Is it time to pack it in for the Panthers?

There have been 187 points scored on the Panther’s so far this season. With 23 points scored in two out of the four games played, having been shut out by both the University of Central Florida 38-0 and the University of Louisville by almost double that at 72-0, it is clear to see that something needs to be done, and this week would have been the one to do it since there is no game.

The team will open up Conference USA play next week against the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, who go into this weekend 0-3 and play a pretty good team in Boise State University before hosting the Panthers on Oct. 5. in Hattiesburg, Miss. Whether this will be a game to turn around the Panthers season, or be the first win for the Eagles since Christmas Eve of 2011, that will be seen on game day.

FIU will go into C-USA play ranked 122 out of 123 for total offensive yards at 603 for the season, which included an FBS low 30 yards of total offense against the Cardinals. The Panthers are dead last in the nation in the average points per game column with 5.8. It isn’t a good thing when one of the only things you are at the top of is most punts in the nation, according to ESPN. The Panthers currently have the most punts with 37 for 1,306 yards between punter Chris Ayers, quarterback Jake Medlock, and backup punter Austin Taylor.

Ayers is also listed as the second most used punter in the nation with 30 punts for 1,053 yards and an average of 35.1 yards per punt in Division 1-A.

Continuing on the schedule, the Panther’s will face one more opponent before the team’s second bye week of the season. The homecoming game for the Panther’s against the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers, which will be played on Oct. 12 with a kickoff time at 7:30 p.m., is a must win for the Panther’s in their first season of C-USA.

The Blazers play the University of Vanderbilt this week and will more than likely go into their game against the Panthers with a record of 2-3. The team has a win against the Northwestern State University Demons of the Southland Conference and will play the Florida Atlantic University Owls, who are currently tied for last in C-USA, in the week before they travel to Miami.

After the second bye week, the home stand continues for the Panthers as they host Louisiana Tech University and East Carolina University, who are two of the powerhouse teams in C-USA, before heading out on a two game road trip that will take them to Murfreesboro, Tenn. to face the Middle Tennessee State University Blue Raiders in a revenge game from last seasons homecoming and a trip to El Paso, Texas to face the Miners of University of Texas at El Paso.

The final two games of the season will have the Panthers hosting the Thundering Herd of Marshall, who are led by Rakeem Cato.

Finally the Shula Bowl, with former Sun-Belt Conference and current C-USA rival Owls playing host in Boca Raton, Fla.

Even with the team not doing as well as some expected, due to players like Kedrick Rhodes and Jakari Gore being released from the program due to legal issues; Richard Leonard, Paul Crawford, Willis Wright and Glenn Coleman being lost for the season due to grades and injury respectively, is it time to question the coaching staff and even the athletic department in general?

There is a public outcry for the FIU Director of Sports and Entertainment Pete Garcia to be released from his position, as can be seen on firepetegarcia.com and there is some outcry that someone on the football staff needs to be fired after an embarrassing loss to the Cardinals 72-0.

Is it time to give up on the season? In my opinion, No, but, if the team goes into the second bye week without a win, they might need a miracle to put students in the stands at FIU Stadium.