FIU (2-1) looks to improve passing game under first-year coach Simmons

Nobody on the FIU football team has more than seven receptions so far this season.

For perspective, the Delaware Blue Hens — the team that visits FIU on Saturday night at 6 in the Conference USA opener for both teams — has five players with more than seven catches.

FIU coach Willie Simmons — who is off to a 2-1 start — admits he would like to see more out of his pass catchers, especially his wide receivers.

“Right now, throwing the ball is our Achilles heel,” Simmons said. “It’s not for a lack of talent. It’s not for a lack of bodies. It’s not the scheme. It’s execution.”

Ironically, T.Y. Hilton last week became the first football player inducted into FIU’s Sports Hall of Fame. Hilton was, of course, a four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver.

Just prior to that Hall of Fame ceremony, Simmons spoke about his desire to make FIU known for its wide receivers. Besides Hilton, FIU’s program has also produced wide receiver Maurice Alexander, who is on the Chicago Bears’ practice squad.

More recently, Tyrese Chambers broke Hilton’s receiving records in 2021. Kris Mitchell erased Chambers’ records two years later, and Eric Rivers did it again last season.

“You always want to create that moniker of Wide Receiver U.,” Simmons said. “We are in South Florida. There’s no shortage of talent at wide receiver.

“Hopefully, we can build a legacy that if you are a wide receiver in South Florida, you know if you come to FIU you have a chance to put your name in the record books.”

Added Hilton: “Receivers keep coming for my records after I set the tone. That’s awesome.”

That was awesome, but it’s not the reality currently.

Simmons — a former Clemson quarterback — was asked if he wants to have a true No. 1 receiver or if he likes a balanced group of pass catchers.

“Any time you have a dynamic player, you want that,” Simmons said. “That’s the element we’re missing right now.

“We don’t feel like we have a guy who can be our gadget guy who can run jet sweeps and can catch bubble screens — a guy we can also get the ball to [downfield]. We’re looking for that dynamic guy who will be our favorable matchup against man coverage.”

FIU quarterback Keyone Jenkins said he hasn’t given up on his receivers.

“I just have to go through my progressions,” Jenkins said when asked about finding his targets. “We haven’t found a guy who we are super confident will win 1-on-1 matchups every time. But it’s early in the season. We have time.”

Simmons said his wide receivers — despite the low numbers — have the ability to separate from defenders.

“We have guys capable of doing that but for whatever reason they haven’t yet,” Simmons said. “Hopefully somebody will give us the confidence to go to him if Delaware wants to play man coverage.

“We’re looking for that No. 1 receiver. But if nobody separates, we’ll have wide receiver by committee.”

So far, FIU’s leading pass catchers are Maguire Anderson (7 for 112 yards) and Alex Perry (7 for 78).

Perry, a big target at 6-5 and 210 pounds and a transfer from Hawaii, has FIU’s only touchdown reception so far this season.

Anderson, 6-0 and 180 pounds, had a breakout game last week in a win over Florida Atlantic, catching five passes for 81 yards.

Prior to Saturday, his career numbers included just two catches for 31 yards.

A Jacksonville-area native, Anderson spent 2023 with Brigham Young, but he didn’t play. Last year, he played 10 games for FIU, catching zero passes and serving mostly as a “special teams demon” as described by Simmons.

But Simmons said Anderson was FIU’s most-improved receiver this past spring, and that has continued throughout the fall.

“If all our guys have the practice mentality Maguire has,” Simmons said, “then we’d be a much more prolific passing team.”

Jenkins praised Anderson for his work ethic.

“From the spring, you could see he was going 100% every time,” Jenkins said. “He’s running for real, and a lot of guys are not like that. ‘Mac’ is going to play a big role for us this season.”

Perhaps Delaware will load the box on Saturday to slow down running back Kejon Owens, coming off his career-high 173-yard rushing performance.

If so, that could help the receivers get open.

“We have to connect in the passing game,” Jenkins said. “We can’t be one dimensional.”