Preview: Q&A with FIU Beat Writer Eric Henry

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — On the Conference USA website, under the football tab, scrolling over to the PDF of the statistics the conference office puts out each week, the severity of the FIU Panthers' struggles in 2022 are plainly stated.

An offense that is 11th (out of 11) in total points, 11th in rushing offense, 11th in passing offense. Defensively? Not much better. Ninth in scoring and rushing defense, seventh in passing yardage. TFLs are an ok fifth in the C-USA, right in the middle of the pack for turnover margin as well.

But perhaps the most stunning fact is this: FIU is significantly better on paper than they were a season ago, where the Panthers lost 50-10 to MTSU at Floyd Stadium en route to an 1-11 season (0-8 in C-USA) that led to Butch Davis being replaced by Mike MacIntyre at the helm of the program.

"FIU got a new coaching staff, a new coach, Mike MacIntyre, so much respect for him, what he's doing and how he's building his program there," MTSU Head Coach Rick Stockstill said. "Really good skill guys, they can run. Like I said last week, this is a good football team that we're playing. We've got to be ready to play."

Certainly, it's a team that has shown a higher ceiling in 2022 than they did in their 11-game losing streak to close the year last season. A 35-14 win over Charlotte and a 42-34 overtime win at LA Tech show the offense can be effective with speedy skill guys all over the roster. And defensively, while the points scored are inconsistent, the underlying production, particularly getting into the backfield, isn't.

All that being said, there's still plenty to critique in Miami this season, like the 73-0 loss at Western Kentucky, or the 52-14 loss at North Texas, or the 40-6 loss at UTEP just last week. Even their home field, where the Blue Raiders travel for a 5 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, has proven quite a leaky fortress, with a 52-7 loss to rival FAU and a 33-12 loss to UConn on the resume.

Unsurprisingly, Stockstill said the focus of practice during the holiday week has been on building off of a MTSU's win against the FAU Owls last Saturday, a 49-21 thrashing that was perhaps the Blue Raiders' most complete game of the season.

"This is about us," Stockstill said. "It's about us continuing to get better and trying to improve each week and every day and focus on what we can control. And that's us and how hard we work this week, how hard we prepare and ultimately how well we play when we get down there."

To get a closer look at the Panthers, GoBlueRaiders.com Staff Writer Sam Doughton caught up with Eric Henry, who covers the FIU program day-to-day for SB Nation's Underdog Dynasty, in addition to being the site's Co-Managing Editor and C-USA podcast host. Henry gave insight into the culture change under MacIntrye, the offense's season-long struggles, the defense's reasons for quiet optimism, and some keys for the game.

You can follow Eric on Twitter @EricCHenry_

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1) I've been really impressed with the job Mike MacIntyre has done in his first year at FIU. While the results on the field don't always show it, it just seems like from what I've seen and read that the "vibes" around the program are much better than they were a year ago. What do you attribute that to and how do you assess MacIntyre's first year at the helm?

If you spend 10 minutes around Mike MacIntyre, he will make you feel at ease and most importantly for the FIU program – you'll be willing to listen to what he has to say. As a result, his demeanor and positivity have seemingly earned him the trust and buy-in of his players. That vibe you reference doesn't just extend to the coaching staff, first-year Athletic Director Scott Carr has to be given credit as well, as the situation under former AD Pete Garcia had become toxic, to say the least.

It's been an up-and-down year on the field. In my mind, four wins is absolutely a success considering how bare the roster was when MacIntyre took over in December 2021 and the implementation of over 45 new players to the roster and a team that has only 18 upperclassmen. The issue has been a few of the losses. They had their chances against UConn and C-USA heavyweight UTSA. However, defeats against WKU, North Texas, FAU and UTEP with a combined score of 217-27 – means the Panthers could really use a win or at least a strong showing on Saturday.

2) Getting into some of the stats this week, I don't think I was aware of just how anemic the Panthers' offense has been this season. It's not a universal problem, as good performances against LA Tech and Charlotte can attest, but when both your passing and rushing game rank at the bottom of your conference, there's clearly work to be done. What, from your perspective, is the biggest thing FIU has to get fixed on that side of the ball this offseason?

The offensive output you reference is part of the youth referenced above. Entering the season, the offense featured eight first-time starters – not including quarterback Grayson James who's started the last 10 contests. The offensive line has been a work in progress all year and their efforts to find continuity haven't been helped by injuries. As a result, they've started eight different offensive line combinations this year. The biggest thing that has to improve is the play up-front and that will come with reps and time. Beyond the line, the offense as a whole has to do a better job of staying out of second-and-long and avoiding third downs. Over the current three-game losing streak, the FIU offense has had 14 three-and-outs – in the first half alone.

3) Tyrese Chambers has fought through a lot in his career, but there's no denying that he's one of the best wide receivers in Conference USA since joining FIU in 2021, as Rick Stockstill alluded to during his game week press conference. As someone who's watched him up close for nearly every game of his Panther career, what makes him such a dynamic talent on the outside? And what has caused his up and down production in 2022?

Tyrese's story is undoubtedly one of the best you'll come across. Lightly recruited out of Baltimore, he went the FCS route and became one of the top players at that level and in his first year at FIU, rewrote the Panthers' receiving record book. What makes Tyrese special is his effort and natural playmaking ability. He's listed at 6-1, 190 pounds but he manages to win 50-50 balls and is a player who rarely loses one-on-one battles with DBs. As a result, teams have shifted coverage his way the majority of the season. That's affected his production somewhat, but mainly it's been the ineptitude of the offense as a whole. 39-of-88 passing over the last three games hasn't helped any of the wideouts production, especially Chambers.

4) Defensively, there are a few more positives to discuss for FIU this season. I'm particularly impressed by the depth of the production for the defensive front, with several different players able to get into the backfield on passing downs. Who are some of the players that have impressed you on defense this season and what does the team do particularly well when the defense is effective?

While the defensive numbers don't show it, there's reason for encouragement with this group for the future. Like the offense, it's a group that features mostly first-time starters and the contributors behind them are all getting their first real playing experience. Keegan Davis, Shawn Prendergast, Jordan Guerad, Travonte O'Neal, Latarie Kinsler are all players who will continue to grow. Jeramy Passmore has played well as a 3-4 defensive end after beginning his career as a 4-3 defensive tackle and running back-turned-defensive end Shaun Peterson Jr. has become one a true pass-rush threat in only one season on defense.

However, the most impressive players have been linebackers Gaethan Bernadel and Donovan Manuel along with defensive backs Andrew Volmar and Demetrius Hill. Manuel and Bernadel are an excellent pair inside in the 3-4 scheme, while Volmar and Hill should find their way on an all-conference team before it's all said and done. Both linebackers are among the league leaders in tackles while Hill also is in the top-20, but is making plays at or near the line of scrimmage.

5) After two rough losses the past two weekends to FAU and UTEP, FIU will be playing for pride against a Blue Raiders team that comes into Florida with plenty of momentum. What do you think will be key for FIU to pull off the win in their home finale?

A win would be huge but especially given the abysmal play over the past three weeks, a strong showing would go a long way to keeping some of the positive momentum that the four wins have given the program this year. Task number one is starting fast on offense. The aforementioned early three-and-outs can't happen against a Blue Raider club that has the ability to put up points. Task number two – keep Jordan Ferguson and Zaylin Wood off Grayson James. The Panthers have struggled against veteran defensive lines this year, especially in the last three weeks.

The defense has to find a way to pressure Chase Cunningham. Opposing quarterbacks have had endless time to go through progressions during the current losing streak and that's affected the secondary who have been asked to cover too long. Lastly, Rick Stockstill's modesty when asked about his run game this week doesn't tell the whole story. Yes, the Blue Raiders run game could improve – and as history has shown, the cure for that has been facing FIU. See 2019's monsoon at Floyd Stadium where the Panthers allowed a program-record 471 yards on the ground and last season's 261 rushing yards given up.

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Players Mentioned

Chase Cunningham

Jordan Ferguson

Zaylin Wood

Middle Tennesee State University Athletics