Saturday Blitz
Fansided

FIU Football: Can Butch Davis, Panthers win C-USA in 2019?

By Dante Pryor

MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 20: James Morgan #12 celebrates a touchdown with Shane McGough #55 of the FIU Golden Panthers in the second half against the Rice Owls at Ricardo Silva Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 20: James Morgan #12 celebrates a touchdown with Shane McGough #55 of the FIU Golden Panthers in the second half against the Rice Owls at Ricardo Silva Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 4
Next
BOWLING GREEN, KY – OCTOBER 27: Head coach Butch Davis of the Fiu Golden Panthers protests a targeting call during the game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on October 27, 2018 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
BOWLING GREEN, KY – OCTOBER 27: Head coach Butch Davis of the Fiu Golden Panthers protests a targeting call during the game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on October 27, 2018 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Predicting FIU’s 2019 outcome

  • Week 1: at Tulane (Aug. 29)
  • Week 2: vs. Western Kentucky (Sept. 7)
  • Week 3: vs. New Hampshire (Sept. 14)
  • Week 4: at Louisiana Tech (Sept. 20)
  • Week 5: BYE
  • Week 6: vs. UMass (Oct. 5)
  • Week 7: vs. Charlotte (Oct. 12)
  • Week 8: vs. UTEP (Oct. 19)
  • Week 9: at Middle Tennessee (Oct. 26)
  • Week 10: vs. Old Dominion (Nov. 2)
  • Week 11: at FAU (Nov. 9)
  • Week 12: BYE
  • Week 13: vs. Miami (Nov. 23)
  • Week 14: at Marshall (Nov. 30)

When it comes to Group of Five football teams having successful seasons, it usually comes down to who’s lost the least from the previous season. Florida International brings back a lot of its roster from last season including top impact players on offense and defense.

UAB has a lot JUCO players to replace, Middle Tennessee lost its quarterback and coach and Florida Atlantic lost its top running back to the NFL. Florida International returns 80 percent of its production from last year — good for third in the conference (the other two schools are Southern Mississippi and Rice).

The Panthers’ schedule shapes up really well; their crossover games are against Louisiana Tech (who lost the best pass rusher in the country) and UTEP (who will live in Ryan McGee’s bottom 10 on ESPN.com).

Top 30 skill position players for 2019. dark. Next

Prediction: 11-1, 7-1 C-USA

If everything falls right, the Panthers should be 10-0 going into their game with Miami, and going to Marshall to decide who will represent Conference USA East in the league title game — and the Panthers take the next step and play for and win Conference USA at 11-1.

Home/Conference USA