Richard Gibson/ Staff Writer
Following a postponed game against the Charlotte 49ers, FIU Football will host the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Friday, October 23rd at 7 p.m.
FIU Athletics announced the FIU-Charlotte matchup was postponed, two days before the game, due to an “increase in COVID-19 positive results within the FIU football program.”
Maydel Santana, Associate Vice President of FIU External Relations, said 10 football players or less tested positive for COVID-19 leading to the postponed Charlotte game.
FIU’s record is still 0-2. The team is coming off two losses to Liberty and Middle Tennessee. In order to become bowl eligible for the fourth straight year, FIU will need to win six of their remaining seven games.
In the game against Middle Tennessee, FIU quarterback Kaylan Wiggins spent the most time on the field. He completed five passes out of 15 attempts for 37 yards and an interception. Both running backs Shaun Peterson Jr and D’vonte Price rushed for over 100 yards.
FIU’s defense earned two interceptions, but couldn’t contain Middle Tennessee’s passing game, especially on third down. The Blue Raiders led both teams in first downs, total yards, and time of possession.
Ultimately, FIU needs to get its quarterback situation in check. Rotating between three different quarterbacks (Wiggins, Stone Norton, and Max Bortenschlager) has not paid off for them. No wide receiver for FIU earned more than 20 passing yards against Middle Tennessee.
FIU’s opponent on Friday will be the Jacksonville State Gamecocks of the Ohio Valley Conference, who are coming into this game with a 2-1 record. They lost to Florida State, but have beaten both Mercer and North Alabama.
Jacksonville State finished the 2019 season with a 6-6 record. They beat teams such as Eastern Washington, Eastern Illinois, and Murray State. They lost, however, to Southeast Missouri State, Tennessee Tech, and Eastern Kentucky.
Zerrick Cooper, Jacksonville State’s starting quarterback has thrown 615 passing yards in three games of the season. It’s a subpar amount due to the Gamecocks having a primarily rushing-based offense. Cooper has rushed for 89 yards and five rushing touchdowns.
Running back Pat Peterson leads Jacksonville State’s rushing yards with 91. Tight end Trae Barry leads the team in receiving yards with 240. Wide Receiver Quan Charleston caught the only passing touchdown for the Gamecocks. Safety Darius Joiner leads the defense with eight tackles. The team has recorded five sacks and three interceptions.
Overall, FIU needs to stop quarterback rotations. They need to start a single quarterback per game, and only switch if it’s necessary. They need to be more consistent with their passing game, and that starts with who’s throwing the ball.
To say the Gamecocks live and die on the QB Option is an understatement. FIU’s rush defense against Middle Tennessee was solid, but they need to keep up the tempo against Jacksonville State’s run-based offense. So long as the secondary stops the occasional long ball, they should keep the Gamecocks at bay.
This is the first game for FIU that won’t be nationally televised, but it can still be seen on ESPN3. After the game, FIU will stay home for a marquee matchup against the Marshall Thundering Herd on Friday, October 30th at 7 p.m. After that, they’ll head to El Paso to take on the UTEP Miners on November 7th.
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