Game 4 Preview: Louisville vs. FIU
July 14, 2014 | Football
July 14, 2014
Florida International Panthers
2013 record: 1-11 overall, 1-7 Conference USA
Returning starters: Nine on offense, seven on defense.
Returning lettermen: 54
Key players: Lamarq Caldwell, RB: Caldwell, a junior, led the Panthers in rushing last season, gaining 504 yards on 144 carries. Though he only scored one touchdown on the ground in 2013, Caldwell was the team's most consistent rusher, with a 3.5 yards-per-carry average. He also added 13 receptions, 104 yards, and a touchdown via the passing game.
E.J. Hilliard, QB: Known around Louisville for being a high school teammate of former UofL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, Hilliard will serve as the FIU signal-caller in 2014. Splitting time in 2013 with Jake Medlock, Hilliard passed for 775 yards and three touchdowns while completing 58.3 percent of his throws.
Justin Halley, S: Halley racked up 53 tackles last season from his free safety position, good for the second-highest total on the team. The rising senior was the head of the pass defense, picking off three passes and gaining credit for eight passes defensed.
Overall outlook:
FIU enters 2014 looking to put a disastrous 2013 behind them. In just the twelfth season of the program's existence, the team struggled, picking up just one win (a one-point victory against Southern Mississippi) over the course of a 12-game campaign. Ron Turner returns for his second season as the team's head coach. Before accepting the head role at FIU, Turner compiled a resume that included stops as an assistant at top-flight college programs such as USC, Texas A&M, and Stanford, and in the NFL ranks with the Bears, Colts, and Buccaneers. Despite taking a step back in 2014, the FIU football program has shown signs of steady improvement since its debut season in 2002. In 2010, the Panthers won the Sun Belt Conference with a 7-6 record and capped their season with a Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl victory over Toledo. As an encore in 2011, the team won a program-record eight games and notched a marquee win at Louisville. With sixteen starters returning, the Panthers are poised for a turnaround in the coming season. The team's season schedule lends itself to a program on the mend. Out of 12 games, the Panthers will welcome eight opponents to their home stadium, including their two power conference opponents (Pittsburgh, Louisville).
Offense:
The Panthers lose just two starters on the offensive side of the ball in 2014, most notably quarterback Jake Medlock. Medlock, a starter in eight games, led the team in passing with 922 yards and four scoring throws. The Panthers are not left without experience, though, as junior E.J. Hillard will step-in to fill the void. Hillard logged plenty of playing time in 2013, starting in four games and seeing relief duties in six others. The Panther backfield may be the offense's strongest area, as the team returns a duo of backs that provided solid production a year ago. In addition to welcoming back leading rusher Lamarq Caldwell, the team also sees the return of sophomore Silas Spearman. Spearman split time with Caldwell last season, gaining 368 yards on 132 carries. The closest thing to a home run-hitter on the 2013 edition of the Panthers, Spearman was responsible for the team's longest rush of the season (a 32-yarder) and its highest rushing touchdown total (four). Much like their backfield, the Panthers also return plenty of depth to their receiving corps. The team returns its seven leading receivers from a season ago. Jonnu Smith 6-foot-2, 225-pound sophomore tight end was the Panthers' leading receiver in 2013. Smith caught a team-high 39 passes for 388 yards and two touchdowns in his freshman season. T.J. Lowder leads the group of returnees at receiver. Lowder, a junior, hauled in 24 recpetions for 307 yards and three scores last season. Improvement among the offensive line will be key for FIU. Fortunately, the team returns most of its starters on the offensive line, including senior center Donald Senat. Entering his second full season as a starter, Senat has appeared in 14-consecutive games, and was recently named to the Remington Trophy watch list.
Defense:
If the Panthers are gong to turn things around this season, they will have to be better on the defensive side of the football. On average, the team allowed opponents 37 points-per-game, ranking them No. 110 in scoring defense. The Panthers lose their leading tackler in linebacker Markeith Russell, who tallied 96 tackles as a senior. Junior linebacker Luis Rosado will likely move into Russell's role as the head of the defense. As an outside linebacker in 2013, the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder compiled 44 tackles- the team's fifth-highest total. The defensive line also suffers a blow with the departure of defensive tackle Greg Hickman. Now a Detroit Lion, Hickman led the team in sacks last season with four, while also chipping in 44 tackles. The unit will now lean on junior defensive end Denzell Perine for leadership. Perine will be in his second season as a starter. In the secondary, the Panthers return both safeties in sophomore Jordan Davis and senior Justin Halley. The safety duo combined to record 100 tackles and breakup nine passes. The team also welcomes back its top cornerback in Randy Harvey, who picked off one pass a season ago.
