MIAMI (Oct. 17, 2019) - Welcome back to Panther Tracks. Your one-stop-shop for all the factual and sartorial information you may or may not need about this week's upcoming FIU football. The LITerature that follows may be used to impress guests at dinner parties, co-workers standing around the coffee marker tomorrow, potential dates for Saturday's game at Riccardo Silva Stadium, random people on your deep-sea fishing expedition or that nosy neighbor with the loud dog that doesn't like you. So, with apologies to whomever it may concern and without any further ado, here are Panthers Tracks for the University of Texas-El Paso.
 
Run Da Ball
If you happened to be in Riccardo Silva Stadium, or The Cage, at any point this season, there is a 75% chance that you've seen an all-time rushing performance by the Panther offense this season. So far, in three of the four home games this season, FIU has put up a Top-10 all-time rushing display. It all started in the rain against New Hampshire when Kaylan Wiggins set a new school QB rushing record with 187 yards on the ground. FIU finished the 30-17 victory with 310 rushing yards, the seventh-most in program history. In the very next home game, FIU racked up 278 yards on the ground in a 44-0 shutout of UMass for the eighth-most. Well, they say good things come in threes, so the vaunted rushing attack was brought back out for Homecoming this past weekend. FIU rushed for a staggering 350 yards as the ground attack led the Blue & Gold to a convincing 48-23 victory. Could the ol' Pawta Pantas make it four in a row with another Top-10 rushing performance? I'll leave you this bit of information to ponder after you tuck the kids away this evening. FIU has the 30th-best rushing attack in the country, averaging just over 213 yards-per-game. UTEP's defense is giving up 220 yards on the ground and is ranked 97th. Kind of makes you go hmm, right? Well, there is only one way to see if it happens or not, and that's for you to come and support your Panthers on Saturday night.
 
Keeping Up with Mr. Jones
The headline from FIU's homecoming win over the Charlotte was Anthony Jones becoming the first non-QB Panther to score four touchdowns in a game since the GOAT T.Y. Hilton did the same thing against ULM in 2010. While Jones' four touchdowns are a big deal, that is just the surface of what was a beastly performance by No. 2, as Jones also rushed for 117 yards. The Miami native has eclipsed the century mark on the ground in back-to-back games, becoming just the eighth Panther to accomplish the feat. Jones needs to rush for just 100 yards in the next two games to tie Rashard Smith's FIU record of four-straight games with 100 yards on the ground. The senior RB joined another exclusive club as well, when he and fellow tailback Napoleon Maxwell became just the sixth Panther duo to each rush over 100 yards in the same game. Maxwell added 114 yards of his own to Jones' 117-yard effort. How will Mr. Jones do for an encore? You'll have to be at Riccardo Silva Stadium to find out.
 
3-of-6
This one is for the kids. If you're a fan, alumni or general person perusing the internet for college football content at your desk (welcome, by the way, we'll be here every Thursday for the rest of the season), I'll get back to you with our world-famous mascot analysis in a second. I need to talk to the students first.
   
Hey, guys! How's everybody doing? Football is here, and man, do I have a deal for you! If you are an FIU student and attend three or more FIU football home games at Riccardo Silva Stadium this year, you are guaranteed one free ticket to the November 23rd match-up between your FIU Panthers and the Miami Hurricanes at Marlins Park. A valid FIU One Card is required for admittance. Following the conclusion of the 3rd quarter, students will be asked to head up to the upper northwest concourse for a second swipe of their FIU One Card. You must swipe your card upon entry and after the 3rd quarter to be counted as in attendance for promotional purposes.
  
So get everybody you know, your friend group, your on-campus organization, your fraternity/sorority chapters, and maybe even that person in your 10:00 am that you've been trying to figure out a way to talk to since the start of the semester. We bet they like football too, so bring them. 
 
 
Mascot Analysis: Paydirt Pete
Oh boy. Here we go again with one of these miner guys. Last week, it was Norm the Miner from Charlotte. Now, Paydirt Pete comes to Miami looking look to pick a fight. (Y'all see what I did there? It's funny because Paydirt Pete has a pickaxe! We'll see ourselves out now.) We don't like to stereotype people here at Panther Tracks because everybody is unique in their own particular way, but the only way to describe Pete is to think of the most Texan person you could think of and then make him a miner. That's right, Pete comes complete with cowboy boots, blue jeans, a BIG belt buckle, a BIG mustache, a BIG hat, and his aforementioned pickaxe. He looks like a good, honest, hard-working man that enjoys the simple things in life. Too bad peace is never an option when it comes to Saturday nights at The Cage.
 
One last thing that we at Panther Tracks wanted to bring to your attention. Our main man, Roary, is officially on the social medias. That's right! You can follow the big cat himself on your favorite platforms. We've been told that he has some really cool stuff planned in the coming months, so be on the lookout! He can be followed on Twitter and Instagram at @roaryfiu!
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIU.Football on Instagram and @FIUFootball on Twitter and Facebook. General athletics news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.