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.