas State game serves as the Panthers' 2012 Sun Belt Conference home-opener.  Under Head Coach Mario Cristobal, FIU is 3-2 in Sun Belt Conference home-openers with wins in 2008, 2010 and 2011.

FIU also stands at 7-5 all-time in non-Saturday played games since 2002, and 4-2 under Cristobal. FIU is 4-3 all-time on Thursdays and 1-0 under Cristobal.

True freshman quarterback E.J. Hilliard made his first career start for FIU at Louisiana last Saturday. The former Miami Northwestern star became the first true freshman to start at quarterback for the Panthers since Jamie Burke, during the inaugural 2002 season.

Against the Ragin' Cajuns, Hilliard's fellow Northwestern alum, senior Wayne Times, continued his career-long streak to 22 straight games with a pass reception with six catches in the game to lead FIU.

Along with throwing for over 200 yards, Hilliard had a pair of highlight reel long pass receptions in his first start, hitting juniors Willis Wright (Miami Springs) for 58 yards and Jairus Williams (Miami Central) for 54 yards. Both catches would set-up FIU touchdowns.

Defensively, senior Chuck Grace led the Panthers with 10 tackles at Louisiana, one away from his career-high, and had one tackle for loss. Grace and senior Winston Fraser each had a game-high seven solo tackles. True freshman defensive lineman Darrian Dyson also made his career debut in the game. He is the 10th true freshman to see action in 2012.

GAME DETAILS:

Date: Thursday, Oct. 4

Location: Miami, Fla.

Time: 7:30 p.m. (EST)

Stadium: Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium (20,000)

2012 Records:

FIU: 1-4 Overall, 0-1 Sun Belt

Arkansas State: 2-3 Overall, 0-1 Sun Belt

Series: Arkansas State leads 5-2

Social Media: Twitter.com/@FIUFootball

Game Broadcast: ESPNU; FIU Sports Radio Network at FIUSports.com

Next Up:

Opponent: Middle Tennessee (3-1/1-0 Sun Belt) [vs. ULM, Oct. 6]

Date: Saturday, Oct. 13

Location: Miami, Fla.

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Stadium: Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium (20,000)

Game Broadcast: FIU Sports Radio Network at FIUSports.com

FIU – Arkansas State Series

The all-time series with Arkansas State started when FIU began playing a Sun Belt Conference schedule in 2005. The Red Wolves own the series advantage, 5-2, with FIU's two wins coming in 2008 and 2010. 

Last year, FIU traveled to Jonesboro and were defeated 34-16 at ASU Stadium. In the game, the Panthers took a 16-13 lead into the fourth quarter, but saw the Red Wolves score 21 unanswered points for the rally win.

ASU quarterback Ryan Aplin rushed for a game-high 164 yards on 21 carries, while passing for 124 yards on 14-of-24 attempts. He rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another.

Former Panther T.Y. Hilton had 130 all-purpose yards in the game, including six catches for 97 yards. His 46-yard touchdown pass from Wes Carroll to tie the score, 13-13, at 9:32 in the third quarter.

Jack Griffin had 10 points scoring off an extra point and three field goals, the last of which (44 yards) gave FIU its third lead of the game, 16-13, with 1:59 left in the third quarter.

Past Games

9/24/05; at ASU; (L) 24-66 [16,423]

9/30/06; ASU; (L) 6-31 [15,174]

11/3/07; at ASU; (L) 24-27 [12,326]

11/8/08; ASU; (W) 22-21 [15,106]

10/24/09; at ASU; (L) 33-42 [18,779]

11/27/10; ASU; (W) 31-24 [14,588]

10/18/11; at ASU; (L) 16-34 [15,573]

FIU - Arkansas State Roster Connections

Arkansas State is the fourth opponent in 2012 where the Panthers don't have a player from their competitor's home state (Duke-North Carolina, Akron-Ohio and Louisville-Kentucky). However, each opponent has fielded players from the state of Florida. 

Arkansas State has two players from Florida: Redshirt Senior Quarterback Ryan Aplin (Tampa/Fleming HS) and Senior H-Back Anthony Kincy (St. Petersburg/Gibbs HS).

FIU's senior offensive tackle Caylin Hauptmann and Arkansas State's redshirt junior offensive lineman Steven Haunga, both from California, played together at College of the Canyons Community College in Santa Clarita, Calif.

FIU Head Coach Mario Cristobal has just one on-field connection to an Arkansas State coach prior to his current stint with the Red Wolves. As a junior offensive lineman for the University of Miami in 1991, Cristobal's Hurricanes began season with a 31-3 victory at Arkansas - where current ASU offensive line coach J.B. Grimes was serving as an assistant. The win over Grimes' Razorbacks was the first in a 12-0 National Championship season for Cristobal.

FIU is in its eighth Sun Belt Conference schedule (since 2005), and sixth playing under Head Coach Mario Cristobal (since 2007).

Since 2005, FIU is 21-32 (.396) vs. Sun Belt competition (however, three wins were vacated in 2005 for an actual 18-32 NCAA record). At home, FIU is an even 13-13 (.500) vs. the Sun Belt, while going 8-19 (.296) on the road.

Under Cristobal, FIU has built its program back up and has improved greatly in league play. Since 2007, FIU is 18-21 (.462) in Sun Belt games, while going 11-8 (.579) at home and 7-13 (.350) on the road.

Most notably, starting in 2010, when FIU won the Sun Belt Conference championship and began its streak of two straight bowl seasons, the Panthers have gone 11-6 (.647) in SBC games, with a 6-2 (.750) home and 5-4 (.556) road record.

Playing Opponents with Centuries of History

FIU, in its 11th season playing football and eighth at the FBS level, are playing a school, Arkansas State, that is in its 98th season of football, and whose program began in 1911. ASU is in its 38th season playing at the FBS level (since 1975).

Aside from UCF (34th season since 1979), FIU's other five opponents, Duke (100), Akron (112), Louisville (94), Louisiana (110) and Arkansas State (98) have a combined 514 seasons of football between them.

Looking ahead are aged Middle Tennessee (1912), Troy (1909) and WKU (1913). South Alabama in Week 10 and FAU in Week 11 are more familiar with FIU's youth having begun football in 2009 and 2001, respectively.

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FIU has four exciting home game remaining on the 2012 schedule, including Sun Belt schools Arkansas State, Middle Tennessee (Homecoming), WKU and ULM.  Tickets can be purchased by visiting FIUSports.com or by calling 305-FIU-GAME (348-4263).

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 U.S. Century Bank Arena and Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium.

About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelors, masters and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU is worlds ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission and enrolls nearly 48,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. More than 140,000 alumni live and work in South Florida. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.

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