For current information on this topic, see 2009 FIU Golden Panthers football team.

FIU Golden Panthers
File:FIUGoldenPanthersFootballHelmet.png
First season	2002
Athletic director	Pete Garcia
Head coach	Mario Cristobal
	3rd year, 7–22–0  (.241)
Home stadium	FIU Stadium
Year built	1995
Stadium capacity	20,000
Stadium surface	Field Turf
Location	Miami, Florida
League	NCAA Division I FBS
Conference	Sun Belt
All-time record	22–63–0 (.259)
Postseason bowl record	0–0–0
Colors	Blue and Gold
Fight song	FIU Fight Song
Mascot	Roary the Panther
Marching band	The Golden Panther Band
Outfitter	Adidas
Rivals	Florida Atlantic Owls
Website	FIUSports.com

The FIU Golden Panthers is the football team that represents Florida International University in Miami, Florida. The FIU Golden Panthers are a mid-major NCAA FBS college football team led by Mario Cristobal and play at the on-campus FIU Stadium.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early years 1.2 The move to Division I FBS 2 Rivalry games 3 Alumni in the NFL 4 Current coaching staff 5 Future schedules[2] 5.1 2009 schedule 5.2 2010 schedule 5.3 2011 schedule 5.4 2012 schedule 5.5 2013 schedule 5.6 2014 schedule 6 Records 6.1 Against the Sun Belt Conference 6.2 2002 season 6.3 2003 season 6.4 2004 season 6.5 2005 season 6.6 2006 season 6.7 2007 season 6.8 2008 season 6.9 2009 season 7 References 8 External links

[edit] History

Starting back in 2001, when after several years of contemplating the commencement of a football team FIU moved a step closer by signing Don Strock to be FIU’s first head coach, hoping to find a coach capable of erecting a prestigious football team. In August 2002 FIU announced its first recruit class. Everything was falling into place. FIU had everything it needed to begin competing in NCAA Football. FIU was placed in the Division I-AA level as an Independent team.

[edit] Early years

FIU won its inaugural game on August 29, 2002 against Saint Peter's College (New Jersey), 27 - 3. The team faired fairly well against the competition that season and managed to finish with a mediocre 4-5 record. The Golden Panthers then hoped to build on that in the coming 2003 season. FIU signed to play more challenging teams of the division in hopes to get more recognition as a solid football team. The opening game of the following season started with a loss to Indiana State and it led to a 0-8 start for the second year team. They failed to reach the standard set the season before and fell to a 2-10 season. The next season followed with similar results, finishing with a 3-7 record.

After the 2004 season, FIU moved up to Division 1 FBS, formerly known as Division I-A, despite their relative lack of success in their first three seasons in Division 1 FCS. Many believed that it was a premature decision even to this day. FIU became the fastest school in the history of college football to reach the highest level.

[edit] The move to Division I FBS

This article may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (September 2008)

The Golden Panthers moved to Division I-A in 2005. Many of the season's players were from the 2003 recruiting class. Keyonvis Bouie, FIU's linebacker recorded 118 tackles in nine games, 11 for a loss and three interceptions. A second linebacker, Antwan Barnes recorded 15 tackles for a loss and added 11 sacks to his statistics. On offense, FIU's quarterback, Josh Padrick who passed for 2743 yards and 13 touchdowns. His primary target was Chandler Williams, who caught 61 passes for a total of 870 yards. It was these defensive performances that allowed FIU to compete with the teams in Division I-A and finish the season 5-6.

FIU had found the foundation upon which the team would be built. As characteristic of FIU’s athletic department, the following year, FIU signed to play harder teams. FIU was headed in the right direction but still lacked consistency, and organization. As they began their 2006 season they almost evenly matched the teams which they played, losing almost all of their first few games by very narrow margins. Middle Tennessee 7-6, USF 21-20, Bowling Green 33-28, Maryland 14-10, and University of North Texas 22-25 (7OTs).

On October 14, 2006, FIU and the Miami Hurricanes met for the first time in what was supposed to be the beginning of an annual cross-town rivalry game. Nine minutes into the second half the two teams engaged in a brawl involving players from both schools, including one injured FIU player on crutches and one UM player using his helmet as a weapon. The violence later spilled into the stands, where several spectators were arrested and later released without charges. On the field, police officers were hit with bottles from the stands. 31 players were later punished for the incident, including 13 Miami players and 18 FIU players. Two FIU players were kicked off the team.^[1]

The FIU defense still finished 28th nationally, and 4th in pass defense. Antwan Barnes ranked 3rd in the nation in tackles for loss with 22 and 6 sacks. Bouie gained 119 tackles 18 for loss, and Alexander Bostic would add 98 tackles, 19 for loss and 8 sacks. Barnes, Bouie and, Bostic came to be known as the “Killer B’s”. On offense, FIU’s receiver Chandler Williams, caught 67 passes for 664 yards.

In 2006, Barnes and Williams were both drafted to the NFL. That same year, the FIU Athletics Department hired a new athletic director Pete Garcia, and found a new head coach for the team, Mario Cristobal. Cristobal became the second youngest Division I-A coach at 37. Cristobal brought in a new coaching staff in hopes to turn the program around. In 2007, FIU was the second-youngest team in Division I-A. 2/3 were underclassmen; mostly freshmen. During the 2007 season, FIU played its home games in the Miami Orange Bowl during the expansion of FIU Stadium to 20,000 seats. The Golden Panthers concluded the season with a win against North Texas 38-19. It was the last college football game ever played at the historic Orange Bowl prior to its demolition.

In September 2008, the Golden Panthers inaugurated the expanded FIU Stadium by hosting the South Florida Bulls with a crowd of over 16,000. The team would go on to win the next three games in a showing of a much improved team from the 2006 and 2007 team.

[edit] Rivalry games

• Shula Bowl - FAU Owls

[edit] Alumni in the NFL

FIU Golden Panthers alumni to have gone on to the NFL.

Name	Position	Years at FIU	Team
Nick Turnbull	DB	2002-2005	Atlanta Falcons
Antwan Barnes	DE/OLB	2003-2006	Baltimore Ravens
Chandler Williams	WR	2003-2006	Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons

[edit] Current coaching staff

Name	Current Title	Years at FIU	Alma mater
Mario Cristobal	Head Coach	2006 -	Miami
Bill Legg	Offensive Coordinator Quarterbacks	2008 -	West Virginia
Phil Galiano	Defensive Coordinator Linebackers	2007 -	Shippensburg
Apollo Wright	Special Teams Coordinator	2001 -	Wagner College
Mike Cassano	Assistant Head Coach Running Backs/Recruiting	2006 -	New Hampshire
Bernard Clark	Assistant Head Coach Defensive Line	2004-2005, 2007 -	Miami
Greg Laffere	Assistant Head Coach Offensive Line	2005 -	Miami
Alex Mirabal	Assistant Head Coach Tight Ends	2006 -	FIU
Frank Ponce	Assistant Head Coach Wide Receivers	2005 -	FIU
Jeff Popovich	Assistant Head Coach Secondary	2006 -	Miami
Roderick Moore	Strength & Conditioning Coach	-	-
Chris Siegle	Graduate Assistant Coach	2005 -	-
Dennis Smith	Graduate Assistant Coach	2006 -	Miami

[edit] Future schedules^[2]

[edit] 2009 schedule Sept 12 @ Alabama Sept 19 @ Rutgers Sept 26 Toledo Oct 3 @ Louisiana-Monroe Oct 10 @ Western Kentucky Oct 17 Troy Oct 24 @ Arkansas State Oct 31 Louisiana Nov 7 @ Middle Tennessee Nov 14 North Texas Nov 21 @ Florida Dec 4 Florida Atlantic [edit] 2010 schedule @ Texas A&M @ Pittsburgh Maryland Rutgers @ Florida Atlantic Middle Tennessee Western Kentucky @Troy @Louisiana-Lafayette Louisiana-Monroe @North Texas Arkansas State [edit] 2011 schedule UCF @ Louisville Duke Florida Atlantic @Middle Tennessee Western Kentucky Troy Louisiana-Lafayette @Louisiana-Monroe North Texas @Arkansas State Pittsburg

[edit] 2012 schedule @ Duke Louisville @ Florida Atlantic Middle Tennessee @Western Kentucky @Troy @Louisiana-Lafayette Louisiana-Monroe @North Texas Arkansas State +2 TBD [edit] 2013 schedule Texas A&M UCF @ Louisville Florida Atlantic @Middle Tennessee Western Kentucky Troy Louisiana-Lafayette @Louisiana-Monroe North Texas @Arkansas State @South Alabama [edit] 2014 schedule Louisville @ UCF @ Florida Atlantic Middle Tennessee @Western Kentucky @Troy @Louisiana-Lafayette Louisiana-Monroe @North Texas Arkansas State South Alabama +1 TBD

[edit] Records

Conference affiliations:

• 2002-2004: I-AA Independent
• 2005-present: Sun Belt Conference

Year	Record	Conference	Finish	Coach	Attendance average
2002	5-6 (.454)	--	--	Don Strock	8,294
2003	2-10 (.166)	--	--	Don Strock	7,073
2004	3-7 (.300)	--	--	Don Strock	11,108
2005	5-6 (.454)	4-3 (.571)	--	Don Strock	15,477
2006	0-12 (.000)	0-7 (.000)	--	Don Strock	15,110
2007	1-11 (.083)	1-6 (.142)	--	Mario Cristobal	7,982
2008	5-7 (.417)	3-4 (.429)	--	Mario Cristobal	13,852
2009	3-9 (.200)	3-4 (.429)	--	Mario Cristobal	n/a
All-time	22-63	9-21	All-time	2 coaches	11,271

[edit] Against the Sun Belt Conference

Team	FIU Record	First Meeting
Arkansas State	1-3 (.250)	2005
Florida Atlantic	1-6 (.142)	2002
Middle Tennessee	2-2 (.500)	2005
Troy	0-4 (.000)	2005
Louisiana-Lafayette	0-6 (.000)	2003
Louisiana-Monroe	1-5 (.167)	2004
North Texas	2-2 (.500)	2005
Western Kentucky	3-2 (.600)	2002

[edit] 2002 season

Average attendance: 8,294

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
8/29/02*	vs St. Peter's	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	W 27-3	17,314
9/7/02*	at Elon	Rhodes Stadium • Elon, NC	L 23-22	5,580
9/14/02	vs Butler	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	W 42-0	9,110
9/21/02*	vs Bethune-Cookman	Lockhart Stadium • Fort Lauderdale, FL	L 31-0	16,386
9/28/02*	vs Georgetown	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	W 27-2	6,084
10/30/02	at Western Kentucky	Western Kentucky Stadium • Bowling Green, KY	L 56-7	6,000
10/19/02	vs Maine	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 33-7	5,303
10/26/02	vs Gardner-Webb	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 17-14	6,733
10/31/02*	vs Jacksonville	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	W 39-6	5,221
11/9/02*	vs Albany	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	W 35-26	-
11/23/02*	at Florida Atlantic (Shula Bowl I)	Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, FL	L 31-21	-
*Non-Conference Game. †Homecoming. All times are in Eastern Time.

[edit] 2003 season

Average attendance: 7,073

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
9/6/03*	vs Indiana State	Terre Haute, Indiana	L 13-10	2,565
9/13/03*	at Maine	Portland, Maine	L 24-14	6,227
9/20/03*	vs Bethune-Cookman	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 24-14	13,123
9/27/03	vs Carson-Newman	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 55-33	6,707
10/04/03*	vs Georgia Southern	Statesboro, Georgia	L 37-35	10,409
10/9/03	Stephen F. Austin	FIU Stadium • Miami, Fl	L 35-13	5,299
10/18/03	vs Troy State	Troy, Al	L 21-10	19,417
10/25/03	vs Holy Cross	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	W 34-23	4,506
10/30/03*	vs Jacksonville	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	W 55-12	3,512
11/8/03	at Louisiana-Lafayette	Ragin' Cajuns Stadium • Lafayette, LA	L 43-10	13,571
11/15/03	at Gardner-Webb		L 22-19 OT	1,106
11/15/03	vs. Florida Atlantic (Shula Bowl II)	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 32-23	9,288
*Non-Conference Game. †Homecoming. All times are in Eastern Time.

[edit] 2004 season

Average attendance: 11,108

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
9/2/04*	vs Jacksonville	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	Cancelled	-
9/11/04*	at Youngstown State University	Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH	W 22-16	14,071
10/2/04	vs Louisiana-Lafayette	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 43-34	10,022
10/9/04	at Stephen F. Austin University	Homer Bryce Stadium • Nacogdoches, TX	W 31-24	4,131
10/16/04	at Louisiana-Monroe	Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA	L 28-20	14,496
10/23/04*	vs McNeese State University	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 30-27	8,457
10/30/04	at New Mexico State University	Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM	L 56-31	14,471
11/13/04*	vs Georgia Southern University	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 53-32	7,786
11/20/04	vs Western Kentucky	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 35-14	3,108
11/27/04*	vs Florida A&M	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	W 40-23	21,010
12/04/04	vs Florida Atlantic (Shula Bowl III)	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 17-10	16,262
*Non-Conference Game. †Homecoming. All times are in Eastern Time.

[edit] 2005 season

Average attendance: 15,477

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
9/3/05*	at Kansas State	KSU Stadium • Manhattan, KS	L 35-21	43,611
9/10/05*	at Texas Tech	Jones SBC Stadium • Lubbock, TX	L 56-3	50,156
9/24/05	at Arkansas State	Indian Stadium • Jonesboro, AR	L 66-24	16,423
10/1/05*	vs Florida A&M	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	W 23-6	16,512
10/15/05	vs North Texas	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 13-10	14,433
10/20/05	at Troy	Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL	L 18-13	18,232
11/5/05	at Louisiana-Monroe	Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA	W 31-29	10,111
11/12/05	at Louisiana-Lafayette	Ragin' Cajuns Stadium • Lafayette, LA	L 28-7	16,942
11/19/05	vs Western Kentucky	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	W 38-35	14,388
11/26/05	vs Florida Atlantic (Shula Bowl IV)	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	W 52-6	15,322
12/3/05	vs Middle Tennessee	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	W 35-31	16,730
*Non-Conference Game. †Homecoming. All times are in Eastern Time.

[edit] 2006 season

Average attendance: 15,110

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
8/31/06	at Middle Tennessee	Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN	L 7-6	20,058
9/8/06*	at South Florida	Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL	L 21-20	27,114
9/16/06*	vs Bowling Green	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 33-28	15,212
9/23/06*	at Maryland	Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD	L 14-10	45,317
9/30/06	vs Arkansas State	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 31-6	15,174
10/7/06	at North Texas	Fouts Field • Denton, TX	L 25-22	15,123
10/14/06	at Miami (FL)	Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, FL	L 35-0	51,130
10/28/06*	at Alabama	Bryant-Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	L 38-3	92,138
11/11/06	vs Louisiana-Monroe	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 35-0	15,009
11/18/06	vs Louisiana- Lafayette	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 17-7	15,134
11/25/06	at FAU (Shula Bowl V)	Dolphin Stadium • Miami Gardens, FL	L 31-0	9,655
12/2/06	vs Troy	FIU Stadium • Miami, FL	L 26-13	15,023
*Non-Conference Game. †Homecoming. All times are in Eastern Time.

[edit] 2007 season

Average attendance: 7,982

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
9/1/07*	at Penn State	Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA	L 59-0	107,678
9/8/07*	vs Maryland	Miami Orange Bowl** • Miami, FL	L 26-10	12,201
9/15/07*	at Miami	Miami Orange Bowl** • Miami, FL	L 23-9	40,915
9/22/07*	at Kansas	Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, KS	L 55-3	42,134
9/29/07	at Middle Tennessee State	Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN	L 47-6	15,605
10/6/07	vs Troy	Miami Orange Bowl** • Miami, FL	L 34-16	5,723
10/20/07	at Louisiana-Monroe	Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA	L 28-14	8,814
10/27/07*	at Arkansas	Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR	L 58-10	60,750
11/3/07	at Arkansas State	Indian Stadium • Jonesboro, AR	L 27-24	12,326
11/17/07	vs Louisiana- Lafayette	Miami Orange Bowl** • Miami, FL	L 38-28	5,734†
11/24/07	vs FAU (Shula Bowl VI)	Miami Orange Bowl** • Miami, FL	L 55-23	6,122
12/1/07	vs North Texas	Miami Orange Bowl** • Miami, FL	W 38-19	10,129
*Non-Conference Game. †Homecoming. All times are in Eastern Time.

**FIU played its 2007 home games at the Miami Orange Bowl, as FIU Stadium underwent expansions

[edit] 2008 season

[edit] 2009 season

[edit] References

• ESPN College Football Encyclopedia: The Complete history of the Game (ISBN 1-4013-3703-1)

[edit] External links

• Florida International University Official Football Site

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v • d • e FIU Golden Panthers football Playing field FIU Stadium (Miami, Florida) Coaches Don Strock (2002-2006) • Mario Cristobal (2007-present) • Other coaches Seasons 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • Future schedules Conference affiliation Sun Belt Conference Rivalries Florida Atlantic Florida International University • Miami, Florida