The long off season: Florida International

The Golden Panthers of Florida International University will have to enjoy the warm winter of Miami with the Original Shame Mask locked around their heads.

Their 0-12 season had them 116th in the nation in total offense at 251.5 yards per game (117th in rushing at 56.8 yards per game, 88th in passing 176.3 yards per game) and they were the only team in the country to not average at least 10 points per game, scoring only 115 points in their 12 games.

The long off season: Utah State

With the season now over, the Utah State Aggies began their shameful off season trapped in the Golden Gopher Shame Mask around their necks. Reflecting on their season is pretty tough to stomach.

After losing their season opening game at Wyoming, 38-7, they lost their next three games at Arkansas, Utah, and at BYU by a combined score of 106-0. The next week, they improved and were not doubled up in their 41-21 home loss to Idaho.

The next week, however, 1-3 Fresno state came to town. Utah took a first quarter lead with a 54-yard TD pass from Riley Nelson to Marcus Cross. This lasted until the third quarter when Fresno State tied it with a 60-yard touchdown pass, and then went ahead 12-7 with a fourth quarter safety and field goal. But the Aggies were not done, and their two-minute drill led to a 30-yard TD pass to Kevin Robinson with 0:55 remaining, giving them a 13-12 win. Fresno State did however miss two field goals in the game.

The next week, they jumped out to a 14-0 second quarter lead at San Jose State. However, it would be the last time they led a game during the season. San Jose State rallied to win 21-14. The remainder of the season had losses to Louisiana Tech (48-35), Hawai`i (63-10), Nevada (42-0), Boise State (49-10), and New Mexico State (42-20).

Of the 119 teams in Division I-A, Utah State's offense was 117th in scoring with 10.8 points per game, 111th in passing with 139.7 yards per game, but their 114.2 yards per game rushing were good enough for 89th. (They were 114th in total yardage.)

Troy 26, OSM{Florida International} 13

Dec. 2--For the fourth time in 2006, the first score in a Florida International game had the road team scoring a touchdown but missing the extra point. This time it was Troy on a 48-yard punt return in the second quarter. FIU soon rallied to take a 7-0 lead, but Troy scored again in the final minute of the first half and never looked back.

Thus Florida International finished their "perfect" season 0-12.

Florida Atlantic 31, OSM{Florida International} 0

Nov 25--More misery on the football field in southern Florida. The Florida Atlantic Owls, after dropping their first four games of the season, turned it around winning 4 of their next 7 games before hosting Florida International in their season finale. It was never close. FIU only managed 203 yards of total offense.

GGSM{New Mexico State} 42, Utah State 20

Nov. 18--Congratulations, New Mexico State, you've just dislodged the Golden Gopher Shame Mask from around your Aggie heads. Woo-hoo!

NMSU jumped out to a 28-0 lead over Utah State (also called the Aggies) in the first quarter and never looked back. It was another big game for Chase Hollbrook with 4 touchdown passes.

New Mexico State would go on to beat Louisiana Tech in the final game of the season to finish the season 4-8.

Boise State 23, GGSM{New Mexico State} 18

Nov. 11--Another tough lost for the Aggies. In a back-and-forth game, the Bulldogs of Fresno State came from behind with a 6-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter. New Mexico State missed an extra point, had another blocked and had a failed 2-point conversion. However, Fresno State also had a failed 2-point conversion.

Louisiana-Lafayette 17, OSM{Florida International} 7

Nov. 18--It has not been a good year for the Panthers of Florida International, not in the least:

Week 1: They started this season with a 7-6 loss at Middle Tennessee, a team that would finish 7-5. Of course, in that loss, they openned the season with a 17-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, but missed the extra point.

Week 2: The Panthers traveled north to face South Florida (finished 8-4), and lost by one point again, 21-20. For the second week in a row, the only scoring in the first quarter was an FIU touchdown (an 82-yard punt return) with a missed extra point. Then they returned an interception for a touchdown and led 20-7 at halftime before giving up the winning touchdown with 2 minutes left.

Week 3: Bowling Green (finished 4-8) came to Miami, and again the game started with the road team scoring a touchdown and missing the extra point. FIU however got an 80-yard TD run later in the first quarter. However, they started the second quarter by allowing two TDs in 14 seconds. But they returned the second half kickoff back 97 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 23-21. They trailed only 30-28 in the fourth quarter, but Bowling Green won 33-28.

Week 4: At Maryland (finished 8-4), FIU played the Terps tough and lost 14-10.

Let us pause. At this point, FIU is 0-4, but they've only been outscored by at total of 11 points, and three of their opponents would go onto have winning seasons.

Week 5: Arkansas State (finished 6-6) came to FIU and won pretty easily. They were ahead 21-0 when FIU got a touchdown late in the 3rd quarter, but the extra point was blocked. Arkansas State won 31-6.

Week 6: Possibly the most amazing game of the season. North Texas 25, Florida International 22, in seven overtimes. SEVEN! No game has lasted longer. The other two 7OT games however had final scores of Arkansas 71, Kentucky 63, and Arkansas 58, Ole Miss 56.

The scoring summary of this game is amazing: In the 1st quarter, North Texas took a 5-0 lead with an FIU snap over the punters head for a safety and 35-yard field goal. After a scoreless 2nd quarter, the 3rd quarter belonged to FIU. They took a 6-5 lead with a 21-yard pass for a touchdown, but the extra point was blocked. Then with 51 seconds left, FIU returned an interception for a 23-yard TD to take a 13-5 lead into the 4th quarter. The North Texas Mean Green rallied with a 23-yard field goal with 5:12 to play, and then a 4-yard TD and 2-point conversion three minutes later to take a 16-13 lead. But FIU kicked a 28-yard field goal with 0:02 left to play, sending a North Texas game to overtime for the first time ever. In overtime, each team missed four field goals.

Week 6: Now here's where the real problems begin. The crazy brawl against crosstown rival Miami (finished 6-6) resulted in two players being kicked off the team 16 more to be suspended indefinitely. FIU lost that game 35-0.

Week 7: Lead 3-0 at the end of the first quarter, but lost 38-3 at Alabama (finished 6-6).

Week 8: Lost 35-0 to La-Monroe, which gave them the shame mask.

Then, they again lead at the end of the first quarter 7-0, but they lost 17-7, converting only 1 of 12 third downs and getting only 190 total yards.

San Jose State 31, GGSM{New Mexico State} 21

Nov. 4--Par for the course for the Aggies. More than three times their opponent in passing yardage (364 to 105), and then a blocked punt for a touchdown to blow a fourth quarter lead.

OSM{La-Monroe} 35, Florida International 0

Ah, the balm for a season with out a win over a Division I-A team--a trip to Miami to face Florida International. Louisiana-Monroe looked positively great in their 35-0 win over FIU. Quarterback Chance Payne completed 10 of 11 passes for 110 yards and a TD. Back-up QB Darren McNeal completed his only pass--it was a 51 yard TD. His only pass attempt prior to this was a 61-yard pass against Troy. (After a dismal 1-2, 5 yard performance against Kentucky the following week, his passer rating fell to a dismal 403.20.) FIU managed only 10 yards rushing.