Cristobal on looking back, FIU's week ahead

The weekly Sun Belt coaches conferences call is usually a good place to get a sneak preview of Mario Cristobal's message for the next game.

Here's a quote that you'll probably be hearing much of in the days to come:

Can you talk about the importance of the accomplishment your team realized Saturday?

CRISTOBAL: "One thing that, with our players, we are very real with them. You can’t disguise the fact of what that game represented, and what was at stake. With the outcome being what it was, it put us in a position to get to something we were trying to accomplish since we arrived here. It was a great feeling in that locker room afterwards.

"But I think our coaching staff and our players, all year long, have done a great job of once that moment and those high-fives are exchanged, to immediately realize we still have a lot of work to do. We are not where we need to be to accomplish everything we want to accomplish. We have a great team coming in next week. I had a great high school coach and a couple of really good college coaches, and one thing that stuck in my mind is, whenever you do have a good day, that’s when you really coach your hardest. That’s what we intend on doing."

Comments

[GO STATE SCHOOLS OF FLORIDA !]

I wish FIU can play UM in a bowl game... I really think FIU has legitimate chance of beating them making the UM the 5th best team in Florida after UF, FSU, USF, FIU. LOL.

[TheChampionUnderdog]

Im not sure FIU has the manpower yet to beat even a down UM... but that sure would be interesting. Congrats to the panthers either way!

[chiaPanther]

End this, we are not better than UCG... Our 0-4 OOC is prove of that. You are who your schedule says you are and nothing more!!

Hopefully soon, and maybe sooner if we can cash in on this years success come February!!

GO PANTHERS.

[Fiurage]

Go panthers!

[FI Who?]

You want to play UM you need to get out of your conference.

The only bowl games that have deals to take sunbelt teams match them up with Conference-USA and MAC teams.

[NYCFIUFan]

"Hi, I am FI Who. When I am not busy masterbating about Jimmy Johnson and the glory days of the U back in the 80s, I spend countless hours in the fetal position crying the loss of the OB. My parents want me to get over it so I can focus on my school work so the 30,000 a year they spend for a above average education on me is not wasted. But I can't. I try to cushion the blow of this past horrible season by demeaning FIU fans and their SB Championship, after all, misery loves company. It is bad enough that USF has surpassed the U but not FIU too?"

[FI Who?]

Just saying, we shan't be playing for a while.

[GreekPanther]

F I Who, what did UM accomplish in its 6th season of being part of Div 1A college football??..........

Oh. Okay.

[FI Who?]

They beat the University of Havana twice in the same season, in Miami on Thanksgiving day and in Havana on Christmas Day. 1926.

[FI Who?]

UM football existed before the divisional system and have been D1 for as long as that designation has been around. They were the last independent holdouts before Army, Navy, and Notre Dame. The first year they officially joined the Big East they won the national championship. 1991.

[GreekPanther]

@FI Who

Then it must be that, in 2010, with such established programs and conferences, you have to start somewhere. FIU was the school to go from D2 to D1 (or FCS to FBS if you want to use today's terms) in the shortest amount of time.

Everyone starts somewhere. Before the early 80s UM was known as Suntan U and no one took them seriously.

Your program was once very irrelevant, and it's beginning to happen again.

You can go back to Eye on the U now. If FIU truly sucked so much, you wouldn't waste your time coming on here.

[Playing UM?]

You're the 7th best team in FLA. Don't forget FIU LOST HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST FAU! HAHA

[It's all about The Who?]

The mighty thug U lost to the "4th best" team in Florida! HAHAHAHA

[Its_Over_For_U]

Until UM has the GUTS to play FIU again, these UM posters need to go back to the pretend world that Manny Navarro lives in where they belong.

[kjharris02]

Well if FIU Panthers can keep those STUPID PENALTIES under control and run the ball consistantly, i see no reason y we won't come out of Saturdays game with a WIN!!! So lets keep our level heads guys and Whip those Blue Raiders BUTT!!!! YES GO Panthers, Go Joey #86, We r NO 1 !!

[FI Who?]

100% accurate.

UM is definitely afraid of what would happen if they played FIU again.

[nothingxs]

I actually don't think so.

Amidst all of the trolling and stupid bickering going around, I think UM wouldn't mind playing FIU again. I really think the only thing they're waiting for is for FIU to pick up on popularity for a very good reason... ticket sales.

And that's really just it. Once FIU establishes its own fan base, an FIU-UM rivalry would actually prosper and make some sense. FIU needs to take the steps to accomplish that. First, they need to stay on top of the Sun Belt for a while. Second, they need to start winning their OOC games. Third, once these two things begin to happen with some frequency, they need to see about switching conferences. Anything in a better market will do, but the obvious goal SHOULD be the Big East.

Thankfully, if and when Isiah Thomas' work helps FIU's basketball team improve drastically, and if Turtle Thomas can keep the level of the baseball team sufficiently high, this might not be that farfetched of a dream. And you can bet the farm that the FIU-UM rivalry will reignite if (when) these things happen.

[Buc Nasty]

UM - FIU could have been something of a UCLA/USC type rivalry.

But it won't happen as long as Shalala is at UM.

Miami has to pay lots of money to FIU in order for that game to happen, and they will never forget the national tarnish that resulted from frustrated FIU players who thought they could compete with their more talented former classmates.

[chrisfiu]

Where's our good friend Fomenter? Is he wearing blue and gold yet?

[TheChampionUnderdog]

buc nasty is on some Bull there... the canes stomped on the clemson logo earlier that season then got stomped on the field themselves. when FIU got into the browl with the canes there wasnt another team in the country that didnt wish they had their chance to punch those fools upside the mouth. "invented swagger" pft.

[good game]

FIU VS. UCF CMON MAKE IT HAPPEN BOWL SELECTION OFFICIALS

[Buc Nasty]

Wow, I guess you didn't see the actual fight?

I don't recall our backup quarterback, little white boy Matt Perelli stomping on any Clemson logos, just getting body slammed after HOLDING FOR AN EXTRA POINT and then being kicked in the head by some cowardly lion.

Of course the rest of the lowlights involve either an FIU player getting stomped on the ground or body slammed to it.

[alt7787]

Lionell Singleton is the man!

Let's stop this FIU-UM talk please. FIU would be destroyed by UM. Destroyed. There is no question about it. Our defensive backs would be burned by Benjamin and Hankerson, our LB's wouldnt be able to bring down Berry and Miller and their O line would not let any of our D linemen get to Harris. We would be destroyed.

Now, let's focus on FIU. An FIU-UCF matchup would be amazing for bragging rights purposes, but most people have us playing UTEP. That wouldnt be that bad since UTEP has a decent fan following and lots of people would surely watch that game. I really dont care who we play though. I just want to see FIU on a big screen HD TV. That's going to look so good! I can't wait!

[GP 90]

WELL SAID ALT7787!

[FIUFan]

Wrong alt! We might lose, but it would not be a stomping. Did we get stomped against Texas A&M? They are the #18 team in the country.

We just need to keep playing winning football.

[Buc Nasty]

Yet you did get stomped by unranked Pittsburgh, who got stomped by unranked UM.

That whole transitive property thing doesn't work in college football - Boise lost to Nevada who lost to Hawaii who lost to Boise.

[panther97]

Sorry to get all transitive on y'all but I was wondering the same thing. If we'd get destroyed by UM, how would we do against the South Floridas and Virginias. The Canes aren't going to stay down but they've certainly struggled with some pretty lowly teams this year.

[alt7787]

Buc Nasty Im sorry to tell you, but "that whole transitive thing" is exactly how college football works. The entire BCS and opinion polling system is based off of logical fallacies such as If A beats B and B beats C, then A will beat C because A beat B. In other words, people assume that just because one team beat another team and subsequently wins/loses to another team, said team is better/worse than the other team. Still confusing, huh? Lol. The BCS is garbage. Lets leave it at that.

FIUFan, I love your optimism, but FIU "almost" beating TAMU means nothing in relation to UM. It was an early season game in which TAMU didnt take us seriously and in which we got a lot of lucky breaks. Theres lots of game film of us at this point in the season and we wouldnt sneak up on anyone.

In any case, this is all moot. I love FIU. I just dont want to hear the "FIU would beat UCG" talk. It's stupid.

[Buc Nasty]

That whole transitive thing is exactly how college football does not work.

Garbage it is.