2016 Season Preview: Week 1 Florida International Golden Panthers.
/
FIU hosts Indiana to open the season in Miami. Image: News.FIU.Edu
Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)
Week One: Florida International
Date and Time: Thursday, September 1 7:30pm
Venue: Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium (Capacity 20,000)
TV: ESPNU
Golden Panthers at a Glance
Head Coach: Ron Turner
- 12th year as a head coach, 4th at FIU
- Overall Record (52-87)
- At FIU (10-26)
- Last Year: 5-7
Golden Panthers Returning Leaders
Passing: Alex McGough (64.0 Comp pct. 2,722 Yards, 21 TDs, 8 Int)
Rushing: Alex Gardner (186 Att. 760 Yards, 9 TD, 4.1 YPC)
Receiving: Thomas Owens (51 Rec. 638 Yards, 8 TDs)
Defender: Anthony Wint (LB 64.5 Tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 1 Int, 2 PBUs)
Pre-Season Predictions
- Athlon Sports: 6th in C-USA East
- Lindy's: 4th in C-USA East
- Phil Steele: TBD
- Sporting News: 6th in C-USA East
Why the Golden Panthers Will Win
The Hoosiers haven’t opened away from the comforts of home since 2011, a 24-17 loss to Ball State, and travelling down to Miami will not be an easy task. It will be hot, the average temperature for August is around 82 degrees, South Beach is close by, and the FIU Golden Panthers are going to be revved up to host a Power-Five school.
In addition to the factors above, the Golden Panthers will bring back their top passer, rusher, and receiver on offense in Alex McGough, Alex Gardner and Thomas Owens.
McGough, now a junior threw for three touchdowns and 249 yards against the Hoosiers last year. It’s reasonable to think that he can improve upon his passing game and cause fits for the IU defense, which sports a new defensive coordinator.
Gardner, also a junior, had a more difficult night against the Hoosiers defense last season, rushing for just 61 yards on 18 carries, but with question marks along the defensive line for IU he could crack the century mark and that would spell trouble for the visitors.
The biggest concern for the Hoosiers may come in the form of junior wide out Thomas Owens who had a career night in Bloomington in 2015, torching a young secondary for 166 yards on nine catches with two scores. Indiana’s secondary does figure to be better, but Owens is the third head in what could become a three-headed monster.
Defensively, the Golden Panthers lose a lot of talent and depth, but returns it’s top tackler in linebacker Anthony Wint. Add in the fact that the rest of their linebacking corps will be juniors or seniors and it could throw a wrench into the Hoosiers’ offensive game plan.
Indiana has question marks of their own, as well. Indiana will be breaking in new starting quarterbacks who have a combined one half of FBS experience, and a new defensive coordinator whose players are still adjusting to the 4-2-5 scheme.
All of these factors could manifest itself in an upset home victory for FIU and get the 2016 campaign off to a less than ideal start for IU.
Why the Hoosiers Will Win
On paper, Indiana is just flat out the more talented team. The Hoosiers are loaded on the offensive side of the ball and should have their quarterback competition settled by the time the opener rolls around (Richard Lagow looked to grab control at the end of spring practice). The Hoosier offensive line should be able to open holes for the running game, which will feature 1,000-yard back Devine Redding along with a handful of other backs.
A major factor in this game will be the depth the Hoosiers possess on offense. They will be able to substitute quality skill position players in and out to keep them fresh in the Florida heat and humidity without losing too much talent.
The revamped defense will be more seasoned in the secondary and sports a very talented and veteran linebacking group led by Marcus Oliver, T.J. Simmons, and Tegray Scales, which could cover up some of the growing pains of the defensive line. Add in the fact that the Hoosiers also have the best place kicker in the conference, if not the country in Griffin Oakes, gives them a major edge in all three phases.
McGough, while accurate, only averaged 5.7 yards per pass attempt last season, and Gardner is not an explosive running back, so FIU will probably not be able to score enough points to be involved in a shoot out. The defense is missing big play ability as well, and replaces their three best defensive line pass rushers, so slowing down this IU offense will probably be too tall of a task for the Golden Panthers.
Playing on the road should not be that big of a deal for a Big Ten squad that regularly plays in front of crowds in excess of 100,000. The Hoosiers are also coming off a season in which they won three road games against Power Five competition. Sure, the wins were Wake Forest, Maryland, and Purdue, but anytime you play on the road it is a challenge.
Final Analysis
Indiana should be able to survive the initial storm that FIU will bring and shake off whatever nerves that Lagow may have. The crowd will be amped up to host a Big Ten team, but in the end the Hoosiers are just too talented on offense to let this game get away. When it is all said and done the Hoosiers should head back to Bloomington with a win under their belt.