MIAMI (Oct. 20, 2020) – FIU concludes its non-conference slate this Friday, Oct. 23, as the Panthers host Jacksonville State for a game under the lights of Riccardo Silva Stadium.
Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET at Riccardo Silva Stadium and the game will be aired on ESPN3. Fans can also listen to “Voice of the Panthers” AJ Ricketts on radio via Caracol 1260AM.
For this week’s complete game notes, click here.
SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
Jacksonville State has played three games this season, earning wins over Mercer and North Alabama most recently and opening the year with a narrow, 24-21, defeat on the road to Florida State. This Friday’s game at FIU will be JSU’s final fall contest, as the FCS program will pick back up the season on Feb. 21, 2021, at Tennessee State to begin its Ohio Valley Conference slate.
Clemson transfer Zerrick Cooper leads the Gamecocks at quarterback. The redshirt senior has thrown for 615 yards and a score, while rushing for 89 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
FIRST MEETING VS. JSU
Originally scheduled for Sept. 3, 2020, the non-conference matchup against Jacksonville State will be the first meeting between the Panthers and Gamecocks on the gridiron. As an athletic program, FIU has most recently faced off against JSU on the baseball diamond on March 1-2, 2019. FIU’s baseball team took care of business on the road, as the Panthers won a pair of games over the Gamecocks.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
The Panthers and Gamecocks will kickoff FIU’s first Friday night game of the year, with the contest taking place on Friday, Oct. 23. The game will mark the first of three Friday night contests at FIU, with the Panthers also facing Marshall (Oct. 30) and FAU (Nov. 13) on Friday night. The two games against Marshall and FAU were moved to Friday night to accommodate CBS Sports Network.
ALL-PURPOSE FLEX
After opening the year with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, sophomore Lexington “Flex” Joseph has turned heads. Joseph has averaged 33.5 yards per kickoff return this season, which tops the conference and ranks fifth in the country. Overall, the sophomore has earned 368 kickoff return yards which is the most in the nation. The sophomore has not only made his presence felt on special teams, but also on the offense as he has averaged 200.0 all-purpose yards per game. That total ranks second in the country.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT
Senior D’vonte Price opened the season with a pair of 100-yard rushing games. Price earned a career-best 148 yards on the ground at Liberty, before his 112 versus MTSU. Price has had TD runs of 65, 30 and 65 yards, which gives him a 10.0 yards per carry average. That tops the C-USA and ranks second in the country. Additionally, Price has earned 130.0 yards rushing per game this season, which leads the league and ranks third in the nation.
TWO BACKS OVER 100
Shaun Peterson Jr. and D’vonte Price each eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark against Middle Tennessee. The occurrence marked just the eighth time an FIU running back pair has each earned over 100 yards rushing in a single game. Overall, it is the fourth time during the Butch Davis era that it has happened.
PANTHER RUSHING ATTACK
FIU has had great success running the ball so far this season, with the Panthers averaging 219.0 yards per game. That total ranks 12th in the nation and second in C-USA.
PANTHERS BEHIND THE LINE
FIU’s defense has earned 18 tackles for loss this season in only two games, to give the Panthers a 9.0 TFL average per contest. That total is tied for the ninth-highest in the nation and second-best in C-USA. The Panther duo of Jason Mercier and Tevin Jones lead FIU with 2.5 each so far this year.
NEXT UP
FIU will host another Friday night showdown at Riccardo Silva Stadium, as Marshall visits on Oct. 30, at 7:00 p.m. ET. The C-USA matchup will air nationally on CBS Sports Network.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIU.Football on Instagram and @FIUFootball on Twitter and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.
