MIAMI (Sept. 11, 2018) – FIU returns home this weekend as the Panthers host the UMass Minutemen on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the game airing on beIN Sports.
 
For the complete game notes, click here.
 
UMASS PREVIEW
UMass has stumbled in the last two weeks, with the Minutemen dropping their last two contests to Boston College (55-21) and Georgia Southern (34-13). The lone win of the season for UMass came against Duquesne to open the year, as the Minutemen routed the Dukes, 63-15.
 
LAST TIME AGAINST THE MINUTEMEN
Last time out, the Panthers dropped 63 points in a 63-45 decision at Riccardo Silva Stadium. The Panthers entered halftime leading after scoring 35 points, UMass got to within four points before FIU scored 21 unanswered points to seal the game for the Panthers.
 
Alex McGough did his best Swiss Army Knife impression throwing for 295 yards and three touchdowns while chewing up 108 yards on the ground with a score. Alex Gardner matched McGough with his own 108 and two touchdowns also on the ground.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
The Panthers and Minutemen have met three times on the gridiron, with UMass holding a slight lead in the all-time series 2-1.
 
UMASS RECORD BREAKER
Last season's 63-45 win over UMass was a record-setter for the Panthers. Below is a breakdown of that high-scoring game.
 
The Panthers rushed for 379 yards, which ranks as the third-highest total for a single game at FIU.
 
Alex McGough rushed over the century mark (108), marking just the third time in school history that a quarterback at FIU has achieved the feat.
 
Alex Gardner matched McGough's rush total with 108 yards of his own, marking just the fifth time that a pair of Panthers rushed over 100 yards in the same game.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Mother Nature tried to put a damper on FIU's C-USA opener, but the Panthers overcame the inclement weather and Old Dominion to earn a 28-20 road victory. The game was delayed for nearly two hours at halftime, but the Panthers stormed out of the locker room to outscore the Monarchs, 28-3 after falling behind 17-0 to open the contest.
 
CALL IT A COMEBACK
Trailing 17-0, the Panthers mounted a furious comeback last Saturday as FIU came from behind to down Old Dominion, 28-20. The 17-0 deficit to start the game was the second-largest comeback in program history.
 
RED ZONE STREAK SNAPPED
FIU failed to score on its first redzone trip on Saturday night, after missing a 32-yard field goal in the first quarter. Coming into Saturday's game, the Panthers had scored on 24-straight red zone trips. FIU went 2-for-3 on redzone conversions against ODU. The streak had dated back to the Nov. 4, 2017 game against USTA.
 
BEIN GREAT ON BEIN SPORTS
Under head coach Butch Davis, the Panthers are 3-0 on beIN Sports, with all three contests coming in the C-USA.
 
FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME
The conference opener against Old Dominion saw a pair of Panthers achieve a number of firsts in an FIU uniform.
 
James Morgan
The redshirt junior QB threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns. Saturday marked his first three score game since Nov. 1, 2016 against Northern Illinois and his most passing yards since he threw for 389 yards on Oct. 22, 2016 against Miami (OH). Morgan accumulated these stats at Bowling Green before transferring.
 
CJ Worton
The redshirt junior WR's second quarter touchdown grab was his first score since Dec. 5, 2015 in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama. Worton played at Florida before transferring to the Panthers this season.
 
99-YARD MARCH
Leading by just a point in a crucial part of Sept. 8's game against Old Dominion, the Panther offense face a daunting task after being pinned at the 1-yard line following a Monarch punt.
 
FIU didn't back down however, as James Morgan led the Panthers on a 7-play, 99-yard drive. The 99-yard drive was FIU's first since marching 99 yards against LA Tech on Oct. 22, 2016. The 99-yard drive tied a school record for longest drive.
 
Morgan tossed a 36-yard pass to Austin Maloney to cap the drive and essentially put the game out of reach with the 28-20 lead and a stout FIU defense on the other side of the ball.
 
LEWIS AMONG NATION'S BEST
Redshirt junior Sage Lewis has earned 28 tackles this season to rank fourth in the nation and first in the C-USA.
 
YEAR TWO SUCCESS FOR DAVIS
The FIU football program enters año dos in 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.
 
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