By: Jackson Wolek / Staff Writer
Before each game this season, there had been no question that the starting quarterback for the upcoming game would be senior Wesley Carroll.
But after redshirt freshman Jake Medlock got the start and played the entire game in the 41-7 victory over the Florida Atlantic Owls on Nov. 12, it is now his job to lose. On Monday, head coach Mario Cristobal made it clear that Medlock would be going into this game week as the starter.
“They will both get plenty of reps, but Jake will go in as the starter,” said Cristobal. “I’m trying to keep it as simple as I can for everybody and for the benefit of him as well.
We all have to get better every game of the week and I think this is the best way to do so and it’s also the fair way. When you look around the country, people are winning games in different ways and we want to make sure that whatever happens, we’re prepared to have an answer for it.”
It was Medlock’s first ever start in college, and in the game he threw for one touchdown and ran for another, but also turned the ball over once on a fumble.
“[I need to do a better job] at holding the ball and making better decisions on passing,” Medlock said. “I know this week is going to help a lot. It’s going to be hard because they [ULM] blitz everywhere, but it’s just taking care of the ball and making sure everything goes good.”
An area that has improved for the Panthers over the last two games has been defense, which is now first in points allowed in the Sun Belt and 22nd in the nation at 19.8 per game. The team has only surrendered four touchdowns through the last three games after having given up four in one game against Arkansas State.
“Arkansas State was a reality check, and ever since that game we felt bad about it and we know that our defense is better than we showed on that day,” said senior defensive back Jonathan Cyprien. “We just honed in on what we always do. We’re just focusing more on the little things and it’s paying off.”
The Panthers (6-4, 3-3 SBC) became bowl eligible for the second time in program history, but are still not guaranteed a bowl game after the season.
The two remaining conference games are against teams that have already been eliminated from bowl contention: ULM (3-7, 2-4 SBC) and Middle Tennessee (2-7, 1-4 SBC). Fifty-three teams in the nation have six wins or more and with 35 bowl games, 70 FBS teams can make it to a bowl game.
“We’re bowl eligible, but I believe that things are still up in the air for right now and bowl game or not, we’re just trying to win these last two games and see what happens,” Cyprien said.
REDSHIRT FOR GRACE?
Cristobal announced that the team is looking to get senior defensive back Chuck Grace, who has missed seven consecutive games due to a knee injury, an option of redshirting, which would allow Grace to play next year. “We’re just going to seek a redshirt for him. He has another year to give,” Cristobal said.
Also, T.Y. Hilton won his seventh Sun Belt player of the week award when he took a punt 97 yards for a touchdown against FAU, earning him special teams player of the week.
It was the longest punt return in FIU history and the second of Hilton’s career.