The 2008 FIU Golden Panthers football team represented Florida International University (FIU) as a member of the Sun Belt Conference during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by second-year head coach Mario Cristobal, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 5–7 with a mark of 3–4 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for fifth in the Sun Belt. The team played home game at FIU Stadium in Miami.

The season started off with a loss at 13th-ranked Kansas, 40–10. Following that, Iowa routed FIU, 42–0. FIU then faced its highest-ranked opponent in school history, 12th-ranked South Florida, for the inaugural game of the renovated FIU Stadium. Trailing 17–0 with 2:30 left in the game FIU scored a safety and a touchdown. The Golden Panthers lost, 17–9, but played acted as a spoiler for South Florida, with the latter falling three spots in the rankings. The game against Toledo became their first-ever out-of-conference FBS win. Against, Toledo, FIU forced four turnovers and recorded its first road win since 2005. It was also the program first non-conference win against an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent.

Schedule

Game summaries at Kansas

at Iowa

South Florida

Toledo

North Texas

Middle Tennessee

Troy

Louisiana–Lafayette

Arkansas State

Louisiana–Monroe

Florida Atlantic Shula Bowl

Western Kentucky

Coaching staff Name Current Title Years atFIU Alma mater Mario Cristobal Head Coach 2006 – Miami Bill Legg Offensive CoordinatorQuarterbacks 2008 – West Virginia Phil Galiano Defensive CoordinatorLinebackers 2007 – Shippensburg Apollo Wright Special teams Coordinator 2001 – Wagner College Mike Cassano Assistant Head CoachRunning backs/Recruiting 2006 – New Hampshire Bernard Clark Assistant Head CoachDefensive line 2004–2005, 2007 – Miami Greg Laffere Assistant Head CoachOffensive line 2005 – Miami Alex Mirabal Assistant Head CoachTight ends 2006 – FIU Frank Ponce Assistant Head CoachWide receivers 2005 – FIU Jeff Popovich Assistant Head CoachSecondary 2006 – Miami Roderick Moore Strength & Conditioning Coach – - Chris Siegle Graduate Assistant Coach 2005 – - Dennis Smith Graduate Assistant Coach 2006 – Miami

References