Written By: Ernie Casanova
Orlando, FL--The FIU Panthers and the Temple Owls will face off in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Owls (6-6) look to complete a third consecutive winning season, while the 8-4 Panthers are on the verge of a school-record ninth victory of the year. A seventh win for the Owls will also be a school victory for them, which will most certainly push each squad to play lights out this Thursday at 8:00 PM ET.
Coming in as the defending AAC champions, it was somewhat of a disappointing season for the Owls. They won three of their last four games to gain bowl eligibility and haven’t won a bowl game since a victory over Wyoming in the 2011 New Mexico Bowl.
For the Panthers, head coach Butch Davis has guided the team to a major turnaround in just his first year. This is only the university’s third bowl game ever, with only one victory coming against Toledo in the 2010 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. It will be the first time these schools ever meet on the gridiron.
“We’re very excited to be headed to the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl,” said Davis. “Our guys have worked really hard this year, and I’m proud that we’ll end this season in a bowl.”
Panthers senior Quarterback Alex McGough had a solid season even with the absence of his best receiver Thomas Owens in the final games. McGough accounted for 22 total touchdowns and threw only two interceptions in his final six games. Temple leads their conference in passing yards allowed per game (210.0), but have also allowed 21 touchdowns through the air. While having won eight games this year, things may still not bode well for the Panthers against the offensive minded Owls.
The Owls began the season on a slump, starting with a 3-4 record. Insert junior Frank Nutile, and it was a whole different ball game from there. Nutile has gone 3-2 as the starter with one of those losses coming to the nation’s best offense in UCF. He a fearless thrower and has averaged over more than 253 yards passing over the last five games while accumulating 11 total touchdowns as well. With only six interceptions to compliment his efficiency, he’ll be up against an FIU defense that ranks 93rd against the pass. Nutile definitely has some help, as wide receiver Isaiah Wright is their most dynamic player. Wright leads the team with 40 catches for 581 yards, but contributes to the team in numerous ways. He’s a reliable return man and runs the ball well with 8.4 yards per carry on his rushes.
The main focus for each team will need to be in the trenches. FIU has only allowed 22 sacks to opposing teams and is a very competent run-blocking unit, with an average of 165.1 yards per game on the ground. They face the 22nd ranked defense in terms of sacks per game, as this will be one of the underrated and exciting bowl matchups of the postseason.
Coming in as the defending AAC champions, it was somewhat of a disappointing season for the Owls. They won three of their last four games to gain bowl eligibility and haven’t won a bowl game since a victory over Wyoming in the 2011 New Mexico Bowl.
For the Panthers, head coach Butch Davis has guided the team to a major turnaround in just his first year. This is only the university’s third bowl game ever, with only one victory coming against Toledo in the 2010 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. It will be the first time these schools ever meet on the gridiron.
“We’re very excited to be headed to the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl,” said Davis. “Our guys have worked really hard this year, and I’m proud that we’ll end this season in a bowl.”
Panthers senior Quarterback Alex McGough had a solid season even with the absence of his best receiver Thomas Owens in the final games. McGough accounted for 22 total touchdowns and threw only two interceptions in his final six games. Temple leads their conference in passing yards allowed per game (210.0), but have also allowed 21 touchdowns through the air. While having won eight games this year, things may still not bode well for the Panthers against the offensive minded Owls.
The Owls began the season on a slump, starting with a 3-4 record. Insert junior Frank Nutile, and it was a whole different ball game from there. Nutile has gone 3-2 as the starter with one of those losses coming to the nation’s best offense in UCF. He a fearless thrower and has averaged over more than 253 yards passing over the last five games while accumulating 11 total touchdowns as well. With only six interceptions to compliment his efficiency, he’ll be up against an FIU defense that ranks 93rd against the pass. Nutile definitely has some help, as wide receiver Isaiah Wright is their most dynamic player. Wright leads the team with 40 catches for 581 yards, but contributes to the team in numerous ways. He’s a reliable return man and runs the ball well with 8.4 yards per carry on his rushes.
The main focus for each team will need to be in the trenches. FIU has only allowed 22 sacks to opposing teams and is a very competent run-blocking unit, with an average of 165.1 yards per game on the ground. They face the 22nd ranked defense in terms of sacks per game, as this will be one of the underrated and exciting bowl matchups of the postseason.