Paws Up Preview – FIU Football @ Western Kentucky

DATE – Tuesday, October 14th

TIME – 8:00 PM EST

OPPONENT – Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (Conference USA)

VENUE – Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium (Bowling Green, Kentucky)

HOW TO WATCH – ESPNU

ODDS – WKU -7.5

FIU Football, which is coming off a 51-10 loss to UConn, will look to bounce back with a needed win. The problem? They’re still on the road against the top dogs of Conference USA, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Saying the words “Bowling Green” might be enough to trigger some bad memories for the FIU faithful.

I’m not sure how much there is to build on following that UConn loss. Nothing positive can really be taken away that isn’t immediately overshadowed by a vast amount of negatives. From injuries to mistakes and ineptitude, a loss like that can stop a season in its tracks.

If you thought the Huskies were a well-built team that had few weaknesses, take a look at WKU. Another high-powered offense in a tough environment to win in.

Oh, by the way, welcome to Weekday CUSA.

What Can Really Be Said?

Joe Pesansky ended up with more passing yards than Keyone Jenkins. That’s more than enough to paint a picture of how the offense performed against UConn.

UConn wound up with over 200 more total offensive yards, four more first downs, and yet still managed to score 51 points with less time of possession. But the biggest reason for this was the self-inflicted wounds for FIU. They committed FIVE TURNOVERS. Three interceptions and two lost fumbles.

“We’ve got to stop beating ourselves and see what type of football team we could truly be,” said head coach Willie Simmons. “At times against FAU, obviously, the first game, first half against Penn State, we’ve shown that we can be a really, really good football team, just far too often, your self-inflicted negative sins, as we call them.

“This week has really been about getting back to the basics, getting back to fundamentals, alignment, communication, and assignments. Way too many missed assignments the last two weeks, and most we’ve had all season have been the last two games.”

Missed assignments are when players on offense or defense fail to block or cover a specific player, or just fail in their role in the play. They lead to penalties, turnovers, or opposing points. According to Coach Simmons, FIU had 42 missed assignments on defense and 29 on offense.

Trying not to beat a dead horse here, but there really isn’t anything positive to mention about this game. It began horrifically with a concussion to Dwight Nunoo on the opening kickoff. Jenkins wasn’t benched; he was mildly injured but is still expected to be ready for Tuesday.

It’s Big And Red In Kentucky

Yes, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are still good. They’re 5-1, with their sole loss coming on the road against Toledo. Aside from that, they’re 3-0 in Conference USA, even if their games against Missouri State and Delaware were unexpected nailbiters.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: FIU will be taking on a complete offense that doesn’t make many mistakes, with an exceptional quarterback who can air the ball down the field. Maverick McIvor just transferred in from Abilene Christian and has thrown a cool 1,704 yards and 12 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions.

Their running game is reliable. For an offense that favors the passing game, that’s all you can ask for. La’Vell Wright is great in the red zone, with 203 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

As far as wide receivers go, take your pick with WKU. Seven different pass catchers have over 100 passing yards so far, and nine have caught at least one touchdown pass. It’s hard to decipher weaknesses in their offense.

Defensively, they’re decent but have some issues. They give up over 394 yards per game. 185 yards comes from their inability to stop the run per game – a weakness that Kejon Owens can hopefully expose.

Who Wins – FIU or Western Kentucky?

Yeah, sorry. In one of the more negative Paws Up previews so far, I’m not picking FIU.

There was nothing I saw in the game against UConn that would lead me to believe the Panthers can win this. On offense, maybe FIU can capitalize on a shaky Hilltoppers defense. Then again, I thought they would find success against an equally shaky UConn defense, and they didn’t.

Western’s offense is very similar to that of UConn, and that does not bode well for the Panthers. Their secondary will be tested, but more than anything, FIU will be tested mentally. Can they stop the turnovers? Can they get Lyghtz back to playing like the CUSA Preseason Offensive Player Of The Year? Can the return of Brian Blades bolster the secondary once more?

Maybe, but it still won’t be enough.

WESTERN KENTUCKY – 42

FIU – 20

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