MIAMI (Dec. 18, 2018) – With another eight-win year under its belt, FIU will seek to secure the program's best season in program history as the Panthers take on Toledo on Friday, Dec. 21 as the two squads square off in the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.
 
Kickoff in Nassau is slated for 12:30 p.m. ET, with the game to be broadcast live on ESPN. For complete game notes, click here.

TOLEDO PREVIEW 
Toledo enters the game with a 7-5 record, having won four out of its last five games. The Rockets were explosive in the rushing attack, earning 223.6 yards per game on the ground in 2018. Bryant Koback leads the offense with 875 yards rushing and 13 scores.
 
LAST TIME AGAINST THE ROCKETS
This will be the fourth all-time meeting between FIU and Toledo, and the first between the schools since the 2010 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit, where FIU won 34-32. FIU leads the series over Toledo, 2-1.
 
The two squads put on a show in the last matchup, with FIU winning a thrilling 34-32 decision against the Rockets at the 2010 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. With less than a minute to go, FIU faced a fourth-and-17 situation and was able to pick it up with a hook-and-ladder play to T.Y. Hilton. Three plays later, sophomore kicker Jack Griffin sent the ball through the uprights as time expired to give FIU the victory.
 
BOWL SEASON ONCE AGAIN
FIU will go bowling for the second-straight season, with the postseason berth marking just the fourth time in program history that the Panthers have earned a bowl trip to end the season.

YEAR TWO SUCCESS FOR DAVIS
The FIU football program is currently in año dos of the Butch Davis era, which historically has been a very good season for Davis during his head coaching career.
 
At Miami (1996), Davis led the team to a 9-3 record and a share of the Big East title, while at North Carolina (2008) he turned around the Tar Heels for an 8-5 mark and earned the program's first ranking in almost seven years.
 
Furthermore, Davis earned success in his second season with the Cleveland Browns as well, as he led the squad to a 9-7 record and a NFL playoff berth in 2002 -- the last since for the organization.
 
CATS GO BACK-TO-BACK
For the first time in program history, the FIU football team has earned eight wins in back-to-back years. The eight wins is a program high, with it only being achieved three times in the entire history of the Panther football program.

WINNINGEST SENIOR CLASS
The 2018 class will go down as the best in program history after the Panthers set new marks in their four years at FIU.
 
The 2018 class won 25 games, which is the most in school history and earned two bowl berths in the process.

PANTHERS SCORE A LOT  
The Panthers averaged 34.5 points per contest in 2018, which shattered the program record of 28.8 set in 2010. Furthermore, FIU's 415 points scored in 2018 also set the record for most points scored in a season, also breaking 2010's mark of 374.
 
Two of the top five highest scoring teams at FIU have come under Butch Davis' watch. Nationally, the Panthers rank 38th in the country for points scored per contest and second in the C-USA.

AND EARN A LOT OF YARDS
The Panthers have racked up 5,021 total yards of offense this year, which ranks as the third-most in a season at FIU. Two of the top three total offense performances have come under Butch Davis.
 
PANTHER PASS PROTECT
FIU's offensive line has kept the quarterback position upright for most of the year, allowing only eight sacks on the season. That total ranks third in the country and first in the conference.
 
The eight sacks allowed is also a season-low for the Panthers, with the previous mark coming in 2004 when the offensive line only allowed nine.

STINGY OFFENSE
FIU has only turned over the ball 12 times this season, which ranks 12th in the country and first in the C-USA. FIU has only thrown eight interceptions and lost four fumbles. The fumble total is tied for sixth in the country and first in the C-USA, while the interception total ranks 39th in the nation and second in the league.
 
Additionally, the four fumbles lost is tied for the lowest total in program history. The 2004 squad only lost four fumbles to set the mark previously.

QBS UNDER BUTCH DAVIS
Butch Davis has had an impressive list of quarterbacks under his tutelage, with James Morgan now joining the ranks. Morgan's 26 touchdowns rank as the most of any quarterback under Butch Davis.

MORGAN EYES NEW RECORD
With the single-season passing touchdown mark in his back pocket, James Morgan now eyes the single-season passing yard record. Morgan ranks second at FIU, with 2,727 yards in 2018, just 71 yards shy of current record-holder Alex McGough, who threw for 2,798 yards in 2017.

MORE HONORS FOR MORGAN
After a record-breaking year at quarterback, graduate transfer James Morgan was named the C-USA Newcomer of the Year. Morgan is the first Panther to earn a C-USA individual award, while being the first for any FIU football player since T.Y. Hilton was named Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2010.
 
Morgan was also honored for his off-the-field performance, being honored as a C-USA Spirit of Service Award recipient after this work in the community and his 3.33 GPA in the classroom.
 
LEWIS BREAKS TACKLE RECORDS
Redshirt junior Sage Lewis broke two FIU records in 2018, snapping the total tackles mark with 126 on the year and the solo tackles record with 83 for the season.
 
Lewis' 126 tackles and 10.5 tackles per contest is tied for the C-USA lead and is tied for 13th in the country.
 
STAPLE ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE
Graduate Jordan Budwig has made the best of his time at FIU, playing and starting in all 49 games as a Panther. The Fort Lauderdale native began his career at FIU in 2013, before suffering season-ending injuries in 2015 and 2016. The 49-straight starts for Budwig is a program history.
 
BACK TO ACTION
Anthony Jones and Mershawn Miller were both back in action against UTSA on Saturday, Nov. 10 after the two were victims of a drive-by shooting on Sept. 6.
 
Jones missed seven games of play, before returning against FAU, while Miller missed eight games prior to his return against UTSA.
 
Jones has earned 158 yards on 37 carries and 39 yards on nine receptions since coming back, scoring once on the ground and twice on the receiving end. Miller earned his first action back after playing in the fourth quarter of the UTSA game at left guard.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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