2013 FIU Football OOfffi cialcial GamedayGameday NotesNotes PacketPacket Game #10: at UTEP • Sat., Nov. 16, 2013 • Sun Bowl Stadium • El Paso, Texas The FIU Sports Radio Network play-by-play 2013 Overall .................................. 1-8 2013 Overall .................................... 1-8 voice of the Panthers, Pete Pelegrin, will pro- 2013 C-USA ................................... 1-4 2013 C-USA ..................................... 0-5 vide the live call of the game on the stream. Head Coach ...................... Ron Turner Head Coach .......................Sean Kugler Turner FIU Record ................1-8 (1st) Kugler UTEP Record ..............1-8 (1st) Turner Career ..................43-69 (10th) Kugler Career ..........................1-8 (1st) Turner vs. UTEP............ First Meeting Kugler vs. FIU ..................First Meeting FFIUIU SeasonSeason HeadlinesHeadlines • FIU will have its longest road trip of the 2013 season this weekend as its faces • This season, a school-record 27 student-athletes have earned their fi rst career to Conference USA West Division foe UTEP. The Panthers will then spend the starts, including 13 on defense, 10 on offense, two kickers and two punters. The fi nal two weeks of 2013 in South Florida. Following UTEP, FIU hosts Marshall on previous-high was 23 players in 2007. The 13 on defense and four special teams Senior Night, Nov. 23, then bus 60 miles north to Florida Atlantic, Nov. 29. kickers are also all-time highs. • FIU has not played in Texas since facing Texas A&M and North Texas during • Also at Middle Tennessee, the FIU defense showed its ninth different starting the 2010 season. FIU has participated in seven all-time games in the Lone Star line-up in nine games this season. On offense, it was a rare occasion as FIU had State, the third-most of any state outside Florida. the same line-up as the week prior against East Carolina - just the second time this season that has occurred. • Going along with playing in a new league, the UTEP game marks the last of the fi ve ‘fi rst-time’ opponents the Panthers will have played in 2013. The Miners are • True freshman Jonnu Smith (Fr., TE) had a team-high four catches at Middle the 53rd all-time team FIU has played since starting football in 2002. Tennessee and continues to lead the unit with 30 catches, 277 yards and two touchdowns. • Friday morning’s fl ight, Ft. Lauderdale to El Paso, will mark FIU’s longest air travel since Oct. 29, 2004, when it traveled to play New Mexico State in Las Cru- • He is the only receiver to have a catch in all nine games this season and, in six ces (1,670 miles). El Paso International Airport is 40 miles nearer, 1,630 miles. of nine games, Smith has either led or tied for the team-lead in receptions or receiving yards. Smith could be the fi rst true freshman to lead the team in receiv- • The Panthers are coming off a 48-0 defeat on the road to bowl-eligible Middle ing since T.Y. Hilton during the 2008 season. He could become the fi rst FIU tight Tennessee in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on Nov. 9. Despite showing improved play end to lead the team in receiving or receptions. during the Conference USA portion of the schedule, FIU would fall behind quickly to the Blue Raiders while committing four costly turnovers. FFIUIU - UUTEP:TEP: FirstFirst MeetingMeeting • Middle Tennessee scored 14 points off its fi rst two drives before the FIU offense • Ron Turner and Sean Kugler have gone head-to-head four times during their got going. On a 40-yard completion, E.J. Hilliard to Clinton Taylor, the ball was respective NFL coaching careers. batted out of the streaking receiver’s hands at the 19-yard-line through the end- zone for the touchback and turnover. In the second quarter, FIU drove 61 yards • The most recent Turner/Kugler meeting was in 2011 when Turner was the Quar- to the Blue Raider 13 before a Silas Spearman fumble. On its second play after terbacks Coach in Indianapolis and Kugler was Offensive Line Coach in Pitts- opening the second half, the Blue Raiders returned an interception 51 yards for burgh. The fi rst three meetings came when Turner was Offensive Coordinator for a touchdown. In total, Middle Tennessee scored 17 points off FIU turnovers. the Chicago Bears in 2009 and twice in 2005. Kugler was Offensive Line Coach for Buffalo in 2009 and, in 2005, with Detroit. UTEP enters the game coming off a 41-7 road loss at bowl-eligible North Texas last Saturday. Both FIU and UTEP show identical 1-8 records this year. • Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Andre Patterson, Defensive Secondary Coach Jason Brooks, Linebackers Coach Tom Williams and Special Teams • At Middle Tennessee, Wilkenson Myrtil (Fr., CB) got his fi rst career start at the Coach Kevin Wolthausen also share in 18 total meetings with Kugler during cornerback position. In back-to-back weeks FIU started a true freshman at the their respective NFL careers. position. A week earlier against East Carolina, Brad Hyman-Muhammad (Fr., CB) received his fi rst career-start. Prior to the ECU game, no true freshman had started at cornerback since Richard Leonard (Jr., CB) started at Middle Ten- nessee on Oct. 26, 2011. 22013013 FFIUIU PanthersPanthers ScheduleSchedule Day Date Opponent Time Broadcast Series/Result Notes Sat. Aug. 31 at Maryland 12:30 p.m. FOX Sports Florida L, 10-43 School-record 13 fi rst-time starters debut in the game. Fri. Sept. 6 UCF (ARV) 8:00 p.m. CBS SN L, 0-38 First shutout loss for the Panthers since 2008. Sat. Sept. 14 Bethune-Cookman (23) 6:00 p.m. FIUSports.com L, 13-34 311 of B-CU yards (349) came on the ground. Sat. Sept. 21 Louisville (6/7) 12:00 p.m. ESPN3 L, 0-72 2013 marked the third game in the current four-game series. Sat. Oct. 5 at Southern Miss* 4:00 p.m. CSS W, 24-23 Spearman rushed for a frosh-record 29 att., 136 yards and 2 TD’s. Sat. Oct. 12 UAB* 7:30 p.m. CSS L, 24-27 Medlock passes for 302; UAB kicks 28-yd GW FG with :10 to go. Sat. Oct. 26 Louisiana Tech* 6:00 p.m. FIUSports.com L, 7-23 FIU picks off three passes; LA Tech kicks fi ve fi eld goals. Sat. Nov. 2 East Carolina* (ARV) 6:00 p.m. WITN L, 13-34 ECU had big scores of 44, 26 and 35 yards to hold off FIU. Sat. Nov. 9 at Middle Tennessee* 4:00 p.m. FOX College Sports L, 0-48 FIU committs four turnovers; MT converts 17 points off TO’s. Sat. Nov. 16 at UTEP* 8:00 p.m. UTEPAthletics.com 1st Meeting UTEP is picked fourth (West) in the preseason poll. Sat. Nov. 23 Marshall* 6:00 p.m. FOX College Sports MU, 1-0 MU defeated FIU, 20-10, in the 2011 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl. Fri. Nov. 29 at Florida Atlantic* 3:00 p.m. FOX Sports 1 FAU, 8-2 FIU has won the past two games in the series. * Conference USA games...All times EST and are subject to change. 2013 FIU Football GGameame ##10:10: atat UTEPUTEP • Sat.,Sat., Nov.Nov. 16,16, 20132013 • SunSun BowlBowl StadiumStadium • ElEl Paso,Paso, TexasTexas UUTEPTEP / ConferenceConference USAUSA NotesNotes SScoutingcouting thethe MinersMiners FIU / Ron Turner vs. Conference USA Date Opponent Result/Time Broadcast Sept. 7 New Mexico L, 35-42 (OT) FOX College Sports • Including 2013, FIU has now played eight all-time games against C-USA schools. Sept. 14 at New Mexico State W, 42-21 Prior to 2013, FIU faced current member Marshall in the 20011 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Sept. 21 UTSA* L, 13-32 FOX College Sports St. Petersburg Bowl. The fi rst two games against UCF were when the Knights Sept. 28 at Colorado State L, 42-59 CBS Sports Network played in C-USA, before moving to the American Athletic Conference in 2013. Oct. 5 Louisiana Tech* L, 35-38 CBS Sports Network Oct. 12 Tulsa* L, 20-34 FOX Sports 1 9/17/11 UCF Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium (W) 17-10 20,205 Oct. 26 at Rice* L, 7-45 CSS 12/20/11 vs. Marshall Tropicana Field (Bowl Game) (L) 10-20 20,072 9/15/12 at UCF Bright House Networks Stadium (L) 20-33 40,478 Nov. 2 at Texas A&M L, 7-57 ESPN2 10/5/13 at Southern Miss M.M. Roberts Stadium (W) 24-23 21,891 Nov. 9 at North Texas* L, 7-41 CSS/Time Warner 10/12/13 UAB Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium (L) 24-27 15,696 Nov. 16 FIU* 8:00 p.m. 10/26/13 Louisiana Tech Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium (L) 7-23 13,389 Nov. 23 at Tulane* 3:30 p.m. 11/2/13 East Carolina Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium (L) 13-34 16,691 Nov. 30 at Middle Tennessee* 3:45 p.m. 11/9/13 at Middle Tenn. Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium (L) 0-48 16,717 * Conference USA Games; All times listed EST • As a college head coach, Ron Turner previously faced two Conference USA programs during his time at Illinois, including Southern Miss. Louisville was a C-USA member before joining the former Big East in 2005. SStattat CComparisonomparison 9/6/97 Southern Miss Memorial Stadium (L) 7-24 44,519 OFFENSE FIU UTEP 9/13/97 at Louisville Cardinal Stadium (L) 13-26 36,824 9/19/98 Louisville Memorial Stadium (L) 9-35 39,475 SCORING ................................................................91 ................................208 .....