FIU’s history vs. mobile QBs a trend to watch as Panthers prepare for season opener
The FIU Panthers are 71/2-point underdogs for their long-awaited season opener on Saturday at Liberty (1-0).
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., and this is likely the best team FIU will face all season.
Liberty is coming off an impressive 30-24 win over host Western Kentucky, which defeated FIU last year in a Conference USA game.
Defensively, Liberty held WKU to 98 yards rushing (3.5 average) and 193 yards passing last Saturday.
But it’s Liberty’s offense — which outgained WKU in yardage 487 to 291 — that gets most of the attention. Liberty also converted 3-for-4 on fourth downs against WKU, and those conversions led to 10 points.
Here are five things to watch for on Saturday:
1: Running Liberty QB: The biggest key for FIU will be trying to stop 6-1, 195-pound redshirt junior quarterback Malik Willis, who was a first-team All-State player in Atlanta and then Auburn’s second-string QB in 2017 and 2018. After sitting out last season as a transfer, Willis was dynamic against WKU, rushing for 168 yards, three TDs and an 8.0 average. His long was a 51-yarder. He also completed 13-of-21 passes for 133 yards, and he had zero turnovers.
FIU allowed just one quarterback to run for 100 or more yards last season: Asher O’Hara, who led Middle Tennessee to a 50-17 win. O’Hara ran 22 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns in that game, which was one of FIU’s worst performances in 2019.
Perhaps the next best dual-threat QB faced by FIU last year was J’Mar Smith, who led Louisiana Tech to a 43-31 win. He completed 27-of-41 passes for 290 yards and also ran for 67 yards.
“Against any athletic quarterback, we have to be disciplined,” FIU coach Butch Davis said. “When you have a certain gap to defend, you have to be there. Do your responsibility. Even on the perimeter, you can’t jump off of coverage and leave a receiver wide open.”
2: New FIU QB: With James Morgan in the NFL, FIU will have a new first-string quarterback this year. The battle this fall has been between supposed favorite Kaylan Wiggins, Maryland transfer Max Bortenschlager and freshmen Stone Norton and Haden Carlson.
Davis, who has yet to announce his starter, said, “We will play more than two I’m sure.” However, he also added this: “If the starter is on fire, we’re not taking him out.”
3: Up-tempo Liberty offense: Aside from Willis, Liberty is led by redshirt senior running back Joshua Mack, who rushed for 100 yards and a 4.3 average against WKU. A transfer from Maine, Mack has already gained 2,939 yards in his college career.
Liberty has a couple of talented newcomer receivers in freshman CJ Yarbrough and junior-college transfer Javian Lofton. And Liberty’s offensive line — which “manhandled” WKU, according to the ESPN analyst working the game — is led by redshirt senior left tackle/NFL prospect Tristan Schultz and Thomas Sargeant, who has started 37 consecutive games.
4: Great coaching matchup: Davis’ coaching accomplishments have been well-chronicled. But Liberty’s Hugh Freeze led Arkansas State to a 10-2 record in 2011 and then had Ole Miss ranked third in the nation after seven games in 2014. In 2015, also at Ole Miss, Freeze became just the third college coach to beat Nick Saban in consecutive years.
Freeze is 9-5 so far at Liberty, including the program’s first bowl win last year.
5: Depth a factor: Davis said FIU will be missing “eight to 10” injured players. More injuries could occur on Saturday since this will be FIU’s first game since last December. FIU’s depth will be tested.
This story was originally published September 25, 2020 at 8:00 AM.