2008 FIU Golden Panthers football team

Last updated

2008 FIU Golden Panthers football
Florida International University FIU logo.svg
Conference Sun Belt Conference
Record5–7 (3–4 SBC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBill Legg (1st season)
Offensive scheme Spread
Defensive coordinator Phil Galiano (2nd season)
Base defense 4–3
Home stadium FIU Stadium
Seasons
  2007
2009  
2008 Sun Belt Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
Troy $  6 1   8 5  
Louisiana–Lafayette  5 2   6 6  
Florida Atlantic  4 3   7 6  
Arkansas State  4 3   6 6  
FIU  3 4   5 7  
Middle Tennessee  3 4   5 7  
Louisiana–Monroe  3 4   4 8  
North Texas  0 7   1 11  
  • $ Conference champion

The 2008 FIU Golden Panthers football team represented Florida International University in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Mario Cristobal and played their homes games at the on-campus FIU Stadium.

Contents

Regular season

The 2008 season started off with a loss at 13th-ranked Kansas, 40–10. Following that, Iowa routed FIU, 42–0. FIU then faced its highest-ranked opponent in school history, 12th-ranked South Florida, for the inaugural game of the new FIU Stadium. Trailing 17–0 with 2:30 left in the game FIU attained a safety, and subsequently scored a touchdown. FIU lost, 17–9, but played acted as a spoiler for South Florida, with the latter falling three spots in the rankings. The game against Toledo became their first-ever out-of-conference FBS win. Against, Toledo, FIU forced four turnovers and recorded its first road win since 2005.[ citation needed ]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 307:00 p.m.at No. 14 Kansas *L 10–4052,112
September 612:00 p.m.at Iowa * BTN L 0–4270,585
September 205:00 p.m.No. 12 South Florida * ESPNU L 9–1716,717
September 277:00 p.m.at Toledo * BCSN W 35–1619,004
October 47:00 p.m.at North Texas ESPN Plus W 42–1016,781
October 117:00 p.m. Middle Tennessee
  • FIU Stadium
  • Miami, FL
W 31–2115,108
October 187:00 p.m.at Troy ESPN PlusL 23–3319,316
November 15:00 p.m.at Louisiana-Lafayette L 20–4929,031
November 87:00 p.m. Arkansas State Dagger-14-plain.png
  • FIU Stadium
  • Miami, FL
W 22–2115,106
November 227:00 p.m. Louisiana-Monroe
  • FIU Stadium
  • Miami, FL
L 27–3112,925
November 294:00 p.m.at FAU L 50–57 OT16,781
December 67:00 p.m. Western Kentucky *
  • FIU Stadium
  • Miami, FL
W 27–39,405

Coaching staff

NameCurrent TitleYears at
FIU
Alma mater
Mario Cristobal Head Coach 2006 – Miami
Bill Legg Offensive Coordinator
Quarterbacks
2008 – West Virginia
Phil Galiano Defensive Coordinator
Linebackers
2007 – Shippensburg
Apollo Wright Special teams Coordinator2001 – Wagner College
Mike Cassano Assistant Head Coach
Running backs/Recruiting
2006 – New Hampshire
Bernard Clark Assistant Head Coach
Defensive line
2004–2005, 2007 – Miami
Greg Laffere Assistant Head Coach
Offensive line
2005 – Miami
Alex Mirabal Assistant Head Coach
Tight ends
2006 – FIU
Frank Ponce Assistant Head Coach
Wide receivers
2005 – FIU
Jeff Popovich Assistant Head Coach
Secondary
2006 – Miami
Roderick Moore Strength &
Conditioning Coach
-
Chris Siegle Graduate Assistant Coach2005 –-
Dennis Smith Graduate Assistant Coach2006 – Miami

See also

Game summaries

at No. 13 Kansas

Overall: (0–1), Conference: (0–2)

1234Total
FIU0100010
Kansas72310040

at Iowa

Overall: (0–2), Conference: (0–0)

1234Total
FIU00000
Iowa21140742

No. 12 South Florida

Overall: (0–3), Conference: (0–0)

1234Total
South Florida730717
FIU00099

Toledo

Overall: (1–3), Conference: (0–0)

1234Total
FIU01421035
Toledo1330016

North Texas

Overall: (2–3), Conference: (1–0)

1234Total
FIU14147742
North Texas003710

Middle Tennessee

Overall: (3-3), Conference: (2–0)

1234Total
Middle Tennessee3010821
FIU01014731

Troy

Overall: (3–4), Conference: (2–1)

1234Total
FIU970723
Troy1637733

Louisiana-Lafayette

Overall: (3–5), Conference: (2–2)

1234Total
FIU1400620
Louisiana-Lafayette72814049

Arkansas State

Overall: (4–5), Conference: (3–2)

1234Total
Arkansas State077721
FIU0661022

Louisiana-Monroe

1234Total
Louisiana-Monroe02110031
FIU30141027

Florida Atlantic

Shula Bowl

1234OTTotal
FIU79628050
Florida Atlantic140828757

Western Kentucky

1234Total
Western Kentucky30003
FIU0761427

References