FIU/ULM Preview: Start & Finish Strong Like Cletus

JACKSON, Miss. -- Yes, you read the dateline right. Staying overnight here in the city named after the prez on the 20 dollar bill or is it the Peter Gammons look-a-like. It's about two hours away from Monroe, Louisiana.

Here in Jackson because there are no commercial flights into Monroe regional airport and the Pelegrin private jet is still being built. Flew in today, will drive early Saturday morning to Monroe, but no need to take any train and that's where the Steve Martin/John Candy reference ends.

So here from Jackson -- "The City of Soul" -- comes your FIU/ULM preview. And there's plenty of football soul in these parts with Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Southern Miss in state and it even extends beyond that to include your FIU Panthers.

At lunch, the waiter at the restaurant -- we'll call him Cletus -- kept talking to another waitress and then to yours truly, how a goose bit his leg while he was jogging on Thursday. Now you can cue the "Andy Griffith" theme song here, because this isn't Miami.

However, later on Cletus asked what I was doing in Mi-double s-i-double s-i-double p-i (that's how I learned to spell the state's name) and I told him I was here for an FIU/ULM football game in the state next door.

Cletus, a University of Houston grad, knew a lot about FIU. He said "Florida International sure" and he started talking about T.Y. Hilton, Isiah Thomas and he said "they'all got a heck of a baseball coach in Turtle Thomas, who was at LSU and there was a former Dolphins backup quarterback that was the coach there when they started football earlier this decade, right? See I know my college football."

Cletus sure does. In a way, Cletus reminded me a little of your Panthers the last couple of weeks. Both Cletus and FIU got off to slow starts, but came on strong in the second half.

Which leads us to Saturday's Sun Belt Conference opener for FIU at ULM. FIU needs to play four quarters of football on Saturday to start the conference season at 1-0.

Malone Stadium was the sight of FIU's first-ever Division I win back in 2005, 31-29 (photo, right). The Panthers are 1-2 in the building and 1-4 overall against the Warhawks.

The Panthers have to score early and often, because the ULM offense is much better than last season, because of quarterback Trey Revell.

Besides being a mobile QB, which is the type of QB that has given FIU trouble in the past, Revell can also throw the ball, which was not the strength of last year's ULM QB Kinsmon Lancaster. Revell reminds me a little of Arkansas State dual-threat QB Corey Leonard, who has hurt FIU in the past and awaits on Oct. 24.

ULM also has a potent running back in Frank Goodin and speed (Luther Ambrose) and size (6-3 LeGregory Sapp) at the receivers.

This could be as dangerous an offense as Toledo.

Defensively, ULM runs a 3-3-5 scheme that is designed to stop the spread offenses of the Sun Belt. ULM has the No. 2 ranked D in the Sun Belt behind Arkansas State.

The Warhawks have all the ingredients to be the darkhorse team in the Sun Belt this season.

It's no secret what FIU has to do: control the ball with a productive running game to keep the Warhawks potent O on the sidelines (Did I mention score early and often?) and take the homecoming crowd out of the game (Did I mention score early and often?). And on D, FIU has to wrap up their tackles and bring down Warhawks ballcarriers. (Did I mention score early and often?) And just as important get pressure on Revell and force the first-year starter to make some mistakes toward the FIU secondary. (Did I mention score early and often?) Getting pressure on Revell is not easy, No. 2 Texas had 0 sacks in their season-opening win over ULM. (Did I mention score early and often?)

All this might be too much to ask of a Panthers team that is trying to put it all together and against a pretty solid team on the road. Tell me I'm wrong on Saturday around 7 p.m.

GPP says: ULM 33, FIU 23

The GPP LIVE BLOG of the FIU/ULM game will begin around 3:15 p.m. Miami time on Saturday. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. I should be able to stick with you on the live blog until the end, because we have a much friendlier deadline time this week, because of the afternoon kickoff.

 

Comments

[quijote]

Damn Pete your predictions suck

[Puma]

ULM 31
FIU 28

[Baltimore Panther]

I think this will be a close one, ULM 35 FIU 34

[FIUFloridaPower&Light]

Right now, FIU has shown me nothing in the last two games that make me think we can win.

[FIU Love]

ULM 34 FIU 10

[LonePanther]

"Tell me I'm wrong on Saturday around 7 p.m."

Ouch.

I felt like Pete kicked me in the same region that CrazyCane likes to lick Sebastian.

[FIU Fanatic]

Hope I'm underestimating FIU here, but....

ULM 34 FIU 24

[FIUPantherFan]

ULM 33 - FIU 20

[FIU0406]

ULM 34
FIU 27

[quijote]

ULM 34
FIU 23

Obviously I hope I'm wrong, but based on our Rutgers and Toledo performance, the only automatic win this season is against Western Kentucky. Until I see the team that showed up at BAMA, every game will be a struggle, especially away homecoming games. lol

[cabin001]

Wow...no one predicting an FIU win so far...I'll follow the trend:

ULM 24
FIU 20

No team is an automatic these days, but Western comes close lol. I thought we were done rebuilding after last year....The construction proceeds!

[CrazyCane]

Wow the FIU bandwagon emptied quickly

[CJ]

i still think that we can do it.. im not jumping ship.. ill take the positive from last game... FIU actually developed a run game.. against a 3-3-5 the run game can be successful.. which gives us the opportunity to control the clock.. keeping ULM's offense off the feild.. clock managment is the key... i still have faith in my team.. i say fiu 31-27

[SouthPaw]

FIU 34 ULM 14.
Oklahoma 63 UM 2

[dan]

ULM 42 TY Hilton 21

[FIUFloridaPower&Light]

i chuckled dan.

[gpantera]

FIU 48, ULM 10

[FIUer]

I'll reiterate my prediction. FIU 24 ULM 14. This wagon never empties little boy.

[Joel]

It's going to be a turning point game, that's for sure... We gotta take this one!

[FIUrulez]

FIU 26
ULM 30

[FIURage]

Look whos talking about bandwagon!!!

You represent BU ... bandwagon university!!

You crazycane your so silly!!!

Predicting scores isnt Bangwagoning. Unlike BU Most people who post here WILL still go to the game even if we go 0-4.

[FIUPIKE]

Hilton scores twice, Ellingson, Laporte and a pick six by AG for scores...not doing the predictions this year but think for this one:

FIU - 38 ULM 24

GET IT DONE PANTHERS, NOW IS WHEN IT COUNTS !!!!

ROOOOOAAAAAAARRRR !!!!

[FIUcanesFan]

My prediction for the game... I dont think FIU builds the necessary momentum to beat ULM at their home, especially on their homecoming game.

FIU - 20
ULM - 27

[esteban688]

ULM 28 FIU 24

[KJHarris02]

Hey, does anyone know if radio channel 1080 am is airing the game @ 3:30 today???

[Pete Pelegrin]

the game is on 1080 AM

[KJHarris02]

thanks Pete! GO FIU!

[KJHarris02]

We having a live blog today????