By
Pete Pelegrin
Twitter: @Petepelegrin
It has been an historic 2017 season for FIU. The Panthers have matched the program record for wins in a season, broken all kinds of FIU records and can cap an outstanding first season for FIU coach
Butch Davis by defeating Temple in the Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 21.
The Gasparilla Bowl is the third bowl game in FIU's short history and the last time the Panthers were in the postseason was in the same building – Tropicana Field – in the 2011 Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl.
Today marks 4 days until kickoff between FIU and Temple. Until Dec. 21 we're going to count down the days until the Gasparilla Bowl by re-visiting the Top 10 moments of the 2017 FIU football season.
Of course, the No. 1 moment could happen in the Gasparilla Bowl, but until then there is another No. 1 moment that we'll reveal on Dec. 20. Let's continue the countdown:
4. RECORD FINISH
FIU let out two games of frustration against UMass in the season finale.
After a couple of disheartening losses in Amherst, Massachusetts the past two seasons, the Panthers walloped the Minutemen, 63-45, in record fashion on a hot Saturday afternoon in Miami.
FIU turned a four-point lead in the third quarter into a 25-point cushion in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers broke several program offensive records stampeding to their eighth win of the season tying the 2011 team for the most wins in an FIU season.
FIU scored a program record-breaking 63 points, amassed a program record 674 total yards and scored a program record six rushing touchdowns in a single game. The previous records were 55 points scored against Jacksonville in 2003; 668 total yards against Troy in 2010; and four rushing touchdowns in a game done nine times by an FIU team.
Freshman receiver
Bryce Singleton, who had a career-high 111 receiving yards, set an FIU freshman record with three receiving touchdowns in a game.
Singleton also tied the FIU record of three receiving touchdowns in a game held by former tight end Jonnu Smith, who accomplished the mark against Middle Tennessee in 2014.
TOP 10 MOMENTS OF 2017 FIU FOOTBALL SEASON COUNTDOWN
10. TWO-YARD SPECIAL
9. SWEET "HOME" ALABAMA
8. TULANE BECOMES ONE LANE
7. OVER HERD
6. UNSUNG PANTHERS
5. COOKED RICE
