Vegas' early line on The Big Enrollment Brawl says they think it's going to be a Big Enrollment Beatdown -- and, apparently, early bettors agree (then again, the "smart money" had FIU over Duke, so...)
UCF opened as 13 1/2-point favorites and quickly moved up to 16 1/2 in some sports books and across the board offshore. Obviously, some folks see Team That Beat Akron by 42 and Hung Tough At Ohio State vs. Team That Beat Akron by 3 In Overtime and Got Blown Out In One Half at Duke.
Running back Kedrick Rhodes practiced Monday.
Sophomore Richard Leonard got the College Football Performance Award's Punt Returner of the Week for his 49-yard touchdown return against Akron. Kicker/punter (on Saturday) Jack Griffin was an honorable mention among the specialists.
In answer to who FIU will get to replace Texas A&M after the Aggies bought out the remaining game, the school should be announcing it tomorrow. Let's just say if this was before the ACC, SEC and Southwest Conference desegregated, FIU would be in big trouble.
MEN'S SOCCER
The 5-0 men's soccer team got votes in College Soccer News Top 30 poll, which came out Sunday. The National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Continental Tire polls come out Tuesday.
After the wins against Wisconsin (3-1) and Illinois-Chicago (2-1), freshman goalkeeper Robin Spiegel got Conference USA's nod as Defensive Player of the Week. Spiegel made six saves in the two wins and, like the team, is 5-0 this season.
Sophomore forward Colby Burdette scored in the second half and in overtime to lift FIU to a 2-1 overtime win against Illinois-Chicago. After their 2-0 road trip, the FIU men sit at 5-0.
None of the previous players were born the last time FIU won its first quintet of games. Most of the buildings on the Mitch Maidique Campus weren't built. The brand new building on campus was Sunblazer Arena.
The year: 1987, FIU's first season in Division I.
And this was the most talked about movie scene of the year...
WOMEN'S SOCCER
The women bombed Idaho Sunday evening 6-0, pushing them to 3-2-1. No, they didn't get two field goals after intercepting tipped Ryan Tannehill passes.
Junior Chelsea Leiva pumped in her first career hat trick and threw in an assist on Johanna Volz's goal. Sophomores Volz, Scarlett Montoya and Nikki Rios scored while freshman Madlen Weinhardt picked up three assists.
Goalkeeper Kaitlyn Savage made six saves for her third shutout of the season.
FOOTBALL HURTS
Camp Mitch sources say senior linebacker Alex Robinson, a big part of FIU's special teams, could be out for next week's game at Central Florida, but running back Kedrick Rhodes should be OK to run against UCF.
That’s what FIU's football team left everybody asking last week. I’m not sure it’ll be any different after this week. After all, we know next to zip about the Zips. So, Akron’s either too unknown or too known as a Homestead-post-Andrew rebuilding job to be a reliable gauge for the Panthers. Unless, that is, FIU loses, in which case we know enough to say, “Soooo…men’s soccer, you say?”
This game should be a confidence builder for FIU so long as they don’t go into it with overconfidence. Use it as a tune up for Central Florida without thinking of it as a tune up. The line’s back up to FIU by 24 after dipping to 23 earlier in the week from opening at 25. Bettors don’t trust either team.
Comparing last year’s Akron lineup that faced FIU with this year’s, only five who started on defense remain on the roster and, of those, only weakside linebacker Troy Gilmer tops the depth chart at the same position. Akron’s best defensive player from 2011, All-MAC linebacker Brian Wagner, graduated Akron with eligibility left and decided to play his final college season at Arizona.
Central Florida ran on the Zips for 4.5 per carry – 4.9 when you take out sacks, which colleges ridiculously count with the rushing numbers -- and FIU should run through Akron like Firestone, too. Akron’s defensive line doesn’t bring the Midwestern beefiness you’d expect from a city in the heart of Carnivore Country. At one defensive end, the Zips start 226-pound freshman Albert Presley. Someone that light on physical maturity and size in Division I might as well be the shotgun shack standing where planners want to build the freeway. FIU should be able to pull some eminent domain there and other places along the line to pave the road for some long drives.
In short yardage, FIU doesn’t have the bulky banger in the backfield. What they do have is a big, strong quarterback they need to start putting under their big, strong center in 1-to-go situations. Maybe after last week’s failures – yes, I know the atrocious spot on Kedrick Rhodes fourth down carry – they’ll test run such an approach against Akron with Jake Medlock. UCF scored seven touchdowns in seven red zone possessions. That speaks of a defense getting outmuscled or worn down.
FIU went to a fast pace on offense with good results last week until the score made the Panthers one-dimensional. Despite 32 new players, 10 of which have Florida connections, Akron’s still not used to dealing with this humidity. As Terry Bowden said one way to deal with the stifling, sapping climate is “you run guys in, use your depth. We don’t have any depth.”
So look for FIU to work Akron with pace and plays making everybody run sideline-to-sideline to wear down the Zips defense while body punching with the run. Throw in a play action pass with the primary receiver going deep, just to let Akron know they’ll do it. Then, later, against a tired, undersized front, really roll like a John Deere with a giant Hemi engine.
The Akron offense also retains five starters on the roster, but only wide receiver Keith Sconiers and tight end Rhyne Ladrach start at the same positions. Akron spent last year with Clayton Moore quarterbacking a pro-style offense. That was akin to asking the more famous Clayton Moore to play Tonto. Now, they’ve got Dalton Williams, a senior transfer from Stephen F. Austin, still learning a spread offense and in his second collegiate start. Williams threw the ball 50 times against UCF after 110 passes in three seasons as a backup at Stone Cold U. He’s no Sean Renfree, but Williams is 6-4, 230. He’ll be able to see over FIU’s line and shouldn’t go down easily. Still, second start, on the road and against a defense that got its feelings hurt last week. I can see him getting hit while throwing, thus leading to an interception or fumble.
Surely Akron saw Duke use motion to create some confusion in FIU’s defense. I found it interesting that FIU linebacker Winston Fraser said they worked on communication this week in preparation not only because it was an area of failure last week, but because they anticipate a noisy stadium this week. The enclosure not only closes off wind, it might enhance noise. Akron could have its own problems making adjustments at the line. Don’t be shocked if FIU gives up a monster play or two – you throw 50 times to decent athletes, it’s like covering the board in roulette – but too many explosive plays and/or no crushing counters from the defense says there’s a bigger, long range problem for FIU
FIU can lose this game only by giving up cheap points set up or scored by special teams – a fumble here, an lengthy return there, a blocked punt or field goal. Those plays are a momentum laxative. After that blocked field goal return touchdown last week, FIU came out for the second half looking like Joe Frazier coming out for Round 2 after George Foreman dribbled him around that Kingston, Jamaica ring in Round 1 (“Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!”).
Expect Mitch MacCluggage back as long snapper. It’s what he does and has done flawlessly in games. Usually, long snapper’s the ultimate “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” position. Coaches usually are happiest when they can answer “What do you think about your long snapper?” with “I don’t.” They view the snap-hold-kick mechanics similar to The Sopranos’ Ralphie discussing what he looks for in a gun: “I want to know the (sucker) is going to work.” Reliability rules. Jack with it at your own peril. So here’s poor Shae Smith, in his first FIU game at standard center, making the line calls for a new offense, now also having to long snap for his first time at FIU? And already having to change one part of the placekicking trio, punter Josh Brisk holding instead of graduated Wesley Carroll? Uh-uh.
I’ll stay with my Herald preseason section call: FIU 35, Akron 10.
But that’s one black man’s opinion. I could be wrong.
MEN'S SOCCER
FIU men's soccer had dumped Wisconsin 3-1 behind junior midfielder Gonzalo Frechilla, who had a goal and two assists and sophomore forward Quentin Albrecht who had a goal and an assist. Albrecht's five goals already this season matches last year's team-leading total. Freshman midfielder Daniel Gonzalez, out of Killian High, also scored.
The FIU men are 4-0 for the first time since 2000, which was also the last time they were 3-0. They visit Illinois-Chicago Sunday.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
FIU (2-2-1) got out of Baton Rouge with a plucky 0-0 tie (3-2-1) Friday night. Both teams had six shots actaully on frame, but LSU held an 23-10 in shots taken and 11-0 advantage in corner kicks. Now, FIU comes home to face Idaho Sunday evening at 6 p.m.
For those of you too young or just not versed in college football history, the blog post title is a reference to the famous Harvard Crimson headline "Harvard Beats Yale, 29-29" after the 1968 game that saw Harvard come back from 29-13 down in the last 42 seconds. That's also the title of Kevin Rafferty's very good, austere 2008 documentary on the game.
Coming to you from the same balcony where I snapped this a few days ago...
FIU men's soccer team hasn't started 3-0 in one generation and two coaches. A hat trick of 0-3's since that start in 2000, but no other 3-0's such as the record FIU takes into tonight's game at Wisconsin, ranked No. 10 in the Great Lakes region (FIU received votes in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Continental Tire South Region rankings).
"It's a different mindset (from previous years)," said forward Quentin Albrecht, scorer of four goals already this season after leading FIU with five in 2011. "We really believe in each other."
Kenny Arena's encouraging, of-course-you're-good-enough approach goes over well with the team, especially when they possess talent and can see results. Arena said, "Iv'e been pleasantly surprised by a few of our freshmen" citing Lyle Lindquist "playing out of position at left back" and freshman midfielder Patrick Ramdial, who has FIU's only non-Albrecht goal this season. And, of course, he complimented FIU's senior back line of Joe Dawkins and Anthony Hobbs.
As for Wisconsin, Arena said, "Very competitive. They've got that Midwestern culture, blue collar ethic and they're talented. I know their coach (John Trask) very well. They're organized and will be ready to play."
The Badgers are 1-2-2, defeating only Memphis 4-3. But they've been on the road for all five games. That means too jacked up about finally playing in front of their fans on one of the nation's great college party campuses or relieved to not be in places like Fort Wayne, Indiana (1-0 loss to Louisville) or Angola, Indiana (1-1 tie with Evansville).
Having U.S. National team coach Jurgen Klinsmann speak to FIU after the national team used FIU Soccer Field to practice for tonight's World Cup qualifier with Jamaica surely spurred juices, though most of the players were zygotes, toddlers or elementary schoolers during Klinsmann's peak.
"We try to find as many ways as we can to help our players grow," Arena said. "Sometimes, the greatest example is the player they aspire to be. Jurgen Klinsmann's not only a great coach, but he's probably the best forward in the history of Germany. We happen to have a good German forward (Albrecht). Moments like that could touch a player in a special way."
WOMEN'S SOCCER
The women's soccer team is on a there-and-back road trip to LSU for a game tonight, then returns home to face Idaho on Sunday. LSU's ranked No. 6 in the South Region. FIU, 2-2, lost to Florida Gulf Coast and national No. 24 Florida last weekend.
So, at Labor Day, nobody's happy with the economy or the U.S. President, the volleyball team is 2-4, the women's soccer team is .500, the football team has zero wins and the only undefeated team at Camp Mitch is men's soccer (3-0).
What is this, 1992? Feel like I should touch up my flattop, set the VCR to record Married...With Children and ask friends if they have power back after Andrew.
(Yes, I know the football team didn't exist. That's why it had zero wins)
Anyway, Sunday's 1-0 win at Jacksonville pushes men's soccer to 3-0 with two shutouts in the first three games under Kenny Arena. Freshman Patrick Ramdial got the goal off a setup from Daniel Gonzalez and freshman Robin Spiegel picked up his second shutout. While the football team tries to regain its grounding at home against Akron, their soccer brothers will be between games at Wisconsin, ranked No. 4 in the Great Lakes Region, and Illinois-Chicago.
FUTURE FOOTBALL
Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater completed 19 of 21 passes for 232 yards Saturday against Kentucky -- and sat out the fourth quarter. The first three touchdown drives Bridgewater led were 95, 85 and 93 yards.
FIU will see Bridgewater in three weeks when the Miami Northwestern graduate leads the Cardinals into town. If they don't buck up the pass defense by then, Bridgewater's homecoming could make FIU look like Louisville's homecoming opponent.
SATURDAY MORNING UPDATE: Freshman defensive tackle Darrian Dyson, who would've been in the defensive tackle rotation and is anywhere from Nos. 1-5 (depending on which recruiting ranker you believe) in the 2012 recruiting class, won't play tonight. The NCAA hasn't cleared Dyson as being academically eligible. He missed this week's practices while the Four-Letter Organization went over everything. The NCAA usually likes to fine tooth comb (or, fine tooth pick for you Spaceballs fans) online courses, but I'm hearing all of Dyson's work was done the old fashioned way. Back to the wee hours pregame analysis...
A busload of donors on the trip...a line that puts FIU as an underdog but keeps moving toward "pick 'em" as the bettors jump on FIU...an early road trip against a beatable opponent...
Sounds similar to last year's Louisville game. Important as that win was for FIU, this one could eventually be seen as more important. It could launch the kind of and-1 or and-0 season that makes FIU a household name among serious college-affiliated fans and a few think-they're-serious college-affiliated football fans.
Sun Belt officials will work this game. Even though this year is like the year of legal separation you used to have to go through in New York to get a divorce, that's still good for future Conference USA school FIU. At the very least, these officials have a familiarity with FIU as opposed to Duke. That never hurts when a zebra goes to his judgement on a bang-bang play. It's not intentional. It's just like any choice -- close call, make a decision now, guy and/or company you sort of know vs. guy and/or company you don't...who do you think usually gets the call? For those wanting to play Conspiracy Brother, the Sun Belt wants a Boise State in the next few years. This year, the consensus says FIU's got the best shot at being that.
Duke returns four of five offensive line starters and a healthy group of running backs, including redshirt sophomore Josh Snead, who ran for 4.9 yards per carry as a freshman in 2010. Still, no dummies, the Dukies know what they're facing. They might be a better running team than in past years when they ran the ball like they were pushing a Fridgidaire, but only quarterbacks truly made a living running on FIU last year. That doesn't figure to change this year. They'll be a-throwin'.
But they'll be a-throwin' more to the running backs than they did last year. Oh, don't think FIU will completely unplug Sean Renfree-to-Conner Vernon. Too much of a mind meld there for them to be rendered totally acoustic. That's not going to be enough for them Saturday. Should FIU's secondary start squeezing the other two wideouts or the pass rush start getting to Renfree, look for Duke to work in short passes to the running backs and tight ends, most likely covered by the linebackers. It gets the ball out of Renfree's hands, a priority for Duke should FIU pierce the Blue Devils usually stout protection, particularly through the Takoby Cofield checkpoint. Cofield, the left tackle, is the least experienced Duke starter on the line. Passes to the backs also keep linebackers Winston Fraser and Jordan Hunt occupied. On the chessboard of the Panthers' defense, they're the knights you have to figure out how to deal with. I don't think teams will do that very effectively this season.
FIU knows its defense and too many of them have seen enough of Duke's offense. Remember, last year, Duke got 17 points in the first quarter. FIU allowed one real drive after that. The Blue Devils marched all of 9 yards to the game-winning touchdown. Without the element of unfamiliarity with Duke's concepts and how well the Blue Devils express those concepts and with FIU's additional experience, I see FIU's defense generally winning this battle. I don't think it'll be a destructive wilding by FIU. Look for a few more coverage sacks, maybe a sack after three guys get knocked off their patterns. Duke protects well, allowing only 19 sacks in 12 games last year and 11 of those came against Stanford and Florida State.
When FIU has the ball, unless Jake Medlock gets his confidence rolling early with some big plays downfield, look for FIU to work mostly up the middle on the ground. They've got a line that knows each other and works well together. FIU saw Duke's best defensive player, defensive end Kenny Anunike, only on film last year as he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Tulane the week before Duke came to Near Sweewater. This year, FIU gets the full Anunike. Might want to throw a couple of screens and traps his way early to get him thinking. Meanwhile, expect FIU to punch the middle of Duke's defense to see how flabby it is.
Medlock's running ability opens the field. By the end of last season, defenses stuffed the box, targeted Rhodes or Darriet Perry and almost dared FIU to throw deep. With Carroll in there, defenses could do that and figured, if Carroll ran, they could collect him on the way. Not much of a big play run threat, though he knew when to keep and how to get what he needed when he did keep it. Now, defenses have to account for Medlock and his arm.
As for what FIU can get downfield, the first place they should look is the office of Brandon Braxton, who might still be looking at his name on the door. Braxton was a wide receiver until the spring. Now, he's a starting safety. Starting victim? Could be, unless he's a natural. Watch the pass interference calls on him if FIU can get him isolated on a Wayne Times, Jacob Younger, Glenn Coleman or Willis Wright.
FIU nearly ran Duke's defense into the ground in South Florida. No air in the U.S. possesses the chewy quality of South Florida, but it shouldn't be a breezy night. If FIU runs their attack efficiently, they might force Duke to reach for defensive depth. That's a reach that'll hit a hard bottom quickly. Look for FIU then to step up the body punching to pound their way home.
FIU's got a clear special teams advantage with kicker Jack Griffin, who's been nailing 50-yarders in practice with greater regularlity, and punter Josh Brisk. You can look at Duke kicker Ross Martin as either a freshman or a freshman who was a high school All-American and ranked as one of the nation's three or four best kickers by all. You can look at Duke punter Will Monday as a redshirt freshman about to play his first game. Expect Monday to give it up at some point. In a position that dictates field position so much, you can't have freshman mistakes giving Richard Leonard or Wayne Times a running start or gaps of space on punt returns.
I see FIU doing the basics -- running the ball, playing solid defense, owning the field position. That goes a long way to making life easier for Medlock and I don't think he'll mess that up. I expect to see two or three combined turnovers from the teams, however. If those are split 2-1, 1-1, look for the score below. A two-turnover margin either way changes everything.
FIU 24, Duke 14.
That's just one black man's opinion. I could be wrong.
Noticed Hud Mellencamp, son of John Mellancamp, is listed as a freshman defensive back on Duke's roster. I couldn't resist...
SOCCERS
Two more goals for Quentin Albrecht, one more win for the men's team, this time 2-1 over North Florida Friday. Nicolas Rodriguez, who assisted on Albrecht's first goal last week against Bryant, got helpers on both goals this week. FIU held North Florida to just one shot on goal. The 2-0 men face Jacksonville Sunday. Another Albrecht goal and he'll match last year's team-leading total of five.
A goal by Shannen Wacker 63:13 into the match gave Florida Gulf Coast a 1-0 win over FIU's women. On the stat sheet, it wasn't that close -- 11-0 in corner kicks for Gulf Coast, 22-10 in shots taken, 13-3 in shots actually on goal.
This is why you do don't put off doing stuff when you can, as happened around here after Coyote 3 dogpaddled back home last night from what became Deutchsland Night at FIU men's soccer.
Let's say a water main near your building bursts one morning just because that's what water mains do occasionally. You have no running water in your crib, turning you into a high rise Okie, and your surrounding streets look like this.
That packed dishwasher that didn't get run the night before with the dishes in the sink that didn't get rinsed off? That shower you didn't take, though you already felt icky from pre-dawn to late night rippin' and runnin'? Those errands you declined to run the day before? Now all you can do is pull out the proverbial jug of wine, loaf of bread and jug of water (didn't do the pre-storm bathtub fill yet and your kidneys do not care...)
And blog about yet another watch list. The first Senior Bowl watch list includes FIU defensive end Tourek Williams, safety Johnathan Cyprien and offensive tackle Caylin Hauptmann. T.Y. Hilton was the first FIU player to be named to the Senior Bowl.
MEN'S SOCCER
Eric Reyes started 12 games for FIU in goal last season. For Friday night's opener against Bryant, Reyes watched freshman Robin Spiegel, from Wipperfurth, Germany, get a three-save shutout win. Spiegel was a relatively late recruit, according to coach Kenny Arena, a June find.
"At this point in the season, we started who we felt was doing the best," Arena said of the whole lineup. "Like I told the guys, it's game by game, practice by practice."
Spiegel's sophomore countryman, Quentin Albrecht, potted both FIU goals.
VOLLEYBALL
FIU sits at 1-2 after a four-set win against Florida A&M Saturday evening at the (big breath now) Campus USA Credit Union Invite in Gainesville.
Earlier in the day, the Panthers suffered a five-set loss to Florida Gulf Coast 25-23, 13-25, 25-17, 18-25, 15-12. Senior Marija Prsa compiled 25 kills while redshirt sophomore Jessica Egan racked up 25 assists. Hopefully, there's no three-knockdown rule if FIU loses this afternoon to Florida A&M.
Friday, freshman Lucia Castro, out of Puerto Rico's Caribbean School, led FIU with nine kills and Egan had 21 helpers in FIU's 3-0 (25-21, 25-14, 25-12) loss to No. 18 Florida. FIU actually led 19-17 in the first before a 5-0 run swung the game.
Half the starting lineup from last year’s Sun Belt Conference champions is gone, so the Sun Belt coaches poll picking FIU women's soccer as the preseason favorite gives props to the talent in the 2010 and 2011 recruiting classes.
On the 24-woman roster, there are 15 juniors and sophomores, eight freshmen and one senior, goalkeeper Kaitlyn Savage.
Last year’s leading scorer and preseason Sun Belt co-Offensive Player of the Year forward Chelsea Leiva, midfielder Nicole DiPerna (also preseason All-Sun Belt) and Kim Lopez (five goals, tying Leiva and Ashlegh Shim for the team lead) are juniors. Shim, midfielders Johanna Volz and Sara Stewart are sophomores. While last year's lineup might've been senior-dominated, last year's freshmen and sophomores quickly garnered the respect of their elders with their skill and fitness.
“The players returning to the team, we’re in a good place,” FIU coach Thomas Chestnutt said. “Those two years of recruiting classes are very competitive, very hungry, willing to do what it takes to be successful. They’re able to take some of the experiences from those players, they already have that competitiveness and drive, so it’s helped them become stronger leaders on our team because we have a young team this year.
“We won’t have quite as much that experience, but we have that energy. With the older returning players molding that the right way, we can do some good things this year.”
Chestnutt seemed to almost shrug at that 4-0 loss to North Florida in the preseason. He said he regarded it as "a training game" and handled it accordingly.
Leiva laughed, "Glad it happened earlier than later."
Chestnutt holds a special place for last year's seniors, his staff's first recruiting class at FIU.
"When I started here, we had a vision for this program," Chestnutt said. "That was to be contending every year for the confenrece titles; to be ranked in the region; and to get to a place where we can be a top 25 team in the country. The set of girls who graduated last year were sold that when they came in 2008. They were able to realize those goals. That was a redeeming thing for them. They came in here believing in us and we believed in them. Together, they were able to make these things happen. We talked about how special it is to do these things at a program (like FIU) as opposed to being at a program where they might happen all the time.”
The football team's got the day off. FIU got a verbal commitment for 2013 from Miami Columbus High linebacker Jordan Guest, who attended Monday's practice. Guest, unrated by Rivals, Scout or ESPN, is 6-3 or 6-4 and looks like he'll be 200 to 210 easily.
State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota pitcher Robby Kalaf has joined former Valrico Bloomingdale High teammate and pitcher Cody Crouse as a verbal commitment to FIU. Crouse, a a 6-6 right handed senior at Valrico this season, committed in July for 2013.
Kalaf, a righty, went 2-4 with a 3.92 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 11 innings for State last season.
VCLLEYBALL AND MEN'S SOCCER
Wednesday was the first day of official practice for two fall programs with new head coaches, former volleyball assistant Trevor Theroulde and Kenny Arena assuming the positions.
Conference USA coaches voted senior defender Anthony Hobbs to the preseason all-conference team.
I'll have more details this evening -- I'm officially on vacation and planning to observe working silence for a few hours this afternoon -- but FIU has added a year to football coach Mario Cristobal's contract to 2017 and given him another raise a year after bumping him up to over $453,000 on base salary.
Realistic about FIU's limits, I don't think Cristobal was looking for the big payday for himself, but did want the football equivalent of occasionally sending flowers and candy when it's not a birthday, anniversary or Valentine's Day -- more money for assistants, some upgrades on facilities befitting a program trying to work its way up.
I'll break this down when I get a peek at the contract or at least the highlights, hopefully later today.
FUTBOL
The men's soccer schedule came out Wednesday.
Kenny Arena's first season as FIU men's soccer coach opens with a for-fun exhibition at Barry Aug. 16, then a home game that counts against Bryant University (is the prime major there building and servicing air conditioners and heaters?) on Aug. 24. They have one home game in September, Sept. 16 against Missouri-Kansas City. Their next three home games are Oct. 6 against Alabama-Birmingham, Howard and defending Conference USA champion SMU.
Memphis comes in on Oct. 27 and a home game against Tulsa ends the regular season on Nov. 3. Between those games is a short ride up to FAU Oct. 30.
Early in the season, the Panthers play five consecutive road games: Aug. 31 at North Florida, Sept. 2 at Jacksonville, Sept. 7 at Wisconsin, Sept. 9 against Illinois-Chicago and Sept. 14 against Furman. Their first Conference USA match of the season will be at South Carolina Sept. 29.
560WQAM was the only bidder on this season's radio rights for FIU football. The proposal was opened Thursday afternoon after being postponed from April an again from last week. It's a bid for this season with a school renewal option for two years.
Accepting whatever QAM bid would put FIU on an actual sports radio station. But how often? QAM has University of Miami football and, in any case of overlap, good business says FIU's the one getting lateraled to some sister station. So if UM's season opener, against Boston College 3:30 Sept. 1 runs long, FIU kicks off its season against Duke at 7 p.m. somewhere else.
Central Florida just announced the Sept. 15 game against FIU, UCF's home opener, will kick off at noon. The game will be televised regionally on Comcast Sports Southeast. That kickoff hinders those considering driving up the day of the game and/or those considering actually enjoying Friday night in either Orlando (heh) or South Florida. It also would hinder QAM -- UM plays Bethune-Cookman at noon.
There's potential conflicts on the other three September Saturdays and Oct. 20 (FIU at Troy, 3:30 kick, UM Homecoming against Florida State, kickoff still not set).That's half of FIU's season.
Then again, nobody else bid on the rights and it's getting awfully late in the game to reopen the process for anybody to bid with an eye toward profitability.
WOMEN'S TENNIS
FIU's women's tennis team got big ups from the NCAA for having an Academic Progress Rate in the top 10 percent of all college-affiliated sports teams from 2007-11. Salut to the women of those four academic years: Liset Brito, Priscilla Castillo, Marijana Cutuk, Maria Dolores Pazo, Egle Petrauskaite, Maria Spenceley, Alonya Tsutskova, Maria Jose Vallaciani, Mariana Muci Torres, Magali Holt, Christine Seredni, Giulietta Boha, Lisa Johnson and Rita Maisak.
Now, I'm the last one to frown on academic achievement, especially if it's connected to athletics. Add up the time I've spent railing about the hypocrisy and fraud of college sports as it relates to the classroom and it'll make Law & Order's run look like a miniseries.
Looking over the rosters of the tennis team for the relevant academic years we find (in chronological order) two Americans of eight players, four from players Eastern Europe; two Americans of six players, one player from Eastern Europe; three Americans of eight players, one player from Eastern Europe; three Americans of seven players, two players from Eastern Europe.
So, the FIU team that's nationally recognized for classroom work has a high percentage of players hailing from other countries, a few of which don't even use the same alphabet. And, they're working in a foreign country and culture, an ocean and half a continent away from familial support.
Fist pumps, high fives, low fives, chest bumps, butt bumps and dap for them. But what's that say about the student-athletes (or athlete-students, as the case may be) on FIU's teams that are stocked with a greater portion of Americans?
Before you say it's a factor of tennis being played by those in the upper middle to upper economic classes, which tend to have better educated parents that bring their kids up in better school systems, it's not necessarily that way in other countries. One of the reason Europeans dominate tennis now is it's been a sport of the masses over there for at least a generation.
So, is it a commentary on the time they have to devote to the books, their use of that time or their want-to when it comes to higher education? Or, is it that on larger teams, the roster dips more into the hoi polloi of high school students, thus exposing the weaknesses of our educational system, especially in this state?
Just wondering...
MEN'S BASKETBALL
DeJuan Wright, now finishing up his degree during the summer sessions, will make the NBA workout rounds, then possibly head to hoop in France if he doesn't catch on over here.
Louisville's Sept. 22 visit to FIU will be a 7 p.m. game, as decreed by college-affiliated football's four-letter television masters from Bristol. Now an ESPN3 game, it could move to ESPNU. That would be FIU's third ESPNU game of the season, as they'll already be on against Arkansas State and FAU. The Oct. 20 game at Troy also is now a 3:30 start, in case you were planning any birthday parties around it.
Of course, the big question is whether the gap pictured below will be filled in exactly three months from Friday...
SOCCER
Gulliver and FIU alumnus Jean Camere will be an assistant coach and FIU alum Phillip Lamarre will be a volunteer goalkeeper coach under first-year men's soccer head coach Kenny Arena.
Over on the XX side, FIU's defending Sun Belt Conference champions will open the season Aug. 17 at home against Stetson. Two more home games, Aug. 19 vs. Jacksonville and Aug. 26 vs. Morehead State. The first two home games will be Parents Weekend, a good move to get some folks in the stands at a time few folks are around campus.
Then, comes the toughest part of the schedule -- a hat trick of road games against Florida Gulf Coast, Florida and LSU, a combined record of 44-21-3 last season among the three NCAA tournament teams.
Prediction on men's soccer: Arena continues to build on the rebuiliding Munga Eketebi tried to do under the yoke of NCAA sanctions, but playing in still-tough Conference USA keeps FIU under .500.
Prediction on women's soccer: Sun Belt Conference regular season champions. If they come out of the first three-game road stretch with only one loss, they might get into the NCAA tournament without winning the conference tournament.
SWIMMING & DIVING
The 2011-12 College Swimming & Diving Honors named FIU as one of its nine Female Break Out Teams for the Sun Belt Conference meet performance; one of nine top Championship Performances (by a) Female for sweeping the Sun Belt swimmer (Johanna Gustafsdottir), diver (Sabrina Beaupre), head coach (Randy Horner) and assistant coach (diving coach Chris Mantilla) of the year awards at the conference meet; and Mantilla was named one of the top nine assistant coaches of the year.
A little June Jamiroquai break...
...now back to news.
BASEBALL
Phil Haig, who led FIU with nine wins, 72 strikeouts, 99.1 innings pitched and 16 starts in 2011, announced he'll be the new pitching coach at Sam Houston State.
Lake Worth Trinity Christian catcher Phildrick Llewellyn, an FIU commit who became the highest drafted Phildrick when taken by Arizona on Tuesday, told the Palm Beach Post he'll sign with the Diamondbacks organization soon.
After 40 rounds of fun -- sounds like one Andre the Giant night in a bar -- here's where the Major League Draft tangibly touched FIU.
Four recruiting signees were taken:
Alexis Rivera, 6-2, 220, outfielder/first baseman out of Montverde Academy up in Central Florida, taken No. 313 by Kansas City
Phildrick Llewellyn, catcher out of Lake Worth Trinity Christian, went to Arizona at No. 423.
Righthanded pitcher Reid Scoggins, out of Howard College, got taken at No. 577 by Anaheim
And as everybody was packing up, Milwaukee took American High catcher Chucky Vazquez with pick No. 1235. The draft lasted only three more picks.
As tor the players with FIU in 2012...
If right fielder Jabari Henry has a cup of coffee in the majors, he's with the right organization to do so. Seattle took him in the 18th round, No. 551 overall, making Henry the first player off the 2012 FIU roster to be drafted this year.
In the 21st round, at No. 663, Arizona took first baseman Rudy Flores. Flores played three games this season, going five for 13, before a suspension for a series then an injury limited his season to those three games.
At No. 808, San Francisco drafted lefthander Mason McVay, who went 2-3 this season, but held opposing batters to a .242 average. He had some control issues, his 10 wild pitches leading the team by four and five hit batsmen tying for the team lead.
Mike Martinez had to wait until No. 1,089, but FIU's all-time hits leader got taken by Houston at the top of the 36th round Wednesday.
WOMEN'S TRACK
Overcoming FIU's lack of facilities to sprint to the NCAA Championships, the women's 4x100 relay team of junior Melissa McElveen, junior Lakeisha Kelley, senior Carla Mills and junior T'Keyah Demoy finished eighth in Heat 1 of Wednesday's prelims. Their 49.09 time was well off their seeding time of 45.05.
Last week, FIU baseball coach Turtle Thomas likened his team to a football team that couldn't stop anybody when their offense is clicking, couldn't score when the defense is clicking or special teams failed badly enough to upend the whole mix. To use Thomas' metaphor, Thursday and Friday, FIU couldn't stop the early bombing, then coulnd't stop FAU in the two-minute drill.
And it could cost FIU the No. 3 seed in the Sun Belt Conference tournament.
Friday, reliever Michael Gomez took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth and left with a 4-3 loss that gave FAU the Sun Belt regular season title. The collapse wasted a fine start by Mike Ellis, which was an improvement on Thursday. Eddy Pidermann got pummeled for six runs in the first inning of a 12-2 blowout.
Statistical oddity: Oscar Aguirre came into this series with zero home runs on the season. He has two solo shots in the first two games.
The two losses leave FIU at 15-14 in Sun Belt play, the same as South Alabama, which took two of three from FIU up there this season. FIU ends the regular season this afternoon at FAU hours before South Alabama hosts Troy in its regular season closer.
OLD NEWS
So Old Dominion joins Conference USA, putting the league at 14 members. My first thought was "Oh, cool, Cindy Russo and Inge Nissen coaching against their alma mater twice a year now!" Russo and Nissen played for ODU back when it ruled the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women and the NCAA barely acknowleged women's sports. (young fans or participants in women's sports who want a historical perspective where we are now versus where we used to be should check out Sports Illustrated's recent issue on the 40th anniversary of Title IX and the story that discusses the AIAW).
It also means one more school FIU should own in football for a while. ODU just restarted its program in 2009 and will go FBS (Division I in any other sports' language) in 2015.
SOFTBALL
Senior outfielder Ashley McClain got named to the All-South Second Team by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. McClain, a First Team All-South honree in 2010 and 2011, is the first FIU player to be All-South three times.
I've momentarily escaped the official play-for-pay land of Dolphins and Heat that keeps Death Star Tractor Beaming me away to discuss the major acquisition of the last two days.
My daughter's bunk beds got delivered!
While I was throwing Barbie's cocktail glasses in her dream house -- thank goodness it has an elevator, no way that bony lush makes it up three floors of stairs -- to prepare for delivery over the last two days, FIU basketball coach Richard Pitino was landing Jersey City (N.J.) St. Anthony's forward Jerome Frink and junior college shooter Malik Smith, originally out of the Boston area.
Frink, 6-6 or 6-7, was a First Team All-New Jersey player this season. He averaged 10 points and 5.8 rebounds per game during the regular season and 16.2 and 6.5 per game in the playoffs. He and Kyle Anderson, who'll be heading for UCLA, were the only two starters on both St. Anthony teams that won a combined 65 consecutive games over the last two seasons and two New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament of Champions titles.
The 6-2 Smith averaged 13.9 points per game for Jacksonville College. He's a shooter, not a slasher -- he put up over 11 shots per game, but shot only 36 percent from the field, got to the line an average of only three times per game, but sank 84 percent of his free throws.
SOFTBALL
South Alabama was giving FIU the what for, 5-1, in the fifth inning of Thursday evening 's Sun Belt tournament play when lightning halted play. Before things resumed, the rains came and shut the party down for the night. Play will restart tomorrow.
YOU MAKE THE CALL
Actually, they make the call. "They" being the folks in stripes, a design formerly associated with prison, which is where some fans inevitably feel officials should wind up for stealing a game from their fair team.
Alas, about 90 high school, Division II and Division III officials won't be in jail, but will be attending the 2012 South Florida Officiating Clinic Friday and Saturday at FIU. The event put together by Miami-living nine-year NFL official Alberto Riveron and former NFL zebra Gerald Austin, officials coordinator for Conference USA, will bring in 45 active NFL and Division I officials from C-USA and the ACC for one-on-one tutoring of the 90.
But what's a ref without action to judge? Those passing by FIU Stadium or the soccer field over the next two days might notice football games inside. Thirty-six local high school teams will give the practicing refs actual 11-on-11 action to call.
They'll leave with their games on DVD and a detailed critique. The heads of offficiating for the ACC, Sun Belt, SWAC and others all have decided to drop by this weekend to observe and check out whether anyone might be ready for a bump up in level. Also, scheduled to be present is NFL vice president Carl Johnson.
Riveron says he would like to do this annually, if it goes well.
With Mariah Dawson pitching, FIU dumped Troy 4-1 and will face the winner of No. 2 seed South Alabama vs. No. 7 Louisiana-Monroe Thursday.
So, let's just say they'll be facing South Alabama tomorrow.
SUBHEAD
In talking to Turtle Thomas for the story that ran in The Herald today on Mike Martinez, I asked him if the team missed Martinez in the season opening series against top 10 ranked Rice. Martinez, for a violation of team rules, didn't play in the series.
Thomas nodded that he thought Martinez would've made a difference in the extra innings loss, which FIU led 4-3 late in the game. Having Martinez's bat could've meant an extra run, thus giving FIU a big early season win.
Thomas figures the only way back to the NCAA Regionals is to win the Sun Belt tournament. He thinks only one Sun Belt team will make it and he's probably right -- FAU has the conference's best RPI at No. 78 in the nation. FIU is No. 118
Senior outfielder Ashley McClain now has a hat trick of First Team All-Sun Belt honors and sophomore pitcher Mariah Dawson has a Second Team notice after the teams were announced Tuesday, the day before the Sun Belt tournament starts at FAU.
FIU opens against Troy at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Race cars and teams with new coaches usually don’t fly right out of the box. Adjustments must be made, tinkering. It’s not until later in the week or the race that you’ll get the best runs.
Such was the case this year with FIU softball (27-25, 15-9), which begins the Sun Belt tournament Wednesday morning against Troy at FAU.
Beth Torina jumped to LSU after four years at FIU and Jake Schumann took over.
“Whenever a team has to adjust to a new coaching staff, it’s the team that has to do the most adjusting,” Schumann said. “Coach Torina did a great job. We coached differently. I’m sure it was a culture shock to them.”
McClain, FIU’s career leader in almost everything involving bat use, agreed, saying the difference is “more of a focus, I would say.”
And, Schumann admitted, “We have to learn what their strengths and weaknesses are” something weather and schedule prevented much of in the fall.
Also, FIU didn’t exactly start the season popping open tomato cans for opponents.
The second game of the season, they faced now No. 8 Louisville and lost 4-2. The next game, they lost 3-1 to UMass, which received votes in the most recent ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 poll. Also receiving votes: FIU beaters Alabama-Birmingham (6-4) and Tulsa (4-1). At the DeMarini Invitational at Fullerton, Cal., the Panthers got drilled 8-1 by undisputed No. 1 Cal and 10-0 by Cal’s Bay Area’s private cousin/rival, No. 17 Stanford.
But in their final game in Fullerton, they beat No. 24 Oregon State, 4-1.They took one of three from No. 6 Louisiana-Lafayette, accounting for 33.3 percent of the total losses suffered by the 46-3 Ragin’ Cajuns.
“We had a really tough beginning part of the season. It’s helped us out in the long run because we had tough competition and we stuck with it,” said senior pitcher Jenn Gniadek, the Sun Belt’s Pitcher of the Week for last week. “Now, we know we can stay with the tougher teams. We know we can beat the teams in our conference.
“I think our team is good at not being afraid of anybody.”
McClain termed this season “a learning experience,” but also said, “I would say it was a good season. I wouldn’t change a thing about it.”
Early in the season, she had to adjust to getting the star treatment.
“Teams definitely pitched to me harder this year than any of my previous years. It was kind of tough for me at first because I had to be very selective with pitches I swung at,” she said. “They would go through the whole lineup and I’d be the only one to see a change-up. I was leadoff batter, they’d throw four straight balls to me, and they would come back to the next batter with strikes. It was definitely hard not being able to help my team out in the beginning because they weren’t pitching to me.”
McClain still led FIU with a .370 batting average, 57 hits, 37 RBI, 12 doubles and eight home runs. This season, she took the FIU career lead in RBI (161), homers (33) and total bases (415). When this season ends, she’ll try out for the Chicago Bandits of the National Pro Fastpitch Softball League. She expects to come back to FIU as a graduate assistant.
Schumann doesn’t expect the season to end quickly in the Sun Belt tournament, though two players will finish serving two-game suspensions Wednesday for what he termed “violating team policy” on Friday night. (Schumann, no Elia Kazan, wouldn’t name names, but a check of the weekend box scores says the parties are outfielder Alex Casals, a .308 hitter who has started 40 of the 44 games she’s played, and Erika Arcuri, a .226 hitter who has started 35 of her 41).
He figures FIU takes its side of the bracket, then faces down mighty Lafayette. Though each bracket side is double elimination, the championship round is one-game.
Summer session classes require the team will be coming up and back from FAU each day. So, I'll close with my favorite May driving song. Because, especially in May, it's all about finding the right groove...
Or, rather, game times for two of the games that will be on of the ESPNs.
Arkansas State at FIU, Oct. 4, will be a 7:30 kickoff on ESPNU. What might be the last FIU-FAU Shula Bowl for a few years will be on Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. on ESPNU.
SOFTBALL
Senior Jenn Gniadek threw a complete game, four-hit, 11-strikeout shutout against FAU to give FIU a 2-0 win, its school-record 15th conference win of the season. This earned Gniadek the Sun Belt's Pitcher of the Week honor.
FIU, the No. 3 seed, begins the conference tournament Wednesday morning at 11 against Troy at FAU.
A few quick things from this afternoon's official announcement that FIU would be joining Conference USA:
*The FIU-FAU football game is up in the air after 2012 because FIU doesn't know how many conference games it'll play and has other committments to honor.
*Mario Cristobal looked terribly happy. As he said, recruits like exposure for themselves and to know their families can see them on TV if they can't make the game. C-USA's TV deals are much better than the Sun Belt's.
*Pete Garcia pointed out that despite the closest school being Alabama-Birmingham or Southern Mississippi, travel costs actually could wind up better for FIU because teams can fly into major airports instead of flying in and going for a bus ride.
*The Sun Belt issued a statement from commissioner Karl Benson that both FIU and North Texas "were cooperative and kept and open line of communication throughout the process."
A) The construction of the La Carreta School of Culinary Arts with 100 level class "It Ain't a Colada Sin Azucar So Why're You Asking Me If I Want Sugar?"
B) The burial of the pep band's playlist, appropriately the same year as the passing of its contemporaries, Dick Clark and Don Cornelius.
