Photo Credit: Samuel Lewis
Miami, Fla. (FIUSports.com) – The FIU football team (1-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) travels in-state this weekend to take on UCF (1-1, 0-0 Conference USA), Saturday, Sept. 15, at Bright House Networks Stadium. Kickoff with the Knights is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the game will be televised by CSS. 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-UCF Game Notes
Click HERE to listen to the FIU Sports Radio Network
The Panthers are coming off an overtime victory over Akron, 41-38, in their home-opener on Sept. 8. Both programs have claimed wins over the Zips this season, with UCF winning on the road at Akron in week one. UCF enters its home-opener on Saturday vs. FIU coming off a hard-fought 31-16 loss to Ohio State on the road.
Last season, FIU won the first of a four-game series with UCF at Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium. The game was a battle from the opening kickoff to the final whistle, and saw the hometown Panthers outlast the Knights, 17-10, to start the series.
Following the UCF game, FIU returns home to face the reigning BIG EAST Co-Champion Louisville Cardinals on Saturday, Sept. 22. FIU will be expecting one of its largest home crowds in stadium history and tickets to the mega match-up in Miami are currently on-sale.
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FIU has five exciting home game remaining on the 2012 schedule, including a non-conference games with 2011 BIG EAST Co-Champion Louisville, plus Sun Belt schools Arkansas State, Middle Tennessee (Homecoming), WKU and ULM.
Season tickets are on-sale and start at just $42. Single-game tickets to FIU's home schedule at Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium are also on-sale. Tickets to the FIU-Louisville game on Sept. 22 will only be available as part of a season ticket plan. For more information or to place your order, please visit FIUSports.com or call 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/.
GAME DETAILS:
Date: Saturday, Sept. 15
Location: Orlando, Fla.
Time: 4 p.m.
Stadium: Bright House Networks Stadium (45,323)
2012 Records:
FIU: 1-1 Overall, 0-0 Sun Belt
UCF: 1-1 Overall, 0-0 Conference USA
Series: FIU leads 1-0
Social Media: Twitter.com/@FIUFootball
Game Broadcast: CSS; FIU Sports Radio Network at FIUSports.com
Next Up:
Opponent: Louisville (2-0/0-0 BIG EAST) [Louisville hosts North Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 15]
Date: Saturday, Sept. 22
Location: Miami, Fla.
Time: 7 p.m.
Stadium: Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium (20,000)
GAME WEEK NEWS
• The 41-38 overtime victory over Akron returned FIU to the win column for the first time since defeating Middle Tennessee in the 2012 regular season finale in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
• FIU officially stands at 4-2 in overtime games all-time and a perfect 3-0 under Head Coach Mario Cristobal.
• Senior kicker Jack Griffin, who also handled punting duties on the night, booted the score-tying 30-yard field goal at the end of regulation and a 29-yarder in overtime to win the game. Griffin punted 10 times in the game for 406 yards (40.6 avg.). His longest punt was 58 yards and three were placed inside the 20. For his efforts, Griffin earned Honorable Mention status for Specialists in Week No. 2 of the College Football Performance Awards.
• Sophomore quarterback Jake Medlock helped propel the Panthers to victory by rushing for a game-high 141 yards, while passing for 209. He also scored twice, one rushing and one passing. His 141 yards rushing was the most ever by an FIU quarterback and became just the second signal caller to record the 100-yard rushing feat.
• Sophomore return man Richard Leonard was named Punt Returner of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards, with five total returns vs. Akron for 91 yards, including a 49-yard punt return TD.
• FIU, in its 11th season playing football and eighth at the FBS level, are playing a school, UCF, in its 34th year playing football (1979) and 17th FBS season (1996). FIU's first two opponents, Duke and Akron, had 212 collective years playing college football (Duke, 100; Akron 112).
FIU-UCF: THE SERIES
• Saturday's game at UCF's Bright House Networks Stadium is the second of a four-game series.
• The first meeting in Miami last year, on Sept. 17, was a battle from the opening kickoff to the final whistle, and saw the hometown Panthers outlast the Knights, 17-10, to start the series.
• The win continued FIU's record to 3-0; defeating North Texas, in the season opener; eventual BIG EAST Co-Champion Louisville on the road; and C-USA preseason favorite UCF. FIU would receive points in the USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll for the first time.
• The first score of the game, a one-yard quarterback keeper by UCF, came in the second quarter at the 10:40 mark, following an 18-play 94-yard drive that started mid-way through the first quarter.
• Both defenses were stingy for the remainder of the second until Isame Faciane brought some excitement back into the game. The defensive tackle picked up a fumble by the quarterback off a Tevin Blanchard 17-yard sack and ran it back 51 yards to tie the score, 7-7, before the half.
• Darriet Perry's four-yard touchdown run just one play after the FIU special teams picked up a fumbled UCF punt return would put the Panthers ahead, 14-7. Later in the third, Jack Griffin sealed the victory with a 27-yard field goal and the 17-7 advantage.
• Late in the fourth, UCF added a 31-yard field goal to tighten the score, 17-10, but were unable to cover their on-side kick attempt. FIU would run out the clock and the win.
FIU - UCF CONNECTIONS
• The 2011 season marked the first time FIU had faced a Conference USA opponent and it wound up playing two. FIU and UCF met during the regular season and after an eight-win season the Panthers would earn a bid to the 2011 Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl facing Marshall.
• The 2011 meeting with UCF marked the eighth FBS or FCS football school from the Sunshine State, FIU had faced since 2002. The Panthers have played Bethune-Cookman, Florida, Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic, Jacksonville, Miami, UCF and USF. The only school it has not faced is Florida State.
• A far contrast from the first two opponents, FIU does have a player on its roster from its competition's home-state. In fact, 80 percent (84 players) of FIU's 105-man roster are from Florida. FIU did not have a player from either North Carolina (Duke) or Ohio (Akron).
• UCF has several Florida players (68 percent or 71 of its 104-man roster), many of which were former teammates with FIU players.
• UCF has 26 players from the Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach “Tri-County” region (FIU has 46). The Panthers have 16 players from Central and East Central Florida combined.
• In addition to last season's initial meeting, FIU's Mario Cristobal and UCF's George O'Leary had met once prior in a coaching capacity.
Cristobal was a graduate assistant coach at the University of Miami during the 1999 season, where the Hurricanes defeated O'Leary's Georgia Tech squad, 28-13, in the 2000 Gator Bowl.
FIU Special Teams Coordinator/Secondary Coach Jeff Popovich (Miami), UCF Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Brent Key (Georgia Tech) and UCF Assistant A.D. for Football Operations Marty O'Leary (Georgia Tech) played in that Gator Bowl.
• FIU seniors Johnathan Cyprien and Markeith Russell were high school teammates with UCF senior Kemal Ishmael.
• Four years ago, FIU redshirt junior Jairus Williams last played at Miami Central, teaming up for a season with UCF's Jeff Godfrey, Josh Reese, Jamar McClain and Jose Jose. UCF's Miles Pace also attended Miami Central.
• FIU senior Tourek Williams and UCF's Dareen Owi (Fr.) both attended Miami Norland, but at different times.
• UCF redshirt sophomore Torrian Wilson attended Miami Northwestern with several FIU players, including Kenneth Dillard, Dominique Rhymes, Donald Senat and Wayne Times. FIU's E.J. Hilliard, Billy Rolle and Clinton Taylor also attended Miami Northwestern.
• FIU freshman Adrian Jenkins and UCF's Brendin Straubel (R-Fr.) both attended Tampa Jefferson.
• FIU freshman Jamie Willis and UCF's Maurice Russell (Fr.) were teammates at Fort Meade (Fla.) High School.
• FIU freshman De'Andre Jasper and UCF's Rey Cunha (R-Jr.) both attended Miami Jackson, but at different times.
• FIU freshman Jeremiah McKinnon and UCF's Jordan and Justin McCray (both juniors) attended Miami Southridge, but at different times.
• FIU redshirt junior Orwin Etkins and UCF's Mark Rucker (Fr.) both attended Miramar (Fla.) High School, but at different times.
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