FIU Panthers 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: Butch Davis managed to do what FIU has not done since they fired Mario Cristobal...they became somewhat relevant as a program again. The Panthers won 8 games last fall, but unlike local rival FAU, they had a bumpy run to the finish line, losing 3 of their final 5 games, including a 28-3 bowl loss to Temple. There are some changes coming to the roster and depth chart this fall, but one thing looks clear, and that's that FIU is in decent shape to make another solid push in CUSA East football, if all the chips fall into place.
Breakdown Offense: The Panthers scored 25.6 points per game lasat fall, while passing for 233.2 yards per game, and rushing for 159.15 yards per contest. The Panthers could use a little more flash in their offensive dance, but expect things to remain a little bit the same this fall, as changes come at both QB and RB.
Alex McGough is gone at QB, leaving an open fight between the Alexander boys, Christian and Maurice, for the job. Maurice was the backup last fall when he passed for 174 yards while completing just 18/39 passing attempts. Christian did not play last fall, but the play of Maurice when given the opportunity, left the door wide open. Kaylan Wiggins and Malik Tyson, both RS freshmen, are also back to throw chaos into the mix.
Napoleon Maxwell had a solid spring, and looks like the bet to replace Alex Gardner at RB. Maxwell rushed for 477 yards and 5 scores, while averaging 5.89 yards per carry. ShawnDarrius Phillips looks like the primary backup, but could also share the starting carries. He rushed for 469 yards and 4 scores last fall. D'Vonte Price looks for a bigger role as well after just 15 carries as a freshman.
Thomas Owens caught 59 passes to lead the team last season, but has moved on. Tony Gaiter IV is the leading returning receiver with 34 catches last fall for 314 yards. Austin Maloney caught 21 passes last fall, and looks to slide into a starting job. Bryce Singleton caught 17 balls as a freshman, and looks to be the 3rd receiver. Darrius Scott and Stanley Thomas-Oliver III round out the returning experience, along with Shermar Thornton.
The line looks set heading into the season. Daquane Wilkie (LT), Chris Miller (LG), Neal Mars (C), Doug Connell (RG), and Kai Absheer (RT) all left spring with starting jobs. Shane McGough could be in the conversation at C once fall camp opens as well. Depth at the other positions will not be ironed out until camp closes to start the season.
Breakdown Defense: Fermin Silva and John Broome are slated to start at DE. Silva led the team with 14 TFLs, and should be one of the better edge rushers in the conference for 2018. He totaled 50 tackles on the season, and tied for the team lead with 7 sacks. Broome is unproven, and will bare some watching. Kevin Oliver and Noah Curtis could each push him for reps.
Anthony Johnson and Milord Juste are the starters at DT. Johnson tied Silva with 7 sacks on the season. Juste added 4.5 TFLs. Jermaine Sherriff and Josh Little add depth inside, and combined for another 4 TFLs off the bench.
Anthony Wint and Trayvon Johnson combined for 184 tackles last season, but are both gone at LB. Tyree Johnson and Sage Lewis are projected as starters at the OLB spots, but the MLB spot is wide open heading into fall camp. Lewis collected 55 tackles, while Johnson added 17 as a backup. Jamal Gates is the backup on the outside, but again, is unproven.
Khairi Reaser and Emmanuel Lubin are the starting CBs. Bryce Canady and Brad Muhammad are both gone, so this new team up has to prove themselves early on. Lubin could move to S, making things a bit more complicated in the secondary. Rishard Dames projects a starter at Safety, but does not have a ton of experience defending the pass. He did finish his freshman season with 36 tackles.
Breakdown Special Teams: Jose Borregales was a huge find as a freshman in 2017, as he nailed 15/18 FG attempts and was perfect on 40 PATs. His leg will be important for a young and developing offense this season, as he rarely leaves points on the field.
Stone Wilson returns as the Punter to further solidify what should be a solid kicking game all the way around. He averaged 41 yards per punt last fall as a junior.
Bryce Singleton gives the Panthers a solid option in the kick return game, as he averaged 22.69 yards per return. Tony Gaitor IV was the main option at the PR spot, but it looks like Napoleon Maxwell may take the job from him after a strong spring.
Final Analysis: If the line is truly set heading into fall camp, it will be the foundation of a young and developing offense trying to find a new QB and starting RB. Maxwell is getting some love after a strong spring in the run game, and that would certainly be a welcome development, as would finding someone in a young receiver corps to stretch and open the field for a young QB.
Defensively, the line should be one of the better units in CUSA this fall, but there was tremendous loss at the LB position. Finding key play makers for the middle of the defense in fall camp is a huge task. The secondary will be trying to fit in some new pieces as well, so the defense could be facing some bumps in the road in the back seven.
Special teams are solid, and may be the most dependable piece to the puzzle right now. Borregales will have some pressure on him to not hit a sophomore jinx, and that young defense could use some working room with Wilson punting.
All in all, there are some pieces here that look promising, even if it may be more of a struggle to reach 8 wins than it was a year ago. Still, I think that it is overkill to proclaim doom for this program this fall as some have, as with some early development, and a few bounces the right way, FIU could certainly push for a bowl bid this fall.
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