# 2017 FIU Panthers football team

The 2017 FIU Panthers football team represented Florida International University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Panthers played their home games at the Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami, Florida as members of the East Division of Conference USA (C–USA). They were led by first-year head coach Butch Davis. The Panthers finished the season 8–5, 5–3 in C-USA play to finish in second place in the East Division. They received an invitation to the Gasparilla Bowl where they lost to Temple.

## Spring Game

The 2017 Spring Game took place in University Park on April 7, at 7:00 p.m.
| Date | Time | Spring Game | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| April 7 | 7:00 p.m. | Offense vs. Defense | Riccardo Silva Stadium • University Park, FL | CUSA.tv | Offense 17–14 | - |

## Offseason

Following the conclusion of the 2016 season, several Panthers were invited to participate in postseason all-star games. Invitations include: Trey Hendrickson (DE) participating in the East–West Shrine Game on January 21, 2017, Imarjaye Albury (DT) participating in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl on January 21, 2017 and Michael Montero (OL) participating in the Tropical Bowl on January 15, 2017.

### Departures

Notable departures from the 2016 squad included:
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Dieugot Joseph | #78 | OT | 6'6" | 297 | Senior | Orlando, FL | Declared for the 2017 NFL Draft |
| Jonnu Smith | #87 | TE | 6'3" | 232 | Senior | Ocala, FL | Declared for the 2017 NFL Draft |

### 2017 NFL Draft

Panthers who were picked in the 2017 NFL Draft:
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Team |
| 3 | 100 | Jonnu Smith | TE | Tennessee Titans |
| UFA | | Dieugot Joseph | OT | Chicago Bears |

## Schedule

FIU announced its 2017 football schedule on January 26, 2017. The 2017 schedule consisted of six home and away games in the regular season.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 6:00 p.m. | at UCF* | Spectrum StadiumOrlando, FL | CBSSN | L 17–61 | 38,063 |
| September 8 | 7:00 p.m. | vs. Alcorn State* | Legion FieldBirmingham, AL | | W 17–10 | 5,017 |
| September 16 | Canceled | at Indiana* | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN | | | |
| September 23 | 7:30 p.m. | at Rice | Rice StadiumHouston, TX | Stadium | W 13–7 | 18,932 |
| September 30 | 7:00 p.m. | Charlotte | Riccardo Silva StadiumMiami, FL | beIN | W 30–29 | 15,348 |
| October 7 | 3:00 p.m. | at Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd StadiumMurfreesboro, TN | ESPN3 | L 17–37 | 15,527 |
| October 14 | 7:00 p.m. | Tulane* | Riccardo Silva StadiumMiami, FL | CUSA.TV | W 23–10 | 16,433 |
| October 28 | 2:30 p.m. | at Marshall | Joan C. Edwards StadiumHuntington, WV | Stadium | W 41–30 | 19,966 |
| November 4 | 7:00 p.m. | UTSA | Riccardo Silva StadiumMiami, FL | Stadium | W 14–7 | 18,874 |
| November 11 | 7:00 p.m. | Old Dominion | Riccardo Silva StadiumMiami, FL | | L 30–37 | 17,127 |
| November 18 | 7:00 p.m. | at Florida Atlantic | FAU StadiumBoca Raton, FL (Shula Bowl) | Stadium | L 24–52 | 24,116 |
| November 24 | 7:00 p.m. | Western Kentucky | Riccardo Silva StadiumMiami, FL | beIN | W 41–17 | 16,199 |
| December 2 | 12:00 p.m. | UMass* | Riccardo Silva StadiumMiami, FL | | W 63–45 | 14,004 |
| December 21 | 8:00 p.m. | vs. Temple* | Tropicana FieldSt. Petersburg, FL (Gasparilla Bowl) | ESPN | L 3–28 | 16,363 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingAll times are in Eastern time |||||||
    The game between Alcorn State and FIU was relocated to Legion Field at Birmingham, Alabama due to Hurricane Irma.
    A game with UMass was scheduled after the game between UMass and South Florida was postponed due to Hurricane Irma, and FIU's game with Indiana was canceled.
    Schedule Source:

## Game summaries
### At UCF

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Knights | 14 | 26 | 14 | 7 | 61 |

### Alcorn State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Braves | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |

### At Rice

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Owls | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |

### Charlotte

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 12 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 29 |
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 30 |

### At Middle Tennessee

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Blue Raiders | 3 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 37 |

### Tulane

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Green Wave | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Panthers | 7 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 23 |

### At Marshall

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 14 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 41 |
| Thundering Herd | 0 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 30 |

### UTSA

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Roadrunners | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |

### Old Dominion

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Monarchs | 7 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 37 |
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 30 |

### At Florida Atlantic

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Owls | 14 | 7 | 16 | 15 | 52 |

### WKU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hilltoppers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Panthers | 3 | 10 | 21 | 7 | 41 |

### UMass

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Minutemen | 14 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 45 |
| Panthers | 14 | 21 | 7 | 21 | 63 |

### Temple–Gasparilla Bowl

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Owls | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |