Miami Herald Article - FAU & FIU
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Wise Owl
Member since 2005
From "The Miami Herald"
BY PETE PELEGRIN
One is 73 and among college football's established coaches.
The other is 37 and in his first season as head coach.
One program, in its seventh season, is on the verge of playing for the conference title with one more victory. The other, in its sixth season, is basically starting from scratch.
Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger and Florida International coach Mario Cristobal might be a contrast in coaches and their programs might be at different stages, but the Owls and Golden Panthers' head coaches have plenty in common despite their age difference and teams success this season.
TIME TO DEVELOP
Schnellenberger and Cristobal got together at the South Florida Touchdown Club's FAU/FIU Coaches Challenge Dinner at Miami Shores Country Club on Monday night to speak about the annual Don Shula Bowl between FAU and FIU to be played Saturday night at the Orange Bowl and to promote their burgeoning programs.
''It's inevitable that FIU and FAU will grow and develop like Florida, Florida State and Miami,'' said Schnelleberger, who recruited Cristobal, a former offensive lineman, when he was the coach at Louisville. ``We're pioneers. We're just getting started, but we're just right on the cutting edge.''
The Owls are 5-5 this season, but 4-1 in the Sun Belt trailing Troy by one game. FAU needs a win over FIU to have the chance to play for the Sun Belt title at Troy on Dec. 1. The Golden Panthers are 0-10 and have the nation's longest losing streak at 22 games.
Under Schnellenberger, the Owls reached the Division I-AA semifinals in 2003, defeated Hawaii in 2004, and this season defeated Minnesota and took South Florida to the wire.
At FIU, Cristobal replaced Don Strock after last season. He took over an 0-12 team with academic and scholarship issues and this season is winless. Yet as the season has progressed so has FIU, staying close to its opponent late into the fourth quarter in three of its past four games.
Despite the divergent paths each team has taken, both coaches see a bright future not only for their teams, but with the annual rivalry.
''We have a chance to make this a great rivalry with the way the college football landscape is going,'' Cristobal said. ``When it comes to recruiting we're leveling the playing field with new facilities and a new stadium. Now it becomes about the people inside.''
BRIGHT FUTURE
FAU has a balanced roster this season with 27 freshmen, 23 sophomores, 25 juniors and five seniors. FIU has more than 73 percent of its roster made up of freshmen or redshirt freshmen.
''We're further along than we expected to be,'' Schnellenberger said. ``Before we left our awards banquet last season we agreed to win one or more of our advance training games [out-of-conference games] and we did. But second and most important goal of all was to win the Sun Belt.''
Cristobal is working overtime to match Schnellenberger's success and lift FIU.
''Coach Schnellenberger is a great football coach and his record has proven that,'' Cristobal said. ``He has a very good understanding of how to build a program. We're in our first year [at FIU] and we're going to make sure we do everything we can to make this a championship program.''
GO OWLS!
Posted
Wise Owl
Member since 2007
Re: Miami Herald Article - FAU & FIU
if that is a bright future or a light at the end of the tunnel, it is just a train coming to run him over…..
What a joke, the only thing bright in FIU is the lights around their stadium which is under-construction
Posted
Wise Owl
Member since 2005
Re: Miami Herald Article - FAU & FIU
Miami Herald Article - FAU & FIU
GO OWLS!
Posted
First Flight
Member since 2003
Re: Miami Herald Article - FAU & FIU
Posted
Wise Owl
Member since 2005
Re: Miami Herald Article - FAU & FIU
FIUFanatic said
I don't think anyone on our teams can talk about empty stadiums. Our programs are growing, and neither one of them, at this moment, can brag about attendance…
I agree we shouldn't be bragging about our attendance but it is a heck of alot better than FIU's, real numbers, not that published BS are probably 8 to 10K versus 3 to 4K. That is 2.5 times as many, not great but it is a start.
GO OWLS!
Posted
First Flight
Member since 2003
Re: Miami Herald Article - FAU & FIU
dusky256fc said
FIUFanatic said
I don't think anyone on our teams can talk about empty stadiums. Our programs are growing, and neither one of them, at this moment, can brag about attendance…
I agree we shouldn't be bragging about our attendance but it is a heck of alot better than FIU's, real numbers, not that published BS are probably 8 to 10K versus 3 to 4K. That is 2.5 times as many, not great but it is a start.
Again, dusky, both programs are more similar in this respect that you seem to credit. We BOTH have our problems with attendance. Our problems are magnified with our current losing streak, since marginal fans don't care at this point. Ever wonder what losing 22 games in a row would do to FAU attendance? Not trying to make nothing more than an objective assessment of the attendance situation. Believe me, it's hard to follow a team with so much losing the past couple of years. Only us, the die-harders can see the light at the end of the tunnel (Yes, I remain optimistic..), so it's hard to bring many other fans onboard. I haven't been to FAU games this year, and I don't know if you've been to FIU games this year, but I can't comment based on that.
Posted
Wise Owl
Member since 2006
Re: Miami Herald Article - FAU & FIU
FIUFanatic said
dusky256fc said
FIUFanatic said
I don't think anyone on our teams can talk about empty stadiums. Our programs are growing, and neither one of them, at this moment, can brag about attendance…
I agree we shouldn't be bragging about our attendance but it is a heck of alot better than FIU's, real numbers, not that published BS are probably 8 to 10K versus 3 to 4K. That is 2.5 times as many, not great but it is a start.
Again, dusky, both programs are more similar in this respect that you seem to credit. We BOTH have our problems with attendance. Our problems are magnified with our current losing streak, since marginal fans don't care at this point. Ever wonder what losing 22 games in a row would do to FAU attendance? Not trying to make nothing more than an objective assessment of the attendance situation. Believe me, it's hard to follow a team with so much losing the past couple of years. Only us, the die-harders can see the light at the end of the tunnel (Yes, I remain optimistic..), so it's hard to bring many other fans onboard. I haven't been to FAU games this year, and I don't know if you've been to FIU games this year, but I can't comment based on that.
FIUFanatic, you guys may be struggling right now but the school needs fans like you win/lose, rain/shine I'm sure you will be there and you will cheer them on. They WILL turn it around just hopefully not against us and when they do and more people show up (You know how S. Fla sports fans are) you can tell everyone that you attended games back when FIU went winless for x amount of games. Just have faith, they're bound to turn it around eventually.
Good luck the rest of season just not against us ;D
My two favorite teams are FAU, and who ever is beating FIU!
Posted
First Flight
Member since 2003
Re: Miami Herald Article - FAU & FIU
Jab979 said
FIUFanatic said
dusky256fc said
FIUFanatic said
I don't think anyone on our teams can talk about empty stadiums. Our programs are growing, and neither one of them, at this moment, can brag about attendance…
I agree we shouldn't be bragging about our attendance but it is a heck of alot better than FIU's, real numbers, not that published BS are probably 8 to 10K versus 3 to 4K. That is 2.5 times as many, not great but it is a start.
Again, dusky, both programs are more similar in this respect that you seem to credit. We BOTH have our problems with attendance. Our problems are magnified with our current losing streak, since marginal fans don't care at this point. Ever wonder what losing 22 games in a row would do to FAU attendance? Not trying to make nothing more than an objective assessment of the attendance situation. Believe me, it's hard to follow a team with so much losing the past couple of years. Only us, the die-harders can see the light at the end of the tunnel (Yes, I remain optimistic..), so it's hard to bring many other fans onboard. I haven't been to FAU games this year, and I don't know if you've been to FIU games this year, but I can't comment based on that.
FIUFanatic, you guys may be struggling right now but the school needs fans like you win/lose, rain/shine I'm sure you will be there and you will cheer them on. They WILL turn it around just hopefully not against us and when they do and more people show up (You know how S. Fla sports fans are) you can tell everyone that you attended games back when FIU went winless for x amount of games. Just have faith, they're bound to turn it around eventually.
Good luck the rest of season just not against us ;D
Hey, Jab…thanks…and a great post!! If you can believe this, I was one of the few FIU'ers that went last year to Dolphin Stadium to watch the Shula Bowl…I hope to be there next Saturday as well..I have to tell you, though, that even when we have the same record as last year when we played you (0-10 >:(), the feeling around the team is at least a bit more positive, if you can imagine that. Losing brings out the worst in all of us, and yet, this team, in my opinion, is in better spirits coming into this game than last year's Shula Bowl. I know how hard our coaches and players are working week in and week out, yet that elusive "W" doesn't show up….I truly hope it is this week against you guys (not because of anything in particular, but because it is our next game), if not UNT…if not…oh well….there's always next year….
Again, thanks for the kind words…and good luck to your Owls team….but ;)not this coming week….
Posted
Wise Owl
Member since 2005
Re: Miami Herald Article - FAU & FIU
Jab979 said
FIUFanatic said
dusky256fc said
FIUFanatic said
I don't think anyone on our teams can talk about empty stadiums. Our programs are growing, and neither one of them, at this moment, can brag about attendance…
I agree we shouldn't be bragging about our attendance but it is a heck of alot better than FIU's, real numbers, not that published BS are probably 8 to 10K versus 3 to 4K. That is 2.5 times as many, not great but it is a start.
Again, dusky, both programs are more similar in this respect that you seem to credit. We BOTH have our problems with attendance. Our problems are magnified with our current losing streak, since marginal fans don't care at this point. Ever wonder what losing 22 games in a row would do to FAU attendance? Not trying to make nothing more than an objective assessment of the attendance situation. Believe me, it's hard to follow a team with so much losing the past couple of years. Only us, the die-harders can see the light at the end of the tunnel (Yes, I remain optimistic..), so it's hard to bring many other fans onboard. I haven't been to FAU games this year, and I don't know if you've been to FIU games this year, but I can't comment based on that.
FIUFanatic, you guys may be struggling right now but the school needs fans like you win/lose, rain/shine I'm sure you will be there and you will cheer them on. They WILL turn it around just hopefully not against us and when they do and more people show up (You know how S. Fla sports fans are) you can tell everyone that you attended games back when FIU went winless for x amount of games. Just have faith, they're bound to turn it around eventually.
Good luck the rest of season just not against us ;D
I know it seems like I am trying to kick a guy while he's down but to be completely honest it doesn't bother me. I care about what happens to FAU, not FIU. Every game FIU loses and continues their notoriety as having the longest winless streak, top of the ESPN Bottom 10 etc. only helps FAU taking recruits from them and Dade County is a great place to pick up recruits.
GO OWLS!
Posted
First Flight
Member since 2003
Re: Miami Herald Article - FAU & FIU
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