Click HERE to view FIU-WKU Game Notes
Miami, Fla. (FIUSports.com) – The FIU football team (1-7, 0-4 Sun Belt) is back in action, Saturday, Oct. 27, as the Panthers host Sun Belt Conference title hopefuls WKU (5-2, 2-1 Sun Belt) at Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium.
Kickoff with the Hilltoppers is scheduled for 6 p.m. EST. and will be broadcast through on ESPN3. The FIU Sports Radio Network will have the call of the game, heard anywhere around the world on FIUSports.com.
The Panthers enter the WKU game coming off a narrow, 38-37, loss on the road at Troy last Saturday, while the Hilltoppers dropped a 43-42 overtime decision to ULM at home.
Jake Medlock threw for 316 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in the defeat. Medlock has thrown for 696 yards in his last two appearances since returning from injury - the most in consecutive games by an FIU quarterback all-time.
Darian Mallary notched his team-high ninth rushing touchdown on the season at Troy. Mallary has scored at least one rushing touchdown in each of his seven appearances this season - the only FIU running back to ever do so.
Wayne Times caught four passes on Saturday, extending his career-long streak to 25 games with a catch since 2010 - the third-longest receptions streak in FIU history.
Willis Wright notched his second straight 100-yard game, recording a career-high six catches for 129 yards at Troy. He also had a receiving touchdown for the second week in a row, a 49-yard scoring strike at 1:54 in the first quarter. It was the first play of the drive, eclipsing seven seconds – the quickest offensive score of the season for FIU.
Jack Griffin broke FIU's all-time scoring record notching seven points at Troy to up his career total to 239, passing Adam Moss (232, 2002-05.)
GAME DETAILS:
Date: Saturday, Oct. 27
Location: Miami, Fla.
Time: 6 p.m. (EST)
Stadium: Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium (20,000)
2012 Records:
FIU: 1-7 Overall, 0-4 Sun Belt
WKU: 5-2 Overall, 2-1 Sun Belt
Series: FIU leads 4-3
Social Media: Twitter.com/@FIUFootball
Game Broadcast: ESPN3; FIU Sports.com (FIU Sports Radio Network)
Next Up:
Opponent: South Alabama (2-5/1-2 Sun Belt) [at ULM, Sat., Oct. 27]
Date: Saturday, Nov. 3
Location: Mobile, Ala.
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Stadium: Ladd Peebles Stadium (40,646)
Game Broadcast: FIU Sports Radio Network
FIU – WKU Series
Along with FAU, the all-time series with WKU is the longest-played on the FIU schedule, beginning in FIU's inaugural season (2002). The series became annual in 2008 when the Hilltoppers began a full Sun Belt Conference schedule. FIU leads the on-field series with WKU, 4-3.
In 2011, the Hilltoppers traveled to Miami in week nine and pulled out a 10-9 victory in what would best be described as a defensive battle between both schools.
FIU clung to a 9-7 advantage shortly after Jack Griffin kicked his third field goal of the game, from 43 yards, to start the fourth quarter (14:56). After forcing WKU into two punts and a Sam Miller interception in its first three drives of the fourth quarter, FIU got the ball back one last time with 3:31 left on the clock.
The Panthers started at their own 11-yard-line after Hendrix Brakefield pinned FIU deep on a 37-yard punt from midfield. Running back Darriet Perry took two rushes for seven yards then quarterback Wes Carroll would be sacked for a loss of 13 yards to the FIU 5. Josh Brisk punted the ball to the 48 yards to the WKU 47 where the Hilltoppers began their final drive at 1:42.
On its final drive, WKU saw no gain on its first two downs before Kawaun Jakes hit Bobby Rainey for 12-yards on third down. An FIU personal foul on the play extended the possession all the way down to the FIU 26. Rainey would rush for 9 more yards to take the ball to the FIU 17, where Casey Tinius kicked the game-winning 34-yard field goal as time expired.
FIU – WKU Roster Connections
WKU is the sixth opponent in 2012 where FIU doesn't field a player from the competitor's home state: Duke-N.C., Akron-Ohio, Louisville-Ky., Arkansas State-Ark., Middle Tennessee-Tenn. However, each of FIU's opponents has fielded many players from the state of Florida.
The WKU football roster has 32 players from the state of Florida, including five from the Tri-County (Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties) region.
Excluding in-state opponent, UCF, WKU's 32 Florida players are the second-most amount of “opponent Floridians” FIU will have faced so-far this season: Duke (13); Akron (11); Louisville (34); Louisiana (7); Arkansas State (2), Middle Tennessee (17) and Troy (25).
FIU - WKU High School Connections
Miami/Booker T. Washington: FIU: Winston Fraser (Sr., LB); WKU: Jamal Forrest (Sr., DB)
Bradenton/Southeast: FIU: Demarkus Perkins (R-So., LB); WKU: Jonathan Dowling (So., DB); Boe Brand (So., WR); Terran Williams (So., LB)
Bradenton/Manatee: FIU: Prince Matt, Jr. (R-Fr., OL); WKU: Ben Axon (Jr., RB); Leon Allen (Fr., RB)
Haines City (FL) H.S.: FIU: Josh Glanton (Fr., LB); WKU: Tyree Robinson (Jr., DB); Kadeem Jones (Jr., FB)
Clearwater (FL) Central Catholic: FIU: Ian Koch (Fr., OL); WKU: Blair Vaughn (Fr., LB)
Tampa/Jefferson: FIU: Adrian Jenkins (Fr., WR); WKU: Delryn Wilson (R-Fr., OL)
Orlando/Ocoee: FIU: Rockey Vann (R-Jr., WR); WKU: Kenny Martin (Sr., DL)
FIU in Sun Belt Conference Play
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 21-35 (.375) vs. Sun Belt competition (however, three wins were vacated in 2005 for an actual 18-35 NCAA record). At home, FIU is 13-15 (.464), while going 8-20 (.286) on the road.
Under Cristobal, FIU has built its program back up and has improved greatly in league play. Since 2007, FIU is 18-24 (.429) in Sun Belt games, while going 11-10 (.524) at home and 7-14 (.333) on the road.
Starting in 2010, when FIU won the Sun Belt Conference championship and began its streak of two straight bowl seasons, the Panthers have gone 11-9 (.550) in SBC games, with a 6-4 (.600) home and 5-5 (.500) road record.
Playing Opponents with Centuries of History
FIU, in its 11th season playing football and eighth at the FBS level, is playing a school, WKU, that is in its 93rd season of football, and whose roots stretch back to 1913.
However, like FIU, WKU is a young FBS program, moving up in classification in 2008. The Hilltoppers had played at the NCAA Division II and FCS levels prior to the 2008 season.
Aside from UCF (34th year since 1979)...FIU's other eight opponents so far: Duke (100), Akron (112), Louisville (94), Louisiana (110), Arkansas State (98), Middle Tennessee (98), Troy (90) and WKU (93) have a combined 795 seasons of football between them.
Looking ahead are South Alabama (Week 10) and FAU (Week 11) who are more familiar with FIU's youth having begun football in 2009 and 2001, respectively.
###
FIU has two home games remaining on the 2012 schedule, including Sun Belt schools 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/.
--- www.FIUSports.com ---
