By Brett Shweky/Sports Director
Quarterback Alex McGough discussed earlier in the season how for the team to find success this year, they must all work together cohesively and work towards improving each and every week.
“The only way we’re going to be able to accomplish this is if we work hard and come together more,” said the senior quarterback. “I think so far we have taken tremendous strides for us to achieve this goal and in my mind we have already won many battles.”
The Panthers’ strong offseason led the team to have a great start to the 2017 season.
FIU managed to get off to a hot start by posting an impressive (6-2) record, the best start in the 16-year history of the program. Along with that accomplishment, the Panthers also succeeded in beginning (2-0) in conference play, for the fifth time in FIU history.
Head Coach Butch Davis explained that regardless of how the team started, the players remained focused and took each game one week at a time.
“These first couple of ball games are over, I look at it as we’re 0-0. Next week we want to 1-0,” said Coach Davis. “We’ve addressed the team every single week that here are areas that we need to get better at and the kids [the players] have responded exceptionally.”
This mentality helped the team secure a bowl-eligible record, finishing the regular season with a (8-4) record. The victory over the UTSA Roadrunners on Nov. 4, 2017, made the Panthers bowl-eligible for the first time since 2011.
Coach Davis elaborated on how the team is looking forward for the opportunity to play in a bowl game and feels the team has done a tremendous job this season.
“We’re very excited to be headed to the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl,” Coach Davis said. “Our guys have worked really hard this year, and I’m proud that we’ll end this season in a bowl. We look forward to playing Temple. They’ve had a good season. It should be a great game in St. Pete.”
As the Panthers ran their third offensive play of the game during the Gasparilla Bowl, the team suffered a devastating loss. McGough, after running for a 17-yard pick up, sustained a left shoulder injury which resulted in him to be absent for the remainder of the game.
FIU’s offense struggled to get anything going following the injury and only managed to score a field goal throughout the entire game.
McGough concluded his FIU career as the all-time leader in touchdown passes (65) and single-season record holder in pass attempts, completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns and total offense.
Sophomore quarterback Maurice Alexander was the replacement for McGough, and finished the game going 16 of 33 for 162 yards with two interceptions. Along with the turnovers, Alexander was also sacked seven times, resulting in the offense to become one dimensional and rely heavily on their running backs.
The Owl’s defense complimented their offense well, as they held the FIU offense to only 257 total yards, along with forcing three turnovers.
Temple’s running game sliced through the Panthers’ defense as three different players scored rushing touchdowns and accumulated 169 yards.
Temple quarterback Frank Nutile had an efficient against FIU going 18 of 28 for 254 yards and one passing touchdown. Nutile was also involved in the Owl’s rushing attack, having had eight rushes for 26 yards and one touchdown.
The Owls (7-6) ultimately defeated the Panthers (8-5) 28-3.
Following FIU’s loss in the Gasparilla Bowl, senior running back Alex Gardner posted a video via Twitter to express his emotions after playing his last game as a Panther.
“I’ve put so much into this stadium and on this field,” said Gardner during the Twitter video, as he walks around the field at Riccardo Silva Stadium. “I grew up as a man, broke some records in there. I’m going to miss this.”
Gardner finishes as the all-time career leader in rushing yards (2,272), rushing attempts (504), receptions by a running back (98), receiving yards by a running back (681), 100-yard games (9) and also finishes third all-time in career rushing touchdowns (16).
At the beginning of the season, Gardner discussed how his main objective this season was to take FIU back to a bowl game. Even though FIU may have lost in their bowl game, the senior lived up to his promise.
Going into next season, many of the Panthers’ impact players from this year before will no longer be part of the team due to graduation. This is going to result in FIU looking towards numerous underclassmen and also incoming freshmen to contribute almost immediately.
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