FIU's punishment: face Bama shorthanded

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor


http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/15848675.htm



MIAMI - Winless, depleted by suspensions and unaccustomed to big crowds, the Florida International University Golden Panthers face odds longer than their name when they play Saturday at Alabama. Nonetheless, the Panthers plan to put up a fight - although they wisely avoid using that particular word.
Still in its infancy, Florida International's program made national headlines for the first time in a bench-clearing brawl Oct. 14 with the crosstown rival Miami Hurricanes. As punishment, two Panthers were kicked off the team and 16 were suspended indefinitely.
Those missing include nine starters, leaving coach Don Strock severely shorthanded for his team's first game since the night of the fight.
"We're going to go in and play as hard as we can with the people we have," Strock said. "That's all you can do."
Even at full strength, Florida International would have been a big underdog.
Since starting in 2002, the program has grown quickly to achieve Division I-A status. But this year's team is 0-7, and the anticipated crowd of 80,000 in Tuscaloosa will be by far the largest the Panthers have ever played before.
That makes Alabama (5-3) a 36-point favorite.
"It's an amazing challenge," FIU senior linebacker Keyonvis Bouie said. "You have the possibility of getting known worldwide.
"This is a big game for us, especially coming off a game with so much bad publicity associated with us. We can establish ourselves and get the great name we always wanted here - that we're not known for violence, but for academics and for having some great athletes."
The melee with Miami didn't help the job security of Strock, the Panthers' coach since their first game four years ago. He's 15-36 but said the program is headed in the right direction.
"We've been in just about every game this year," Strock said. "It was 7-0 against Miami at halftime. One thing we don't have is a lot of depth. The recruiting cycle is still a couple of years away."
A thin roster was a problem even before the brawl, and while the suspended players have continued to practice, the Panthers will take only 56 players to Tuscaloosa.
They've played 20 freshmen this season. Seven are expected to start Saturday.
"We can't get any younger," sophomore center Xavier Shannon said with a grin. "We're already pretty young."
"With so many starters missing, it's going to be a great challenge knowing that new person next to you," senior linebacker Antwan Barnes said.
The Panthers upgraded their schedule last season when they joined the Sun Belt Conference, and they've since played road games against Kansas State, Texas Tech and Maryland, as well as Miami. This season they lost 14-10 at Maryland and trailed Miami only 14-0 when the fight erupted in the third quarter before losing 35-0.
Alabama is the first Southeastern Conference opponent the Panthers have faced. The future schedule includes games at Penn State (2007), Kansas (2007), Iowa (2008) and Florida (2009).
"That's the competition you want to play," Bouie said. "They're some of the schools guys wanted to go to coming out of school, but most of us didn't get the opportunity to go play there, so this is the next-best thing. You get to measure yourself against other players and programs."
Some speculate that the melee with Miami was sparked in part by FIU players resentful about being passed over in recruiting by the Hurricanes. Regardless, the Panthers pledge there will be no repeat.
"We started the rebuilding process the night of the game," Shannon said. "We had meetings and said, `This can't go on anymore. Too many people helped to get us where we are. We can't let them down.'
"It shouldn't be a problem anymore."
No bench-clearing brawls - against Alabama, the Golden Panthers might have to settle for that modest achievement.
 
Back
Top