Watch Parties Updates & What About ULM?

Here's the deal for your viewing of Saturday's FIU/ULM game. The game is blacked out on ESPN GamePlan, but the game will be televised by the Sun Belt Network on Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS).

If you have CSS on your home cable, then you can stay home and watch it there if you'd like. If you want to mingle with other FIU fans, then you have 2 options: The Sports Grill on Bird Road (11481 SW 40 St.-- photo, left), which is the home official home of FIU Watch Parties......OR

You can also see the game at Finnegan's River (photo, right) in downtown Miami (401 SW 3rd Ave.). Been to both places and they are great for watching games, plus good food and booze. The Sports Grill purchased the FIU/ULM game from CSS and will show it on their DirecTV. Finnegan's has CSS so they had the game all along.

It's the start of Sun Belt Conference play on Saturday in Monroe and with it thought we'd get the opposing team's beat writer on here to tell you what to expect from a much improved Warhawks team.

Here's The News Star's ULM writer Tabby Soignier answering 5 questions about the Warhawks:

1) What is the biggest difference from last year's ULM team to this year's?

   

Experience. ULM is returning 10 on defense and 8 on offense, and it shows. The close games, so far, are being won, instead of folding as the Warhawks have done is recent years past.

   

2) What are ULM's strengths and weaknesses?

  

Strength is the defense. The 10 returners include three preseason all conference players. Aaron Morgan leads the conference in sacks and puts pressure on opposing offenses early and often. The linebacker corps is also solid in every game thus far this season, as well as Hawk James Truxillo, who had his best game against Florida Atlantic this past weekend with nine tackles.

   

The offensive line was the biggest concern at the start of the season, but it has matured very quickly, allowing just three sacks this season. If it gives quarterback Trey Revell enough time, they make him look much better than a first year starter.

   

3) How much better is Trey Revell than Kinsmon Lancaster and what must FIU do to stop Revell?

   

Going into this season, fans thought Revell (right) would not be as good of a runner as Kinsmon but that his arm would be much improved. He has lived up to the expectations in his passing game, but  many forget he was an option quarterback in high school. He showed off his legs against FAU and looked very comfortable running the football when he needed to scurry out of some trouble.

  

To stop Revell, FIU must put pressure on him. He tends to hold the ball too long, which gets him in trouble.

 

4) Who are some of the other ULM offensive and defensive players for FIU fans to watch for Saturday?

   

Offensively, receiver LaGregory Sapp, who missed last year for academic reasons, is the best kept secret. Though senior receivers Darrell McNeal and J.J. McCoy are best known for ULM, Sapp is the guy you want to go to with the long ball.

 

Running back Frank Goodin is on pace to improve his numbers from last season, but the speedster is sophomore Luther Ambrose (left), who is the fastest player for ULM. He helps out with the passing and running game and usually when you least expect it.

   

 

  Defensively, linebacker Cardia Jackson leads the team in tackles with 26 and is the most likely to get drafted at the end of the season. Safety Greg James shares the lead for active NCAA players for interceptions in a career with 13. He needs one more to tie the all-time Sun Belt record.

  

5) Your game prediction and a score?

   

ULM, 31-21

 

I'll give you my game preview and prediction on Friday from Jackson, Mississippi as it will be planes, trains and automobiles for the GPP (will explain in Friday's post) as we find the way to Monroe, Louisiana for Saturday's game.

   

Comments

[KJHarris02]

Is the game going to be on any Radio Stations?? or on Panther Pass?? Can we go to ULM's website and watch the game??

[alt7787]

Plane to get to LA, Train to get near vicinity of Monroe and automobile to get to final destination?

The game will be on ESPN 360 for anyone that wants to watch.

[FIURage]

It will be fustrating if FIU looses this one. But if you look at what FIU is building ... you can see in the next few years this is going to be a serious team in every way. You cant expect to win win win with just a couple good recruiting years. Good teams have depth and talent. Right now we have good talent we just need to fill in the holes offensively and defensively. I wont be surprised if we do drop this one. We have TONS of potential ... like everything in life it takes some time.

[SouthPaw]

I think this is the game we put it all together. FIU 34 ULM 14. FIU fans are hungry, let's hope the players are also.

[Nick]

I researched CSS on the net and the channel is not offered on DirectTV or Dish Network. The channel is exclusive to Comcast Network, channel 41. Can someone verify which sports bar will be showing the game? The majority of the sports bars in the area receive only satellite. Info.....

[Pantherman]

I thought 790 the Ticket was FIU's home radio station - have they aired a game yet? Is Sat game on 790 - does anyone know?

[cabin001]

They look pretty impressive on tape. They're offensive line gave Trey Revell hours to throw the ball against one of the better defensive teams in the belt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDjRH7xlbx

How sweet would it be to beat them at their own homecoming!

[cabin001]

sorry, here is the correct URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDjRH7xlbxQ

[JulesFIU07]

Nick Finnegan's has CSS and will definitely be showing the game.

[FIUer]

It looks like you can watch it on ULM's website, like FIU's.

http://www.ulmwarhawks.com/liveEvents/liveEvents.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=19000

But hopefully we can get a free link by kickoff from someone...espn360 WILL be blacked-out too.

[RLFIUMBA11]

CSS Channel 41 is part of Basic Cable on Comcast in the Greater MIami area so if you go anywhere in Downtown or the Grove and ask the staff i'm sure they'll put on the game for you. Flannigans, Sandbar, Mr.Moes, or any of the places on Brickell including Tobacco Road and the new Irish Pubthere can put it on as long no one else is watching some other game which in that area no one cares about college football. Go Panthers.

[Roman]

Looks like the game will once again be on 1080 AM due to the marlins game being pushed up to 4 p.m. on Saturday

[Joel]

Stupid Marlins game... for goodness sakes they are finished, why are they moving the game up to 4 PM??

[RLFIUMBA11]

Sorry for the previous info regarding CSS being part of Basic Cable in Miami. CSS used to be a Basic but now is part of one of their Premium Packages (Additional +/- $16/month). I'm pretty sure that most of the places I mentioned don't have the Premium Pkg. Don't worry one day FIU will be on Prime Time on ABC playing in a game with National Title implications and us true fans will be looking back realizing how far we've come. GO PANTHERS!!!!

[Tri-Panther]

i think the boys come out hungry and stomp ULM to the ground, TY gets 2 td and mccall throws for 300 yards. FIU 31-24

[FIURage]

To whoever DOUBTED Pete Garcia and how much he gets paid...

http://www.fiusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=11700&ATCLID=204805332

[KJHarris02]

Nick, heard that the sports grill on bird rd is playing it...GO FF II UU!

[cabin001]

He's the next coming of the messiah.

[Gooch7]

Pete thank for all the info once again. I think this might be a battle of two pretty good defense. Neigther team will score over 30points!

FIU 24
ULM 28

We will unfortuanlty lose it in the 2nd half (what a suprise). Everything will depend on 3 things: Offense Line, Defense Line and Team Pride. If they play the ay they did in the first half of the Alabama game the we can blow them away by 30points. But if we play like the 2nd half of every game then they can blow us up by 30points..

Go Golden Panthers..

[CarolinaGoldenPanther]

FIU 27 ULM 24

[LonePanther]

It's a slap in the face for our team to be regarded anyone's homecoming game in the SBC. The coaching staff needs to use this as motivation, as if the last 2 performances aren't enough.

Go FIU!

[Roman]

Joel,

MLB or actually FOX moved the Marlins game up to 4 p.m. since it will be a national broadcast from Citizen's Bank BallPark.

[OC FIU PANTHER]

Potential is a fat girl that won't lose weight..

Im done with it,

I want wins.

FIU 24, ULM 17

[Golden Panther 90]

The fat girl had lipo!!!

FIU 33

ULM 19

[theINTERNATIONAL]

^^^
lol

[Joel]

Ohhh ok, thanks Roman... makes sense since it's the Phillies... Oh well, from next week forward this won't be a problem.

[Frankie P.]

I am so ready. Panthers, the season begins tomorrow. Monroe won't be able to contain the FIU speed, Offensive line will do what it needs to do and the Panthers win 31 to 13. See you all at Finnegans on the River.