2011 Florida International Panthers Football Preview

How does a small program that’s still in its early phase of development manage high expectations plus the giddiness that follows a season defined by nothing other than high-level overachievement? We’ll find out this year, as the Sun Belt Conference champions return to the gridiron.

Yes, the Florida International Panthers are coming off a season to remember. For the first time in school history, Florida International had a winning record, but the fun hardly stopped there. For the first time in school history, the Panthers won a share of a conference championship, snagging some Sun Belt hardware and hanging a banner at FIU Stadium on their home campus in Miami. Moreover, FIU truly earned the top spot in the Sun Belt. The conference crown was technically shared with Troy, but since the Golden Panthers went into southeastern Alabama and thumped the defending-champion Trojans by a 52-35 score, they won the head-to-head tiebreaker and were therefore the unquestioned kings of the league.

The list of FIU accomplishments continued further still.

For the first time in school history, the Florida International Golden Panthers were bowl champions, outlasting the Toledo Rockets in a thrilling Little Caesars Bowl on the day after Christmas. It appeared that FIU was about to absorb a wrenching defeat when Toledo, down by seven (31-24), posted a touchdown and a go-ahead 2-point conversation with just 74 seconds left and then forced the Golden Panthers into a fourth-and-15 situation near midfield. Somehow, FIU was able to gain a first down and advance the ball far enough to set up a manageable field goal. Jack Griffin booted a 34-yard field goal through the uprights on the final play of regulation to give the Golden Panthers not just a bowl championship, but a 7-6 record for the full campaign.

So, what does head coach and rising star Mario Cristobal now do for an encore? The head coach has 16 returning starters to work with. Suffice it to say, folks around FIU are excited about what’s next.

With a player like T.Y. Hilton, there is reason for excitement, to be sure. Hilton is the school’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards and was the 2010 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. Hilton, now a senior, will have ample opportunities to make plays in 2011. Quarterback Wesley Carroll, a senior who received seasoning as a quarterback in the Southeastern Conference before he transferred to FIU from Mississippi State, threw for over 2,600 yards last year. He will be an important part of any continued steps forward for Florida International.

The defense also returns eight starters. Last season, the Panthers were close to securing victories against BCS opponents on three separate occasions – against Rutgers, Texas A&M and Maryland. Each of those games was a legitimate four-quarter fistfight in which the Golden Panthers were competitive for the duration. In 2011, Florida International will travel to Louisville in week two, while Duke will travel to FIU Stadium in October. The stage is set for the Panthers to climb a few more rungs up the ladder in the FBS. No one can doubt that coach Cristobal has things moving in the right direction. It’s up to the players more than anyone else to handle the heat associated with being everyone’s target in the Sun Belt this season.

> Buy Florida International clothing & apparel and find a great selection of college Fathead helmets online through College Sports Fans!