Panthers kick off conference play with trip to Louisiana

Mario Busto/ Contributing Writer

With the preseason over, it’s time for the real season to begin.

The Panthers will kick off conference play this week against the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, but not in the way they would’ve hoped to, as the Panthers come in 1-3 on the year. They have lost key players on offense to injury, like starting quarterback Jake Medlock as well as first and second-string running backs Kedrick Rhodes and Darian Mallary.

With both of the running backs ahead of him facing injuries, Jeremiah Harden could potentially carry the bulk of the running game after gaining 102 rushing yards against the Louisville Cardinals this past weekend.

Not only could Harden see significant time, but true freshman E.J. Hilliard, from Miami Northwestern High School, is reported to be starting in place of Jake Medlock. Hilliard was brought in to lead the offense in last week’s game against Louisville and nearly brought the Panthers back for a win, throwing 82 yards after completing nine of 10 passes.

Hilliard needs to replicate his Louisville performance against Lousiana-Lafayette tomorrow to make up for the loss of Medlock, who will be out for at least four weeks with a fractured left foot.

Louisiana heads into this Saturday’s game rested off a bye week and looking to improve their 6-0 winning streak at home. Their offense has put together 33.7 points per game on an average of 370.3 yards of total offense.

As for the Cajun defense, they have allowed 3.5 yards per rush. On the flip side, they have allowed 365.3 passing yards per game.

“Louisiana, like last year, is a team that moves a lot up front,” Cristobal said. “They disguise their coverages and they bring a lot of pressure and movement. They lead the conference in tackles for losses. There is a reason for that: they are very good and very active. They’re athletic.”

However, don’t expect the Panthers to shy away from the run just because Louisiana has been successful defending against it this year. The running attack has continued to be a focal point of this offense with the talented offensive line and running back core they possess. But to be very successful against the Ragin’ Cajuns this week, Hilliard will need to exploit the soft spots in a secondary that has struggled early this season.

“The key is to continue to evolve in our offense,” said Cristobal. “Sometimes it’s up-tempo, sometimes it’s slowed down, and sometimes it varies. The biggest thing is to be efficient, protect the football, and make sure to continue to move the sticks.”

The FIU defense will try to back up the freshman after last week’s stellar performance against a Louisville offense. To do this, they will need to succeed in the pass rush, something that no defense has done very well against the Ragin’ Cajuns. Louisiana ranks fourth in the nation with only one sack given up.

“You have to be good, and you have to win your one-on-ones,” said Cristobal. “When you win that one-on-one, the battle just begins, because both those young men [at quarterback] are elusive. They can hit their receivers quickly and get out in the perimeter and make plays happen with their arms or just run the ball and make things happen as a runner.”

Most college football players don’t usually get the reins handed to them in their freshman year, especially not at the quarterback position. This week will be a test for Hilliard, which for the sake of the team’s Sun Belt title chances, depends on whether he passes.

“I’ve been asking questions and trying to learn more, to progress as a person, and as a teammate, not so much trying to take the leadership role or focusing on what it takes to be a leader,” said Hilliard. “I’ve just been learning from the guys like Cyprien and Times, watching them and picking up on their habits. When time presents itself, they’ll look at me as a leader.”

Louisiana Lafayette Head Coach Mark Hudspeth believes that he is seeing the future of FIU’s program begin to take off.

“Hilliard is probably the future of their program,” Hudspeth said in his weekly press conference. “He is an outstanding talent. He showed, in the second half against Louisville, what the future may allow for him.”

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