HUNTINGTON, W.Va.– It’s been a struggle for the FIU offense all season. The Panthers have just one win to their credit and points have been hard to come by.
FIU is averaging just 10.1 points per game and has been shutout by Louisville and UCF this season. In short, not a lot has gone right for the Panthers’ offense.
“They’ve struggled to have consistent wide receiver play and consistent quarterback play and I think those are things they’re trying to get a handle on at this point,” believes defensive coordinator Chuck Heater.
FIU has played from behind most of the season. The Panthers our being outscored 224-72 in the first half of games and simply haven’t been in many games by the end.
FIU is a very young team that is still trying to find its identity. Ten players on offense have made their first collegiate start this season. One of those first time starters his year was tight end Jonnu Smith. He’s registered a catch in each game this season and leads all receivers with 31 receptions for 298 yards.
“They play multiple tight ends and use them in ways that people don’t typically use them,” says Heater. “So when they’re operating pretty well those guys are functioning pretty well.”
T.J. Lowder leads all receivers with three touchdown catches this season and is second on the team with 20 receptions.
The Panthers do have a pair of running backs that could cause problems for The Herd. Lamarq Caldwell and Silas Spearman have split carries in the backfield this season. Caldwell leads the team with 118 carries for 431 yards. Spearman has 292 yards on 113 touches. Heater says if the defense doesn’t come prepared the Panthers can run the ball.
“They do some things in the run game that complicate the run fits and we’ve had problems at times with our fits,” says Heater.
Redshirt junior Jake Medlock has thrown for 866 yards and four touchdowns on the year. He’s only averaging 96.2 passing yards per game. To put FIU’s passing game in perspective, the Panthers have thrown for 1,457 yards and seven touchdowns this year. In the last three games, Marshall’s Rakeem Cato has 985 yards passing and 13 touchdowns. Cato equaled Medlock’s season touchdown in the first quarter against Southern Miss.
The most interesting matchup may be along the line. Marshall offensive line coach Alex Mirbal was coaching the offensive linemen at FIU last season before coming to Huntington. Defensive lineman Alex Bazzie knows the Panther front will have something to prove to its old coach.
“This is going to be all about the front. I know their line is looking at Coach Mirbal like ‘you left us’ and the o-linemen he coached over there probably want to show him up against us and our d-line. It’s going to be that front line type of game with a lot of nasty trash talk, playing to the whistle blows. It’s going to be a tough one. I know it is,” predicts Bazzie.
Third downs have also been a problem for the Panthers. FIU has converted just 24 percent of third down opportunities. Third down has been a point of emphasis for The Herd’s defense this year.
“You’ve got to get off the field, especially with the way we score points. If we can’t get off the field we’ll be out there too much. It’s really critical that we manage that down and distance and if we do we’ll be ok,” insists Heater.