ESPN College Football

Given the news of the past 24 hours, it only seemed prudent for FIU coach Mario Cristobal to reaffirm his commitment to the Panthers.

Cristobal was tied to the Rutgers job on Monday and reportedly had begun contract negotiations to replace coach Greg Schiano. But ultimately he decided to stay with the program he has rebuilt himself, a program that won a Sun Belt title and been to back-to-back bowl games for the first time under his watch.

“It is a tremendous privilege to be the head coach at FIU," Cristobal said in a statement released Tuesday. "We have a great thing going here and I am excited about the future of the program. Over the past five seasons we have been building something special. Our success has gone beyond the field, as our student-athletes have also excelled academically on their way to earning a very valuable diploma. I am also proud of our team’s continued involvement in the community. My goal is to see this program continue to develop and grow into a major football power. I want our fans to know that I am dedicated to this goal.”

It was the second time in the past few months that Cristobal has been a leading candidate for another job. After Todd Graham left Pitt for Arizona State, Cristobal was a top choice for the Panthers.

“We are extremely pleased that Mario Cristobal has chosen to remain the head coach at FIU," said Pete Garcia, FIU executive director of sports and entertainment. "What Mario has accomplished over the past five seasons is exceptional. It has always been my goal to have the very best coaches here at FIU. Mario continues to shine as one of the brightest young coaches in the nation. Our football team continues to gain momentum on the national scene as a result of Coach Cristobal’s tireless work ethic and passion for this athletic department and university. With the support of our chairman of the board, board of trustees, president and the entire university, we will continue to build the athletic department and all of FIU to the highest levels attainable in higher education.”

1. If the timing had been different, Mario Cristobal might have decided to leave Florida International, where he has been head coach for five seasons, and return to Rutgers. Cristobal had reasons to stay. He’s a south Florida guy. A team that went 0-12 in 2006, the year before he arrived, has gone to bowls the past two season. But in an age when coaches leave without saying goodbye, Cristobal didn’t abandon his team or the recruits that have agreed to sign with FIU on Wednesday. That makes him a stand-up guy.

2. Texas has gone 13-12 over the past two seasons, and persistent rumors regarding coach Mack Brown made athletic director DeLoss Dodds recommend a contract extension through the end of the decade to the university regents. Dodds all but rolled his eyes when he announced it, decrying the state of recruiting today. Maybe it’s a coincidence that Plano West defensive end Bryce Cottrell and Van (Texas) linebacker Dalton Santos switched from Oregon and Tennessee, respectively, to sign with Texas. Maybe not.

3. USC, on the heels of its 10-2 finish, is ranked 16th in the latest ESPN recruiting rankings. The Trojans might be higher were it not for the fact that they have only 14 commitments. That’s because USC is in the first of three years in which the school may sign only 15 players. As good as the Trojans were last fall, and as high as they have soared in the early rankings for next season, the NCAA-imposed recruiting penalty is going to take a toll. After struggling in 2010, the success of 2011 may be the eye of the storm.

The search for the new Rutgers coach continues.

Multiple outlets have reported that Mario Cristobal will stay at FIU. Earlier in the day, it was reported that Cristobal was in negotiations to replace Greg Schiano at Rutgers.

Interim head coach Kyle Flood interviewed this week and remains a viable candidate for the Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers is in talks with FIU coach Mario Cristobal to become its next coach, ESPN's Joe Schad confirmed Monday.

The New Jersey Press Media and Newark Star-Ledger also reported that Cristobal will replace Greg Schiano, who resigned to take over the Tampa Bay Bucs job last week.

Cristobal's name came up immediately when Schiano left. He is a young up-and-coming coach who previously worked at Rutgers under Schiano. Just like Schiano, he did a masterful job building FIU, taking the young FBS program to back-to-back bowl games for the first time in its history.

Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti says he already has a short list of candidates to become the next head coach of the Scarlet Knights.

So what exactly is he looking for?

“I think there are a lot of criteria," he said Thursday. "No. 1, we want the right kind of person. Understanding and being able to have your arms around the culture of the tri-state area I think is critical to being successful at Rutgers. So much of it has been built around being able to recruit on a somewhat regional level, that I think not only having a great understanding, but having really deep and strong relationships in the tri-state area. I think those are two very critical factors in this whole thing.”

Who fits the description? Here are a few possibilities:

Temple coach Steve Addazio. In his first season as the head coach at Temple, Addazio went 9-4 and brought the Owls back to a bowl game. He has ties to the tri-state area, having grown up and coached in Connecticut. He also served as an assistant at Syracuse in the 1990s and he clearly has established ties in the past year in the Pennsylvania area. That state has been a huge recruiting area for Rutgers, particularly given what has happened to Penn State.

Florida International coach Mario Cristobal. One of the brightest up-and-coming coaches in the country, Cristobal has done for FIU what Schiano did for Rutgers. He completely resurrected a program mired in misery, taking it to its first-ever conference title and back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time, too. FIU is obviously a much younger program, but Cristobal has got the coaching and recruiting chops. Plus, he worked under Schiano at Rutgers from 2001-03, so he has a familiar with the recruiting area. Cristobal was also a candidate for the Pitt job before ultimately deciding he wanted to stay in the South Florida area. What could Rutgers say to change his mind?

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco. A defensive mastermind like Schiano (who also served as defensive coordinator this past season), Diaco is from Cedar Grove, N.J., and has some coaching experience in the Big East. He was an assistant at Cincinnati under then-coach Brian Kelly before leaving to join Kelly with the Irish.

Paul Chryst's wait is over.

The Wisconsin offensive coordinator will be named head coach at Pittsburgh, colleague Joe Schad and others are reporting.

Chryst interviewed for the Pitt vacancy for the second consecutive season, and this time, he landed the job. Florida International coach Mario Cristobal and Ohio State's Luke Fickell also were in the mix at Pitt. Chryst also reportedly drew interest from Illinois for its recent vacancy.

As most blog readers know, I'm a big fan of Chryst's. He's one of the nation's best playcallers and should be an excellent head coach. This opportunity is overdue. While Pitt has botched its last two head-coach hires, the school should be much happier this time around.

Chryst's departure will affect Wisconsin, which also will lose quarterback Russell Wilson and possibly running back Montee Ball. His exit also could push quarterback transfer Dayne Crist away from the Badgers. Crist is deciding between Wisconsin and Kansas. It will be interesting to see where head coach Bret Bielema turns for Chryst's replacement.

More to come Thursday ...

Marshall beat FIU 20-10 in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl on Tuesday night. Here is a look at how it happened:

How the game was won: Marshall special teams. The Thundering Herd have been excellent all season at blocking kicks, and Tuesday night was no exception. With its offense stalling left and right, Marshall got the big play it needed with 7:35 left in the game. FIU set up to punt from its own 22, but Zach Dunston blocked the kick -- the seventh block of the season for Marshall (three kicks, four punts). The Herd appeared to score on the play, but the touchdown was negated because there was an illegal forward pass. A personal foul call on Tyrone Carper was tacked onto the end of the play. But Marshall was able to stay in field goal range, and Tyler Warner made a 39-yard kick that hit off the inside of the upright to put the Herd ahead. Aaron Dobson caught his second touchdown pass of the game on a fourth-down play with 30 seconds left to ice the game.

Turning point: The block was a huge turning point for Marshall. For FIU -- it was the play of T.Y. Hilton. The Panthers were determined to get him going early, and he had some nice plays -- including their only touchdown of the game. But he bruised his thigh in the first half and was mostly ineffective when he returned to the game in the second half. After Marshall kicked its go-ahead field goal, Hilton had a costly play that ended up being a deciding factor. He fumbled after a catch near midfield with 4:24 remaining, and Marshall recovered. It was his second fumble of the game, though he recovered his first.

Player of the game: Dunston. His blocked kick turned the tide in the game.

What Marshall learned: The Thundering Herd won their seventh bowl game in the last eight appearances, and Doc Holliday led this team to a winning record in his second season. This win is huge for the momentum he is building at program eager to restore its past traditions. Rakeem Cato was inconsistent in the game, but playing as a true freshman can only help next season.

What FIU learned: Without an effective quarterback, it is hard to win games. The Panthers decided to start senior Wesley Carroll, but he struggled. Backup Jake Medlock came in briefly in the fourth quarter but was equally ineffective. They had no downfield passing game, also hurt because of a hobbled Hilton. Now the question that looms is whether FIU coach Mario Cristobal returns next season. He is a candidate at Pitt.

You saw the preview and prediction, now here are three keys for FIU and Marshall in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl tonight:

FIU (8-4)

1. Block Vinny Curry. There is a reason Curry has become one of the best defensive ends in the nation. "He disrupts offenses completely," FIU coach Mario Cristobal said. "We have got to find a way to block him and contain him." FIU has done an excellent job at protecting the quarterback this season, allowing just 13 sacks. Curry has 11 sacks this season, but he also has 21 tackles for loss and has forced six fumbles.

2. Get T.Y. Hilton loose. There is no doubt Hilton is one of the most dangerous players in college football because he can hurt you in so many ways. He catches passes, he is used as a runner out of the backfield, and he can return punts and kicks. A hamstring injury bothered him for a good portion of the season, but Hilton says he is 100 percent, so Marshall is going to have a real threat on its hands. It was Hilton who helped lead FIU to its win in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl against Toledo last season with his famous hook-and-ladder on a fourth-and-17. He also caught a touchdown pass and scored on a kick return.

3. Score touchdowns. FIU has done a good job of converting red zone opportunities into points, but it has to do a better job of getting touchdowns and not field goals. In 45 red zone chances this season, FIU has kicked 18 field goals and scored just 21 touchdowns. Maximizing those opportunities is essential to winning this game.

Marshall (6-6)

1. Slow down Rhodes and Hilton. In addition to trying to contain Hilton, Marshall also is going to have to slow down FIU running back Kedrick Rhodes. The sophomore finished the regular season with 1,121 rushing yards, 13 shy of breaking the FIU single-season record. But his yardage total is the most since FIU joined the FBS level, and he helped shoulder the load while Hilton was hobbled.

2. Don't ask Cato to do too much. Tron Martinez and Travon Van are going to have to do their part to take the pressure off quarterback Rakeem Cato, who has been up and down this season. Cato is back in the starting lineup and coming off a game in which he threw for a career-high 341 yards, but he also has a tendency to throw interceptions and take too many sacks. FIU is good against the run -- ranking No. 23 nationally -- so this will be a big test for the Herd.

3. Keep it close. Marshall has done exceptionally well in close games this season -- 5-0 in games that are decided by a touchdown or less. Marshall has had a hard time blowing teams out, or even winning comfortably, for that matter. In fact, the Herd are one of seven bowl teams to have been outscored this season. Only UCLA has been outscored by a wider margin, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

FIU posted a school-record eight wins and is making back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time in school history. Marshall is back in a bowl under second-year coach Doc Holliday. Both teams feature the top players in their respective conferences -- T.Y. Hilton has been a force in the Sun Belt, while Vinny Curry has been a menace to Conference USA opponents. This is the first meeting between the schools and just the second time FIU will play a team from C-USA. The Panthers beat UCF this season.

WHO TO WATCH: Hilton. One of the most dynamic playmakers in all of college football, Hilton was slowed earlier this year with a hamstring injury but has returned to form. This season, Hilton broke the FIU and Sun Belt career records for receiving yards (3,443), receiving touchdowns (24), all-purpose yards (7,351) and kickoff return yards (2,819). He also was named to the Sun Belt first-team as a receiver, kick returner and all-purpose player. That's as well-rounded as you can get.

WHAT TO WATCH: Quarterback situation. Neither team has the most stable quarterback situation. Marshall will start true freshman Rakeem Cato, who is back in the starting lineup after he got benched midway through the season. With A.J. Graham out because of a shoulder injury, the Herd must rely on Cato to help lead the team to victory. He was great in an overtime win over East Carolina to get Marshall bowl eligible, but he has been maddeningly inconsistent this season (10 interceptions to 13 touchdown passes). Meanwhile, FIU is expected to play both Wes Carroll and Jake Medlock -- coach Mario Cristobal will probably make a game-time decision. Carroll was benched this season as well but played again after Medlock got hurt. Both are healthy going into this game.

WHY TO WATCH: This is your last chance to get a look at Curry before he moves on to the NFL. The C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, Curry has put together back-to-back outstanding seasons. Cristobal says Curry "discombobulates people." That is an astute way of putting it. This season, Curry is tied for third nationally with six forced fumbles, ranks second in tackles for loss (21) and is sixth in sacks (11).

PREDICTION: FIU 28, Marshall 21. Neither team jumps off the page statistically speaking. In fact, Marshall is the only one of the 70 bowl teams to rank 80th or worse in both total offense and total defense, according to ESPN Stats & Information. FIU has Hilton, and he makes the difference in this game.

The scene is one that FIU coach Mario Cristobal easily recalls, some four years later.

There was his prized recruit, T.Y. Hilton, playing for Miami Springs High, ripping balls out of the sky. Scoring at will. Cristobal turned to the coaches with him and said, "Fellas, this is the guy who's going to change our program."

Cristobal had a little problem. Florida was at the game scouting Hilton, too. Ole Miss and West Virginia were after Hilton as well. FIU had no weight room, no real facilities, no stadium at the time. It was a fledgling program playing in the shadow of the University of Miami, the Gators, the Seminoles, the Dolphins.

But Hilton, a Miami native, hit it off with Cristobal. "He struck me as a man who wanted to create his own footprints," Cristobal says now. Hilton had a tough time choosing between the Panthers and West Virginia. So tough, that he needed a little bit of intervention to help him make a decision.

Hilton placed an FIU cap and a West Virginia cap on his bed. He then had his infant son crawl toward the caps. If his son picked up the FIU cap, he would go there. If he picked up the West Virginia cap, he would go there. Little Eugene Junior picked FIU. Not once. But eight times.

"I never told him I put a Snickers bar behind that cap," Cristobal jokes.

The decision is one that has impacted not only Hilton but the FIU program. Hilton is no doubt the best player in school history, having rewritten the FIU and Sun Belt record books. This season, he set a career high with 64 receptions, and was selected to the Sun Belt first team as a receiver, kick returner and all-purpose player. Hilton owns the school and league marks for receiving yards (3,443), receiving touchdowns (24), all-purpose yards (7,351) and kickoff return yards (2,819).

FIU, meanwhile, is in the midst of the best two-year run in school history -- winning its first Sun Belt title last season and a program-record eight games this season while making back-to-back bowl appearances. Hilton will take the field for the Panthers for the final time Tuesday night against Marshall in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fla., with yet another chance to make a huge impression on the national stage.

His son, now 4, will be there watching as his daddy closes out his career -- one that Hilton thought would be possible when he arrived at FIU in 2008.

"I knew I could through hard work, because hard work always pays off," Hilton said in a recent phone interview. "Coming in, I took myself to a different level. I did things differently, went back to the fundamentals, and did a lot of conditioning, and that took me to where I am now."

Hilton began the season on a huge tear, and got national headlines after catching seven passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Louisville in Week 2. But the following week against UCF, Hilton strained his hamstring. He tried to play through the injury, but it bothered him for the next month. After beating the Knights, FIU dropped three of its next four games and was in a serious bind with its best player hobbled.

"When I was running, the injury was pulling me back, not letting me do more things I was capable of doing," Hilton said. "I couldn't go in and out of cuts, so it was very painful. But I was able to play through it a little bit just to help the team any way that I could."

Hilton says he is completely healthy and "200 percent" ready to take on his final game. After that, a trip to the Senior Bowl awaits, and then most likely a spot in the pros.

"I'm trying to go out with a bang and let people know my talents and what I'm able to do," he said.

FIU coach Mario Cristobal has taken his Panthers to places they have never been: a conference championship, a bowl game, a little bit of national credibility.

He began the hard work five years ago, yet the breakthrough season of 2010 was just the first step to what he envisions for his program. Indeed, what happened last season has helped lay the groundwork to start this one: the first 3-0 start in school history; first win over a team from an AQ conference; first time receiving votes in both the AP and coaches’ polls.

“We’re at the point now where we feel confident playing,” Cristobal said in a phone interview. “It was a great thing for our football program to be 1-0 for the first time, to carry over the momentum from the bowl game into the first game of the season. This is a game of momentum and confidence, and every single time you have the opportunity to have success early on, it builds that. We still have miles to go, but every little bit helps.”

The bowl victory over Toledo a year ago helped springboard FIU into the toughest offseason ever. Players were more motivated than ever to continue the good work of 2010, to get people to see them as a solid program and not just living in the shadow of the University of Miami.

Cristobal let it be known time and again that teams win games with the work they put in during the long winter, spring and summer months. His players bought that message.

“We worked our you know whats off,” quarterback Wesley Carroll said. “We saw the extra preparation, extra film study. More and more guys were getting in film room, studying opponents and it’s shown up. Talk about one of the hardest working teams in the country, and it’s showing.”

FIU easily beat North Texas to start the season, then traveled to play Louisville in Week 2. Some thought this a fashionable upset pick because the Panthers have an experienced group returning and one of the most dynamic playmakers in the country in receiver T.Y. Hilton.

Hilton burned Louisville for 201 yards receiving, and the Panthers pulled the upset 24-17. When the final seconds ticked off, Cristobal pumped his fist and jumped around, realizing what his players had accomplished. One season ago, they nearly pulled off upsets over Rutgers and Texas A&M but did not finish in the fourth quarter.

This year, they did.

“It was a moment we worked toward for a long time,” Cristobal said. “We finally found a way to finish against a BCS team. … In terms of the development of a football program, there are painful and tough steps. You cannot skip those and those [losses] were part of the process for us to learn what it was going to be like in the fourth quarter against a BCS program. That experience proved invaluable. We were able to push ourselves. We responded appropriately and got it done.”

FIU followed up the win over Louisville with an impressive 17-10 victory over UCF. The Panthers did it despite losing Hilton in the game to a sore hamstring. Cristobal expects Hilton to be able to play Saturday against Louisiana.

The 3-0 start has gotten more people noticing FIU than ever. That has led to chatter about Cristobal being the next up-and-coming coach to get called for a bigger job.

Cristobal deflects that question, saying, “The only thing on my mind is taking this program and elevating it as high as it can go. The sky is the limit and there is no limit for this program. … We’re going to build a premier football program and one day become a perennial champion.”

It could happen again this season. A glance at the rest of the schedule shows FIU should be favored in all its remaining games. Duke and Akron are the only two remaining nonconference contests on the slate.

“It’s on us. We feel we can be 1-0 at the end of every night. We just have to take it week by week,” Carroll said. “We can’t worry about the past games and future games. If we take that approach, we have a chance to be successful.”

Let's take a look back at the weekend that was for the non-AQs:

The good: FIU pulled off yet another big win, this one against UCF, 17-10. The Panthers are 3-0 for the first time in school history and received votes in both polls for the first time in school history. They did it without star receiver T.Y. Hilton, who hurt his hamstring. But coach Mario Cristobal says his star player should be fine. ... Trent Steelman had a terrific game for Army, scoring three touchdowns in a 21-14 win over Northwestern. It was Army's first win over a team from a Big Ten team since 1988 -- which also was the last time it played a team from that conference. And that team was -- Northwestern. ... Ohio is 3-0 for the first time since 1976 after beating Marshall 44-7. ... Ronnie Hillman had 191 yards rushing and four touchdowns in a 42-24 win over Washington State and is now the second-leading rusher in the nation. Hillman is tied for the national lead in rushing touchdowns with eight this season.

The bad: Perhaps bad is a kind way of describing BYU's performance against Utah. The Cougars and Utes generally play a tough, close game. Twelve of the previous 14 meetings had been decided by a touchdown or less. Then came Saturday. BYU had seven turnovers -- three from quarterback Jake Heaps -- and lost 54-10 to its biggest rival. Incredibly, the score was 14-10 at halftime. But one mistake after another snowballed, and BYU faces some serious questions heading into its game against UCF on Friday night.

The upset: If you had asked for any non-AQ game considered a lock for a win Saturday, you probably would have picked Hawaii over UNLV. The Warriors came in as 20-point favorites, have a win over Colorado already this season and played Washington well. But the Rebels shocked the Warriors in one of the more stunning upsets of the day, winning 40-20. I admit it. I did a double-take when I saw the score. Hawaii had four fumbles, 6 yards rushing and converted 1-of-9 third-down opportunities in the disappointing loss. UNLV had scored 24 combined points in its first two losses of the season to Wisconsin and Washington State. But perhaps the UNLV victory should not come as a huge shock. UNLV has beaten Hawaii four of the last five times they have played in Sam Boyd Stadium.

Then there is Western Kentucky, which lost for the 17th straight time at home. Only this loss was to FCS Indiana State 44-16. It was Indiana State's first win over an FBS opponent since 2001.

The oh-so-close: Navy played with South Carolina every step of the way in its game, taking a 21-17 lead into the fourth quarter. But South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore was just too much to contain as he ran for 246 yards and three touchdowns in the 24-21 win. ... Temple was right there with Penn State as well, holding a 10-7 lead until late in the fourth quarter. But for the second straight season, the Nittany Lions squeaked out a close victory, breaking Owls' hearts again.

The comeback: The common knock on Houston is that the Cougars generally lose at least one game a season that they should not. That looked to be happening against Louisiana Tech, as Houston trailed 34-7 with 5:11 to go in the third quarter. But alas, the Cougars have Case Keenum, who engineered a furious rally. Houston scored the final 28 points of the game to cap the biggest comeback in school history and win 35-34. Keenum began the rally with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Edwards, and he ended it with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Edwards with 1:36 remaining in the game. Keenum has now engineered three of the top four biggest comebacks in Houston history. In addition to this one, he rallied Houston from 19 points down against UTEP in a 42-37 win in 2008; and from 17 points down against UAB in a 45-20 win, also in 2008.

The heartbreak: Bowling Green had a furious late fourth quarter rally, overcoming a 28-14 deficit when Matt Schilz threw touchdown passes on two straight drives. But Wyoming blocked the game-tying extra point with 3 seconds left to hold on and win 28-27. Wyoming is 3-0 for the first time since 1996. ... San Jose State was 15 yards away from pulling off one of its biggest wins in years. The Spartans trailed Nevada 17-7 in the fourth quarter before Matt Faulkner delivered one touchdown drive and had his team marching down the field for another. But his pass in the end zone was intercepted by Duke Williams with 1:10 left and the Wolf Pack survived 17-14. The road is much tougher for Nevada next, with games at Texas Tech and at Boise State. ... Miami (Ohio) knows the feeling. Zac Dysert had a pass broken up in the end zone as time expired, and the RedHawks lost to Minnesota 29-23.

Milestone watch: TCU coach Gary Patterson earned his 100th career victory as the Horned Frogs’ head coach in a 38-17 win over ULM Patterson is 100-29 in 11 seasons, and needs 10 more wins to surpass Dutch Meyer (109-79-13, 1934-52) as TCU’s all-time winningest coach. Meyer coached TCU to its 1935 and 1938 national championships. Patterson is one of nine active head coaches to have 100 wins at their current school.

Helmet stickers

Ryan Griffin, QB, Tulane. Went 22-of-26 for 281 yards and tied a career high with three touchdown passes in a 49-10 win over UAB.

Logan Harrell, DT, Fresno State. Recorded a career-high 11 tackles and tied his career high with 4.5 tackles for a loss in a 27-22 win over North Dakota.

Kellen Moore, Boise State. Completed 32 of 42 passes for 455 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Toledo. The 32 completions is a single-game career high for Moore, while the five touchdowns tied his career high. The five passing TDs also tied the MWC single-game record for most by a senior. The 42 pass attempts were second most in his career, as were his 455 yards.

Trent Steelman, QB, Army. Ran the ball 28 times for 108 yards and three touchdowns in a 21-14 win over Northwestern. It was his second straight three-touchdown rushing effort.

Jordan White, WR, Western Michigan. Had 13 receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns in Western Michigan's 44-14 win over Central Michigan. White moved into fourth place on the career receptions list at WMU with 195, is now third in career 100-yard receiving games (13) and is tied for seventh in career receiving TDs (17).

Melvin White, DB, Louisiana. Returned a blocked field goal 68 yards for a touchdown to break a tie and help the Ragin Cajuns beat Nicholls State 24-7. He also forced a fumble that led to the first score of the game.

We are profiling city schools that compete in a market alongside an NFL franchise. Up next:

School: FIU
Location: Miami
Enrollment: 44,000
Bowl appearances: 1
NFL first-round picks: 0
Losing seasons: 4
10-win seasons: 0

Source: ESPN Stats & Info (Note: Numbers date back to 1936, the first year of the AP poll. NFL numbers date back to 1970.)

The good: It’s hard to beat the location for FIU, in one of the most diverse cities in the country. The school has blossomed into one of the biggest in the United States in a short period of time. FIU opened its doors in 1972 in an abandoned airfield. Largely still known as a commuter school, the main campus is in the western part of Miami-Dade County, about a half hour drive from the bright lights of South Beach -- without traffic, of course. One of the best parts about FIU is its diversity -- about 60 percent of the student-body is Hispanic, and the school caters to a large international population. The football team had a breakthrough season in 2010, posting its first ever winning season, winning a share of its first Sun Belt title and winning its first bowl game. Coach Mario Cristobal, a Miami native who played at the University of Miami, also won Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors. The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl win against Toledo was one of the most thrilling of the bowl season -- Jack Griffin kicked a 34-yard field goal with no time left to lift FIU to the 34-32 win. Expectations are high for 2011 with many starters returning, including quarterback Wes Carroll and Sun Belt Player of the Year T.Y. Hilton.

The bad: Cristobal knows what he is up against at FIU. The University of Miami is the bigger school in the bigger conference, with all the history and tradition FIU lacks. The Golden Panthers have only been playing on the FBS level since 2004, and eight wins in 2004 and 2005 were vacated because of NCAA violations. Thirty scholarships were docked as well. The team lost 23 straight games between 2006 and 2007. In fact, when Cristobal took the job in 2007, his friends thought he was crazy. But Cristobal sees the potential. He sells his players on making history at FIU, on being on the ground level of a program that has nowhere to go but up. He has plenty of talent to choose from in the South Florida area, and has worked hard to convince kids to forget about Miami and pick FIU. But the truth is, the Miami Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes dominate the headlines in South Florida. FIU plays in an 18,000-seat stadium, second smallest on the FBS level, and has to fight for every nugget of publicity it can get. South Florida fans are known to be some of the most fickle in the country and generally only come out to support a winner. So if FIU continues on its upward path, perhaps the Panthers will have their own niche in football-obsessed South Florida.

FIU beat Toledo 34-32 in a heart-stopping finish to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Here is a quick instant analysis:

How the game was won: A wild fourth quarter ended with FIU winning the game on the leg of kicker Jack Griffin, who nailed a 34-yarder down the middle with no time left to give the Panthers their first bowl win in their first bowl appearance. Toledo blew a 24-7 lead and trailed 31-24 with 3:18 remaining. Quarterback Terrance Owens had thrown three interceptions to let the Panthers into the game, and now the game was on his shoulders. He drove Toledo down the field and scored a 14-yard touchdown on a zone read. Coach Tim Beckman did not hesitate to go for the two-point conversion. Owens threw to Eric Page to put Toledo up 32-31 with 1:14 to go and the Rockets appeared to be in control. But they left too much time on the clock. The Panthers converted a fourth-and-17 on a hook-and-ladder play to T.Y. Hilton during their final drive of the game. Another big pass play to Greg Ellingson put FIU into field goal range.

Toledo had run right over FIU in the first half to the tune of 205 yards rushing and a 21-7 lead. But the running lanes were not there in the second half, as the Panthers' defense tightened up, forcing Owens to throw the ball. FIU scored 14 points off Owens' interceptions -- Kreg Brown had two, including one in the fourth quarter that led to a 10-yard touchdown catch by Hilton. The score put the Panthers up 28-24 and it also gave them their first lead of the game. Hilton had a quiet first half, but his superb second half allowed the Panthers to come back.

Turning point: After Toledo went up 24-7 with 9:44 to go in the third quarter, Hilton returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown. Owens threw his first interception to Brown, and FIU turned it into a touchdown when Darriet Perry took the direct snap and scored on a 7-yard run. The Panthers had cut a 17-point deficit down to four points in three minutes. FIU ended up scoring 24 straight points.

Player of the game: Griffin gets the nod for his dramatic kick to end the game. Special nod to Toledo running back Adonis Thomas, who had 194 yards rushing and two touchdowns, running for 145 first-half yards that gave the Rockets the early momentum.

Unsung hero of the game: Brown's interceptions helped FIU with its defensive turnaround. They were his first two picks of the season.

Second guessing: Hilton is one of the best kickoff returners in the game, and the reigning Sun Belt Most Valuable Player. So why did Toledo kick to him all night? He made the Rockets pay with his second kickoff return for a touchdown of the season and changed the momentum of the game. You have to wonder how Toledo lost track of Hilton and allowed him to convert the fourth-and-17 on the gimmick play. After a review of the spot, the ruling on the field stood and FIU was on the way to its win.

What it means: FIU had its first winning season but more could be on the horizon. The Panthers have 15 starters returning, including quarterback Wesley Carroll, Hilton and a running back trio of Perry, Darrian Mallary and Jeremiah Harden. What an incredible breakthrough season for Mario Cristobal, the Sun Belt Coach of the Year. As for Toledo, the Rockets were making their first bowl appearance since 2005, but should also be in good shape with coach Tim Beckman. This also was a breakthrough season for the Rockets. They return Austin Dantin, Page, Thomas and Dan Molls.

FIU all-purpose threat T.Y. Hilton was honored as the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, while Western Kentucky running back Bobby Rainey was named Offensive Player of the Year, Middle Tennessee defensive end Jamari Lattimore was Defensive Player of the Year and FIU coach Mario Cristobal won Coach of the Year, the league announced Wednesday.

Hilton led the Panthers with 56 catches for 816 yards and four touchdowns, and also ran for 291 yards and four scores, and had 785 yards and a score on kickoff and punt returns. He was also selected to the first team at receiver and return specialist, and second team all-purpose player.

Rainey averaged over 130 yards rushing a game and his total of 1,649 rushing yards ranks second in the nation only behind Heisman Trophy finalist LaMichael James from Oregon.

Lattimore ranks sixth nationally in total sacks with 11.5. Cristobal, in his fourth season as coach, has helped turn around the FIU program into a conference co-champion.

Troy quarterback Corey Robinson was also named Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year. Robinson led the league in passing yards this season and is currently ranked 12th nationally in that category.

Here are the first and second teams, and honorable mentions.

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