MIAMI (Oct. 25, 2018) – So you think you already have enough reasons to watch the Panthers play on Saturday night? Well, you might, but here are six more reasons to solidify your viewing Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Bowling In Bowling Green
If the Panthers are fortunate enough to top the Hilltoppers (more on them later) on Saturday night, FIU will become bowl eligible for the fourth time in program history and for the second-straight year. Assuming there is not overtime or a weather delay, like earlier this season at Old Dominion, Oct. 27th will be the earliest date that FIU has become bowl eligible.
The Offense Keeps Purring
The Panther offense is a sight to behold right now. Led by the mustached
James Morgan, FIU is averaging nearly 36 points per contest. If the season ended right now as you're reading this, the Panthers' 35.9 PPG would be the best points per game average in school history.
FIU has also scored on 51.81% of the drives this season. That percentage is only bettered by Oklahoma at 58.90%, Alabama at 54.08% and UCF at 52.56%. That's a pretty good foursome to be a part of.
Still not convinced about how good this offense is? How about they're just fun to watch, does that do it for you? The Panthers are averaging a C-USA best 6.4 yards per play and have more 40+ (11), 50+ (6), 60+ (4), and 70+ (3) yard plays than anybody else in the conference. There is nothing is more of a crowd pleaser than a good offense that matriculates the ball down the field at a hefty clip.
King James' Royal Panther Air Force
Graduate transfer
James Morgan has been money through the air this season. The Green Bay, Wisconsin native leads all C-USA QBs in passing yards per attempt at 9.2 and passer rating of 168.2. Morgan's 16 passing touchdowns on the season is second best in the conference and 15th best in the country.
It's just not a one man show through the air. According to the bylaws of American football, the person who throws the ball cannot catch the same ball without it being deflected. With that being said, Morgan has some pretty talented receivers to toss the rock to in
CJ Worton,
Maurice Alexander and
Austin Maloney.
QB1 and FIU are at their best when Morgan has assumed the role of a point guard like in basketball. Willing to take shots downtown, but also willing to get all the members of the team in involved in the offense. FIU is 5-0 when six or more Panthers have a reception. The RPAF looks to win another dogfight as they invade enemy airspace on Saturday night.
Come Early and Often For the Offense, But Stay Late For the Defense
This week's magic number is six. Six is the number of strings on a guitar, the number games needed to win to before becoming bowl eligible at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, and it is also the number of fourth quarter points scored on the FIU defense this year.
The Panthers have been masterful late in games only giving up a pair of field goals to Indiana and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Opponents have not crossed the goal line on the Panther D since the 2017 Bad Boy Gasparilla Bowl. Just show you how impress that is, FIU has not conceded a fourth quarter touchdown in over 300 days. Some technology these days doesn't even last that long.
Since #TheStreak began the Blue & Gold offense has outscored teams 52-6. The math checks out on this one, the Panthers are pretty good in late game situations.
beINing Great on beIN Sports
In the grand scheme of things, who does not like being on national TV? Well, coach
Butch Davis and the FIU Panthers surely do. Since his accession as FIU's head coach, coach Davis is a clean 5-0 in games broadcasted on beIN Sports.
Three of those wins came this season alone at Old Dominion, home against UMass and on Homecoming versus Middle Tennessee. (That game was pretty wild, was it not?) Check your local listings to see what channel beIN Sports is, because if history tells us anything, you'll be tuning in for a historic Panther victory.
Mascot Analysis: Big Red
Conference USA has a rich tradition of not only athletics, but also mascots. While the conference has its share of tried and true mascots such as big game cats (shouts to our main man Roary) and birds, C-USA also features some of the more, let's say, interesting mascots.
We present exhibit A, WKU's Big Red. WKU's teams are called the Hilltoppers and the Lady Toppers respectively, but they are cheered on by what many can only explain as McDonald's Grimace character that fell into a bathtub of red paint and never recovered. According to sources, Big Red is meant to "symbolize the spirit of WKU students and alumni". The nickname of the "Hilltopper" comes from WKU's campus being on top of a hill in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Simple enough.
If the offense and the potential history making was not enough to get you to tune in, then let the chance of spotting Big Red in HD be your motivation. They can keep their strangely beautiful mascot on hill, we'll take Roary and the palm trees every day and twice on Sunday.
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