FIU-Miami Football game will air on national TV September 22

The FIU-Miami football game on September 22 will air on national TV. The game will be played at 3:30 ET and televised on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2.

The FIU-Miami football game this season is only the third time the schools separated by nine miles will play. The Hurricanes outscored the Golden Panthers 58-9 in the previous meetings in 2006 and ’07.

FIU did not become an FBS program until 2004. They didn’t start playing football until 2002. The Golden Panthers spent their first two seasons of football in Division I-AA which is now referred to as FCS.

The first Florida International-Miami football game was marred by a dreadful brawl. An abundance of suspensions was handed out after the game. FIU had 18 players suspended and the Hurricanes had 13. Miami was coached by Larry Coker at the time of the brawl. He was accused of losing control of the team that night.

Coker succeded Butch Davis after the 2000 season. Davis left to accept the Head Coaching position with the Cleveland Browns. In the nepotism world of college football Davis is now the Head Coach at FIU.

Davis led FIU to their third winning season and bowl game in school history in 2017. They tied a program-best 8-5 season in his first year. The previous best record for FIU in a season was in 2011 under former Miami offensive lineman and tight ends and offensive line coach Mario Cristobal.

Cristobal began his coaching career under Davis as a Graduate Assistant at Miami from 1998-2000. Cristobal left to become the Tight Ends and Offensive Line Coach at Rutgers under former Miami Defensive Coordinator Greg Schiano. He then returned to Miami in the same capacities under Coker from 2004-06.

Cristobal was on Coker’s staff in the infamous 2006 game. In an ironic twist of fate, he became FIU’s Head Coach the following season. He was 29-48 in five seasons. That included the FIU’s only back to back and first two winning seasons in his fourth and fifth seasons in 2010 and ’11.

Cristobal is now the Head Coach at Oregon. He succeded Florida State Willie Taggart at the end of last season. Taggart spent only one season in Eugene. Cristobal was Taggart’s Offensive Coordinator in 2017.

FIU has split their first two games this season. They lost a tough opener against Indiana 38-28. The Golden Panthers won their Conference USA opener 28-20 at Old Dominion this past weekend.

FIU hosts UMass in a non-conference game at home this weekend at 7:30 PM. The Golden Panthers were 6-1 at home last season with the one loss to Old Dominion. The game against the Hurricanes is the last FBS non-conference game of 2018 for FIU They host FCS Arkansas-Pine Bluff September 29.

FIU is Miami’s last non-conference game for 2018. They begin ACC play five days later at Hard Rock Stadium against North Carolina. That game is an ESPN Thursday night game.

Miami is scheduled to play a road game at FIU in 2021. Silva is too small for a game with the Hurricanes. It is expected to be played at Hard Rock Stadium or Marlins Park.