By: Igor Mello / Staff Writer
After jumping out of the gates with a quick 14-0 lead, FIU fell one point short to Middle Tennessee 28-27 on Dec. 4. FIU’s loss makes MTSU (6-6, 5-3 Sun Belt) bowl eligible.
The Sun Belt now has three bowl eligible teams.
Quarterback Wesley Carroll was knocked out of the game with nearly four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter setting up the stage for backup senior Wayne Younger on Senior Night.
Younger nearly led the Golden Panthers (6-6, 6-2 Sun Belt) to a come-from-behind victory when he completed a nine-yard pass to T.Y. Hilton. After hauling in the catch, Hilton fumbled away FIU’s hopes of winning the Sun Belt Conference outright and possibly earning a trip to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
Hilton’s fumble was challenged and upheld by the Sun Belt officials.
Mario Cristobal disagreed with the call.
“I know what I saw. The referees are going to make their calls and by law we’re not supposed to make comments on that,” Cristobal said.
QUESTIONABLE DECISION
After a Junior Mertile interception that bailed out the Golden Panthers from another possible MTSU (6-6, 5-3 Sun Belt) score, Wesley Carroll took his offense on a 79-yard drive, which was topped off by a six-yard dash by Darriet Perry.
Mario Cristobal elected to go for the extra point instead of going for a two-point conversion, which if succeeded, would have give FIU a seven point lead. Instead, the Golden Panthers lost by one.
According to Cristobal, it was too early in to the fourth quarter to go for a two-point conversion.
“With ten minutes (left in the game), we’re going to go for one point,” said Cristobal. “It means that they’re going to have to score a touchdown and a point to win. We figured we were going to get the ball back a two or three more times. If it’s a little bit less time than that, then you start to think about going for two points.”
PERRY AND CARROLL BREAK SCHOOL RECORD
Despite the loss, Darriet Perry found his way in to the end zone twice. Perry now has 14 rushing touchdowns, breaking the single-season school record set by Rashod Smith in 2004.
Perry however, was displeased with the end result.
“Right now, that record doesn’t mean anything,” said Perry. “I’m happy I broke it, but we lost the game so it really doesn’t mean anything.”
Perry went on to rush for 53 yards on 16 carries.
Carroll’s touchdown pass early in the first quarter to Greg Ellignson tied the school’s record for most touchdown passes in a season. Carroll is now tied with Paul McCall’s record of 15 touchdown passes, which he set last year.
Carroll finished the game with 15 of 19 passing for 141 yards through the air.
BOWL SCENARIO
With the loss, the Golden Panthers are in the mix for three possible postseason destinations – New Orleans, Mobile or Detroit.
“It sucks that we lost this game, but I feel good about the people who are around me. I know I have one more [game] so I’m not worried about it,” Toronto Smith said.
According Smith, the senior linebacker is not worried about where FIU will face their December opponent.
“It doesn’t matter where we go, who we play, when we play them and where we play them at. We’re definitely going to train like we’re champions and go out there and dominate,” Smith said.
New Orleans Bowl officials will get first dibs on a Sun Belt team, followed by GoDaddy.com Bowl officials then the Little Caesars Bowl.
FIU will hold a press conference on Sunday, Dec. 5 at 2 pm. to announce their bowl destination.