Record-breaking season hits crossroads at Arkansas State

 

By Brandon Wise/ Coumnist

For the Golden Panthers’ offense, good is an understatement. This season, the offense has shattered the record books. Darriet Perry has set the record for rushing touchdowns in a career with 26. T.Y. Hilton set the record for receptions in a game with 12, and the team itself is off to its best start ever at 4-2.

The offense has been able to carry the team this season. Wesley Carroll is in the midst of his greatest collegiate season of his career.

Through six games this season, he has 1,232 yards and six touchdowns, with a completion percentage of 63.8. Meaning, he is finding receivers at a more efficient rate than last year.

The receiving core has been solidified. T.Y. Hilton has continued to etch his name in the program’s record books.

He currently holds nine school records, which is sure to jump up by the end of this season. The best player in school history is only getting better with each game.

A nice complement to the senior has been the emergence of Wayne Times. When the Golden Panthers have needed someone to step up under the gun, the junior has been right on time.

Picking up 308 yards on 30 catches and one touchdown, Times has proven that if defenses want to lock in and blanket Hilton, he will find holes and expose them quickly.

All of this means that Carroll has more opportunities to open up the passing game and turn it into a true aerial assault. If the redshirt senior can keep this up, he is on pace to break his own record for passing yards in a season.

Not only has the passing attack proven itself this season. The ground game has found its two horses to carry the load: Perry and Kedrick Rhodes.

The tandem has combined for 834 yards and 11 touchdowns. It is almost as if we are seeing the past and future of the running back position at FIU battling it out each and every week to prove who is better.

Perry has laid the foundation for the position, running for 1,664 through his career up to this point.

However, Rhodes could challenge some of the records that Perry holds. The sophomore has already racked up 518 yards this season, averaging nearly five yards per carry.

With another two seasons for Rhodes, the sky is the limit to show how great he will become.

The offense this season has been like Allstate Insurance, always in good hands.

For the defense, the offense has been their insurance, keeping the team in the games.

This week, the Golden Panthers head to one of its toughest opponents of the season, the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

The fast start by FIU was somewhat expected this year, but no one really gave the Red Wolves a chance this year.

Predicted to finish fifth in the conference by the coaches of the Sun Belt, Arkansas State has been silencing critics all season long.

The challenge this week will be non stopping, but trying to slow down the prolific passing attack of Ryan Aplin and the receiving core for the Red Wolves.

As great as Carroll has been this season, Aplin has been that much better, throwing for 1,646 yards and six touchdowns.

With a wary secondary already, Aplin should have a field day against the Golden Panthers.

The secondary has to step up its game and show Aplin that he cannot do whatever he wants out there.

They must be able to contain Dewayne Frampton and the rest of the Red Wolves’ receivers from getting down field and behind them.

Otherwise, it will turn into another Sun Belt shootout where it could come down to who has the ball last with a chance to score as time expires.