MIAMI (Sept. 5, 2019) - Welcome back to Panther Tracks. We are not going to sugarcoat anything this week other than the things we usually sugar coat here at Panther Tracks. Last week was tough, but hopefully by now everybody has shaken it out of their system. If not, here are a handful of reasons to get psyched for Saturday's game against the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky.  
 
Back At The Cage
Home is where the heart is and the Cage at Riccardo Silva Stadium is where the Panthers play. After a very long offseason, made longer by an opening weekend road game, the FIU Panthers are FINALLY back in Riccardo Silva Stadium at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Cage, as it is affectionately known as, has been a safe haven for the Blue & Gold since Butch Davis took over. FIU is technically 10-4 in designated home games since the beginning of the 2017 season, but that comes with an asterisk. If you remember back to the 2017 season, FIU beat Alcorn State 17-10 in a game that was played in Birmingham, Alabama. Even with that hitch in the giddy up, the Panthers still have a brilliant record over the last two years when playing on 8th street. Will this trend continue? There is only one way to find out and that's on Saturday night.
 
Trend Setters
If trends are any indication of how the future will go, Saturday night will be a very successful for those who don the Blue & Gold. Since joining Conference USA in Summer 2013, FIU is 5-1 in C-USA openers including a 33-31 win in the 2016 Shula Bowl. Why is this game important? It is the only home conference opener that the Panthers have had in the C-USA era. Another trend that points to the Panthers ending the night victorious is what network the game will be broadcast on. Our very own AJ Ricketts and Kenny Kelly will have the call Saturday night on ESPN+. In the first year of ESPN's PPV experiment, FIU went 3-0 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Rice and UTSA in 2018. King James' Royal Panther Air Force averaged just a clip over 45 points on the network last year and after last week, the offense will be giddy to be back under the lights on the plus. The final trend that the crack research staff here at Panther Tracks dug up was that in the last two meetings between the C-USA East foes, FIU is outscoring WKU 79-34 with a clean 2-0 record. Let's just say since 2017, the ol' Pawty Panthas might be the actual ones that are setting up shop at the top of the hill.
 
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! Everybody knows this is one of, if not the most, highly anticipated seasons in FIU football history, right? So everybody at Panther Tracks is expecting a full and rowdy student section for all home games at Riccardo Silva Stadium. 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 purpose.

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: Big Red
For those of us that have been with Panther Tracks since the beginning, you will remember that the first ever mascot analyzed in Panther Tracks history was Big Red of WKU. The best line of it was when we compared him to McDonald's Grimace character that fell into a bathtub of red paint and never recovered. Nothing much has changed, but Big Red found his way to FIUSports.com and read the OG Panther Tracks. Let's just say that he didn't take too kindly to the comparisons. It turns out that Big Red is more of a Sonic Drive-Inn person after all. Also, it appears that Big Red and Roary have been beefing like old school rappers ever since. Of course, our guy Roary has more street cred than Big Red will ever have because of his South Florida lifestyle in the 305. When the Panthers win on Saturday, everybody might want to keep an eye on social media because sources close to the situation say that Roary may or may not be dropping a diss track in victory to end the feud for once and for all. Let's just say that even the mascots have had Saturday's game circled on their calendars for months.  
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIU.Football on Instagram and @FIUFootball on Twitter and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.