FIU: (4-5, 2-3 C-USA) (3-0 home)
Charlotte: (2-6, 0-5 C-USA) (1-2 away)
 
Date: Nov. 7, 2015
 
Location: Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium (FieldTurf) (20,000) in Miami, Fla.
 
Kickoff: 12:00 p.m. ET
 
Press Box Phone: 305.348.1898
 
Television: The American Sports Network (ASN) - Dave Armstrong (play-by-play) and Michael Young (color analyst) will call the action.
 
Radio: 1210 ESPN Deportes (WMNA 1210 AM) - Mike Levine (play-by-play) and Wes Carroll (color analyst) on the call. Fans can listen by tuning into 1210 on their AM dial or by logging onto either www.FIUSports.com or www.1210ESPNdeportes.com
 
Live Stats: www.FIUSports.com
 
Live Video Streaming: N/A
 
Tickets: 305.FIU.GAME (348.4263) -or- www.FIUSports.com
 
Records: FIU enters Saturday's game with a 4-5, 2-3 C-USA record following a 31-17 loss at Florida Atlantic on Saturday, Oct. 31. Charlotte enters Saturday's action with a 2-6, 0-5 C-USA record following a 34-10 loss versus Marshall on Saturday, Oct. 31.
 
FIU Head Coach Ron Turner: Turner (Pacific, 1977) is in his third season at FIU (9-24, .273) and 12th season overall as a head coach (51-85, .375). Turner has never faced the 49ers.
 
Charlotte Head Coach Brad Lambert: Lambert (Kansas State, 1987) is in his third season at Charlotte (12-18, .400). Lambert has never faced the Panthers.
 
Series History: Saturday will mark the first meeting between the two programs.
 
Game Ten - FIU Faces Charlotte is C-USA Showdown This Saturday
The FIU football team will host first-time opponent Charlotte in a Conference USA showdown at Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff is set for high noon as the game will be broadcast on the American Sports Network (ASN). Dave Armstrong (play-by-play) and Michael Young (color analyst) will call the action. Fans can also listen to the game on 1210AM ESPN Deportes with Mike Levine (play-by-play) and Wes Carroll (color analyst) on the call.
 
The Panthers (4-5, 2-3 C-USA) are looking to get back on the winning track after suffering a 31-17 loss to Florida Atlantic in Shula Bowl XIV last Saturday. FIU could not overcome an early 17-0 deficit versus the Owls. Sophomore Alex McGough completed 19-of-27 for 196 yards and one touchdown versus FAU. Sophomore Alex Gardner was named Shula Bowl XIV MVP for FIU after rushing for 105 yards on 20 carries. Senior wideout Clinton Taylor notched a 69 yards on a career-high seven catches. 
 
Charlotte (2-6, 0-5 C-USA) will be making the program's first-ever trip to Miami. The 49ers are the fourth first-time opponent FIU will face this season (Indiana, NC Central, UMass).
 
The Panthers come into this weekend's game looking to go 4-0 at home for the first time in school history. FIU has been dominant at home this season, with an average margin of victory of 31.3 points. The Panthers are averaging 43.7 points-per-game, while allowing just 12.7 points-per-game at home.
 
FIU is averaging 373.0 yards-per-game in total offense (No. 88 in the nation), while scoring 27.9 points-per-game (No. 77 in the nation). The Panthers are led by McGough, who has completed 214-of-323 passes for 2,245 yards and 18 touchdowns. His 18 passing touchdowns are a single-season school record. The Tampa, Fla., native has thrown for 200-or-more yards in seven of the team's nine games this season and currently ranks No. 19 in the nation in passing yards and No. 17 in the country in passing touchdowns.
 
Gardner registered his fourth-career, 100-yard game last week as the Jacksonville, Fla., native has rushed for 619 yards on 149 carries and six touchdowns on the season. Gardner's six rushing touchdowns ranks No. 7 all-time at FIU for a single season. He also leads the team in receptions having already broken the FIU record for receptions (48) and receiving yards (396) by a running back in a season.
 
Sophomore Thomas Owens leads an FIU receiving corps that has posted 219 catches, 2,377 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns. Owens is FIU's top receiver with 44 catches for 547 yards and seven touchdowns. The Boynton Beach, Fla., native ranks No. 14 in the nation in receiving TDs. Senior tight end Akil Dan-Fodio is having the best season of his career. The Stone Mountain, Ga., native has grabbed 15 passes for 171 yards this season.
 
Defensively, FIU is allowing 23.6 points-per-game (No. 48 in the nation) as the opposition is averaging 393.1 yards of total offense-per-game (No. 63 in the nation). Sophomore Anthony Wint leads all Panthers with 68 total tackles (32 solo). The product of Homestead, Fla., has also notched 5.0 tackles for loss, one interception and two fumble recoveries. Senior Richard Leonard and freshman Tyree Johnson are tied for second on the team in total tackles (47). Leonard along with senior Jeremiah McKinnon leads FIU in pass breakups with six apiece.
 
In the return game, Leonard is averaging 11.1 yards-per-punt return (No. 1 in C-USA and No. 28 nationally) and 25.2 yards-per-kick return (No. 2 in C-USA and No. 30 in the nation).
 
Game Notables
-  Saturday will mark FIU's fourth home game of the season.
-  FIU will look to improve to 5-5.
-  FIU will look to improve to 3-3 in C-USA action this season.
-  Saturday will mark the 34th game for Head Coach Ron Turner at FIU.
-  Saturday will mark Turner's 137th game as a college head coach.
-  Saturday will mark the first meeting between FIU and Charlotte.
-  FIU is 1-2 versus first-time opponents this season.
-  FIU will be looking to go 4-0 at home for the first time in school history.
-  Saturday will mark FIU's 89th game on television.
-  Saturday will mark the Panthers' ninth game on ASN (3-5 all-time).
-  FIU will be looking to record its 33rd home victory all-time on Saturday.
-  Saturday will mark the 164th game in FIU history.
-  Coach Turner has never faced the 49ers.
-  Junior Jonnu Smith enters Saturday having caught a pass in 32-straight games.
-  Sophomore Alex McGough has thrown a touchdown pass in nine-straight games.
 
A Quick Look at Charlotte
The Charlotte 49ers come into Saturday's game having lost six-straight games, including a 34-10 loss to Marshall last Saturday.
 
The 49ers are led by running back Kalif Phillips, who is averaging 109.1 yards-per-game on the ground (No. 2 in C-USA) with five rushing touchdowns on 165 carries (873 yards). Charlotte uses two quarterback in Lee McNeill and Matt Johnson. McNeill has thrown for 690 yards on 78-of-156 passing, while Johnson has totaled 536 yards on 37-of-68 passing and three touchdowns.
 
The 49ers primary target through the air is Arthur Duke who comes into Saturday's game with 37 catches for 384 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Charlotte is averaging 16.9 points-per-game, while allowing 34.0 points-per-contest.
 
A Look Back at the Florida Atlantic Game
The trick was on FIU in Don Shula Bowl XIV in Boca Raton on Halloween. Florida Atlantic played the best game of its disappointing season and knocked off the Panthers 31-17 to bring back the Shula Trophy north for the next year. The loss moved FIU to 4-5 overall and 2-3 in Conference USA play. The Owls improved to 2-6 and 2-3 in conference play.
 
FAU rushed for 229 yards to control the Shula Bowl on the ground. The Owls got three touchdown runs for their offensive scoring.
 
FAU scored the first 17 points of the game highlighted by a 5-yard touchdown run by Trey Rodriguez and a 6-yard touchdown run by Jason Driskel.
 
FIU closed the deficit to 17-10 after the third quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run by Alex McGough and a 47-yard field goal by Austin Taylor.
 
However, FAU made it difficult for the Panthers to mount a fourth quarter comeback after Rodriguez scored his second touchdown of the game. Rodriguez had a 1-yard touchdown run with 12:41 left in the game. The score extended FAU's lead to 24-10.
 
Jalen Young's 58-yard interception return for a touchdown with three minutes left in the fourth quarter finished the scoring for FAU.
 
McGough finished 19-of-27 for 196 yards and a touchdown – a 22-yard pass to Julian Williams late in the game.
 
Jephete Matilus led the Panthers with 11 tackles. Tyree Johnson and Anthony Wint each had 10 tackles.
 
Trey Rodriguez earned the Shula Bowl MVP for the Owls, rushing for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Alex Gardner, who led FIU with 105 yards rushing, was named the Shula Bowl MVP for the Panthers.
 
Record Watch - Richard Leonard
Senior Richard Leonard enters this Saturday's game ranked No. 2 in career kick returns (74), No. 2 in career kick return yards (1,960) and No. 2 in total return yards (2,924) in the FIU record books.
 
Points in a Season
FIU enters Saturday's game averaging 27.9 points-per-game. That is the second-high points-per-game average in school history (28.8 in 2010). FIU has 251 points with three games remaining in the regular season.  The school record for points in a season is 374 (13 games) in 2010.
 
Home (Ocean Bank) Field Advantage
Through the nine games FIU has played this season, the Panthers have totaled 3,357 yards of total offense (373.0 yards-per-game). In the team's three home games, FIU has recorded 1,456 yards of total offense (485.3 yards-per-game). On the year, FIU is averaging 27.9 points-per-game, while allowing 23.6 points-per-contest. In the Panthers three home games this season, FIU is averaging 43.7 points-per-game, while allowing just 12.7 points-per-contest.
 
4-0 at Home
FIU will be looking to move to 4-0 at home this season with a win on Saturday. It would mark the first time in school history a Panthers' team would start 4-0 at home. FIU moved to 3-0 at home with a 41-12 win over Old Dominion on Saturday, Oct. 24. It was the first time since the 2002 season (the program's first year) that the Panthers have opened its home slate with three-straight wins.
 
390 Through the Air
On Saturday, Oct. 24, sophomore Alex McGough set a career-high in yards passing with 390 - second most in school history behind Paul McCall, who threw for 400 yards against Florida Atlantic in Don Shula Bowl VII in 2008.
 
Playing the Percentages
Sophomore Alex McGough completed a school-record 79.5 percent of his passes for 390 yards versus Old Dominion on Saturday, Oct. 24. The completion percentage bested the previous high set by Wes Carroll versus Arkansas State (21-of-27) on Nov. 27, 2010.
 
Next Man Up
The injury bug is no stranger to this year's FIU football team as to date the Panthers have lost over 100 games from starters and key reserves due to injury, including Jordan Budwig (12 games), Davison Colimon (11 games) and Napoleon Maxwell (12 games), who are each out for the season. Despite the total number of lost games, the Panthers have been resilient as teammates have stepped in a filled the voids left due to injury as FIU sits at 4-5 this season and 2-3 in league action.
 
O-Line By Committee
FIU's has used five different starting lineups in its nine games this season on the offensive line. With the "next man up" mantra, FIU has had eight different Panthers record at least one start this season, including three freshmen.  
 
McGough Named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week
Sophomore quarterback Alex McGough was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 25 the league announced on Monday, Oct. 26.
 
McGough had a career night on Saturday, throwing for 390 yards on 31-of-39 passing and three touchdowns as the Panthers defeated Old Dominion, 41-12, on Homecoming. The Tampa, Fla., native completed a school-record 79.5 percent of his passes as the 390 yards through the air were the second-most in school history. McGough connected with tight end Jonnu Smith for a pair of scores and found wide out Clinton Taylor for a 38-yard strike. The 6-foot-3 quarterback also rushed for a score; his second rushing TD of the season.
 
His performance helped FIU to its most-lopsided victory on Homecoming in school history.
 
32 and Counting
Junior Jonnu Smith enters Saturday's game having caught a pass in 32-straight games. That currently ranks tied for No. 12 among all active players, nationally.
 
He Doesn't Just Run the Ball
Sophomore Alex Gardner enters Saturday's game with 48 catches for 396 yards and one touchdown. The Jacksonville, Fla., native has already set the FIU single-season record for receptions and receiving yards for a running back. The previous records were held by Kedrick Rhodes, who posted 27 catches for 252 yards in 2011.
 
200+
Sophomore Alex McGough enters Saturday's game with 2,245 yards on 214-of-323 passing (66.3 percent) and 18 touchdowns. The Tampa native has thrown for over 200 yards in seven of the Panthers' nine contests this season.
 
Throwing the Old Pigskin Around
Sophomore Alex McGough has put up some good numbers this season. McGough comes into the Charlotte game with 214 completions (fifth-most in a season at FIU) on 323 attempts (eighth-most in a season at FIU) for 2,245 (eighth-most in a season at FIU) with 18 touchdowns (most in a season at FIU). He is completing 66.3 percent of his passes (highest completion percentage in a season at FIU) while recording seven outings of 200-or-more yards through the air (tied for the most in a season at FIU)