2002 FIU Golden Panthers football team

American college football season

2002 FIU Golden Panthers football

Conference	Independent
Record	5–6
Head coach	Don Strock (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Greg Briner (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	FIU Stadium
Seasons 2003 →

2002 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
Saint Mary's		–		6	–	6
FIU		–		5	–	6
Samford		–		4	–	7
Cal Poly		–		3	–	8
Florida Atlantic		–		2	–	9
Savannah State		–		1	–	8
Southern Utah		–		1	–	10
Morris Brown		–		1	–	11

The 2002 FIU Golden Panthers football team represented Florida International University in the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA football season as an NCAA Division I-AA independent school. The Panthers were led by head coach Don Strock in his first season and finished with a record of five wins and six losses (5–6).

FIU played its first-ever game on August 29, 2002 against St. Peter's at FIU Stadium; the Panthers won 27–3.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
August 29	Saint Peter's	FIU Stadium Miami, FL	W 27–3	17,314
September 7	at Elon	Rhodes Stadium Elon, NC	L 22–23	5,580
September 14	Butler	FIU Stadium Miami, FL	W 42–0	9,110
September 21	vs. No. 24 Bethune–Cookman	Lockhart Stadium Fort Lauderdale, FL	L 0–31	16,386
September 28	Georgetown	FIU Stadium Miami, FL	W 27–2	6,084
October 12	at Western Kentucky	L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	L 7–56	6,000
October 19	No. 8 Maine	FIU Stadium Miami, FL	L 7–33	5,303
October 26	Gardner–Webb	FIU Stadium Miami, FL	L 14–17	6,733
October 31	Jacksonville	FIU Stadium Miami, FL	W 39–6	5,221
November 9	Albany	FIU Stadium Miami, FL	W 35–26	4,588
November 23	at Florida Atlantic	Pro Player Stadium Miami Gardens, FL (Shula Bowl)	L 21–31	10,224
Homecoming Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game

^[1]

Personnel

2002 FIU Golden Panthers football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
WR	`2`	Everett Mitchell	Fr
RB	`4`	Rashod Smith	So
RB	`6`	Tori Robinson	Fr
WR	`9`	Harold Leath	So
QB	`10`	David Tabor	Fr
QB	`13`	Jamie Burke	Fr
WR	`15`	Titorian Freeman	Fr
QB	`16`	Josh Padrick	Fr
WR	`17`	Rod Baldwin	Fr
RB	`26`	Bill Grant	Fr
FB	`32`	Adam Radno	Fr
RB	`34`	Aston Wilson	So
RB	`35`	O. J. Price	Jr
RB	`36`	Diamos Demerritt	Fr
RB	`38`	Jerrid Lundstedt	Jr
RB	`44`	Adam Gorman	Fr
OL	`50`	Ed Wenger	Fr
OL	`61`	Ronny Silva	Fr
OL	`62`	Carlos Ruiz	So
OL	`63`	Patrick Lewin	Fr
OL	`66`	Patrick Mullen	Fr
OL	`69`	Larry Leon	Fr
OL	`70`	Glen Fox	Fr
OL	`71`	Ali Samara	Fr
OL	`72`	John Shanahan	Fr
OL	`73`	Josh Gravitt	Fr
C	`75`	Victor Cernius	Fr
OL	`76`	Tim Dierks	Fr
OL	`78`	Danny O'Neal	Fr
OL	`79`	Matt Mathews	Fr
WR	`80`	Andre Rollins	Fr
TE	`81`	Joe Struyf	Fr
WR	`82`	Ernesto Guevara	Jr
WR	`83`	Julius Eppinger	Fr
WR	`84`	Dan Landrau	Fr
TE	`85`	Edwin Pierre	Fr
WR	`86`	Cory McKinney	Fr
WR	`87`	Lagrant Perry	Fr
TE	`88`	Dannon Monroe	So
WR	`89`	Lenorris Hester	Fr
TE	`90`	Ed Leverenz	Fr

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
DB	`1`	Randy Arnold	Fr
DB	`5`	Gerrod Bodie	Fr
DB	`8`	Greg Moss	So
LB	`11`	Jermell Weaver	Jr
DB	`18`	Gentry Jackson	Fr
DB	`21`	Nick Turnbull	Fr
DB	`22`	Kris Thomas	Fr
LB	`24`	T. J. Singletary	Fr
DB	`25`	Travis Brown	Fr
DB	`27`	Kevin Timothee	So
DB	`28`	Everett Baker	Fr
DB	`29`	Terran Bell	Fr
DB	`31`	John Haritan	Fr
DB	`37`	Matt Castillo	Fr
DB	`42`	James Knapp	Fr
LB	`43`	Lance Preston	Fr
LB	`45`	Kyle Salas	Fr
LB	`46`	James Black	Fr
LB	`48`	Geurby Mertil	Jr
LB	`49`	Marquis Manuel	Fr
LB	`52`	John Kelly	Fr
LB	`53`	Jonathan Sturrup	Fr
LB	`54`	Ethan Cherasia	Fr
LB	`55`	Shaun Dudney	Fr
LB	`56`	Dane Ireson	Fr
DL	`58`	Terrence Allen	Fr
DL	`59`	George Gonzalez	Fr
DL	`64`	Brandon Higdon	Fr
DL	`77`	Nick Carreño	Fr
DE	`91`	Grant Moule	Fr
DL	`92`	Josh Alexander	Fr
DE	`93`	Daunte Foster	So
DL	`97`	Chris Horne	Fr
DL	`98`	Ira Turner	So
DE	`99`	Payton Williams	Fr

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class
P	`7`	Doug Jones	So
K	`14`	Adam Moss	Fr

Head coach

Don Strock

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Greg Briner
Offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Roster
Last update: September 2, 2024

Game summaries

Saint Peter's

Saint Peter's Peacocks at FIU Golden Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Peacocks	0	0	3	0	3
Golden Panthers	13	14	0	0	27

at FIU Stadium, Miami, Florida

Date: August 29
Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 83 °F (28 °C)
Game attendance: 17,314
Box score

Game information
First quarter FIU – Jerrid Lundstedt 5-yard pass from Jamie Burke (Adam Moss kick), 8:18. Golden Panthers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 2:54. FIU – Jamie Burke 6-yard run (kick failed), 1:47. Golden Panthers 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:05. Second quarter FIU – Rashod Smith 2-yard run (kick failed), 9:27. Golden Panthers 19–0. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 2:58. FIU – Cory McKinney 52-yard pass from Jamie Burke (Jamie Burke pass to Rashod Smith), 2:31. Golden Panthers 27–0. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:32. Third quarter SPC – James Galea 32-yard field goal, 1:51. Golden Panthers 27–3. Drive: 12 plays, 46 yards, 4:33. Fourth quarter No scoring plays

Game information

First quarter

FIU – Jerrid Lundstedt 5-yard pass from Jamie Burke (Adam Moss kick), 8:18. Golden Panthers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 2:54.
FIU – Jamie Burke 6-yard run (kick failed), 1:47. Golden Panthers 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:05.

Second quarter

FIU – Rashod Smith 2-yard run (kick failed), 9:27. Golden Panthers 19–0. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 2:58.
FIU – Cory McKinney 52-yard pass from Jamie Burke (Jamie Burke pass to Rashod Smith), 2:31. Golden Panthers 27–0. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:32.

Third quarter

SPC – James Galea 32-yard field goal, 1:51. Golden Panthers 27–3. Drive: 12 plays, 46 yards, 4:33.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays

Statistics	SPC	FIU
First downs	14	10
Total yards	197	236
Rushing yards	121	69
Passing yards	76	167
Turnovers	3	2
Time of possession	32:31	27:10

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Saint Peter's	Passing	Mike Seber	4/10, 48 yards
	Rushing	Derek Clayton	18 rushes, 61 yards
	Receiving	Chris Eckhart	1 reception, 20 yards
FIU	Passing	Jamie Burke	10/13, 115 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Rashod Smith	11 rushes, 45 yards, TD
	Receiving	Cory McKinney	3 receptions, 104 yards, TD

At Elon

FIU Golden Panthers at Elon Phoenix – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Panthers	7	9	6	0	22
Phoenix	7	6	7	3	23

at Rhodes Stadium, Elon, North Carolina

Date: September 7
Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Clear, 79 °F (26 °C)
Game attendance: 5,580
Referee: Flemon Williams
Box score

Game information
First quarter FIU – Rashod Smith 6-yard run (Doug Jones kick), 12:27. Golden Panthers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 2:20. ELON – Rashaud Palmer 1-yard run (Anthony Turowski kick), 6:48. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:39. Second quarter FIU – Adam Moss 33-yard field goal, 9:42. Golden Panthers 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 5:08. FIU – Harold Leath 23-yard pass from David Tabor (kick failed), 8:47. Golden Panthers 16–7. Drive: 3 plays, 27 yards, 0:33. ELON – Rashaud Palmer 1-yard run (kick blocked), 0:40. Golden Panthers 16–13. Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 2:00. Third quarter ELON – Arketa Banks 4-yard pass from C. W. Singletary (Anthony Turowski kick), 8:54. Phoenix 20–16. Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards, 2:55. FIU – Harold Leath 68-yard pass from Jamie Burke (kick failed), 6:00. Golden Panthers 22–20. Drive: 6 plays, 86 yards, 2:54. Fourth quarter ELON – Anthony Turowski 23-yard field goal, 2:52. Phoenix 23–22. Drive: 19 plays, 72 yards, 9:26.

Game information

First quarter

FIU – Rashod Smith 6-yard run (Doug Jones kick), 12:27. Golden Panthers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 2:20.
ELON – Rashaud Palmer 1-yard run (Anthony Turowski kick), 6:48. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:39.

Second quarter

FIU – Adam Moss 33-yard field goal, 9:42. Golden Panthers 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 5:08.
FIU – Harold Leath 23-yard pass from David Tabor (kick failed), 8:47. Golden Panthers 16–7. Drive: 3 plays, 27 yards, 0:33.
ELON – Rashaud Palmer 1-yard run (kick blocked), 0:40. Golden Panthers 16–13. Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 2:00.

Third quarter

ELON – Arketa Banks 4-yard pass from C. W. Singletary (Anthony Turowski kick), 8:54. Phoenix 20–16. Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards, 2:55.
FIU – Harold Leath 68-yard pass from Jamie Burke (kick failed), 6:00. Golden Panthers 22–20. Drive: 6 plays, 86 yards, 2:54.

Fourth quarter

ELON – Anthony Turowski 23-yard field goal, 2:52. Phoenix 23–22. Drive: 19 plays, 72 yards, 9:26.

Statistics	FIU	ELON
First downs	14	23
Total yards	335	405
Rushing yards	46	377
Passing yards	289	28
Turnovers	2	5
Time of possession	25:23	34:37

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
FIU	Passing	Jamie Burke	13/26, 257 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Rashod Smith	17 rushes, 81 yards, TD
	Receiving	Harold Leath	4 receptions, 141 yards, 2 TD
Elon	Passing	C. W. Singletary	4/9, 28 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Rashaud Palmer	20 rushes, 94 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Arketa Banks	2 receptions, 10 yards, TD

Butler

Butler Bulldogs at FIU Golden Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	0	0	0	0	0
Golden Panthers	21	14	7	0	42

at FIU Stadium, Miami, Florida

Date: September 14
Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Humid and sunny, 87 °F (31 °C)
Game attendance: 9,110
Referee: J. Rider
Box score

Game information
First quarter FIU – Rashod Smith 25-yard run (Adam Moss kick), 14:12. Golden Panthers 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 50 yards, 0:48. FIU – Julius Eppinger 23-yard pass from Jamie Burke (Adam Moss kick), 13:53. Golden Panthers 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 23 yards, 0:19. FIU – Rashod Smith 39-yard run (Adam Moss kick), 8:24. Golden Panthers 21–0. Drive: 3 plays, 66 yards, 1:38. Second quarter FIU – Cory McKinney 58-yard pass from Jamie Burke (Adam Moss kick), 11:00. Golden Panthers 28–0. Drive: 3 plays, 52 yards, 0:56. FIU – Rashod Smith 16-yard run (Adam Moss kick), 0:47. Golden Panthers 35–0. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 2:47. Third quarter FIU – Harold Leath 9-yard pass from Jamie Burke (Adam Moss kick), 9:37. Golden Panthers 42–0. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 2:10. Fourth quarter No scoring plays

Game information

First quarter

FIU – Rashod Smith 25-yard run (Adam Moss kick), 14:12. Golden Panthers 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 50 yards, 0:48.
FIU – Julius Eppinger 23-yard pass from Jamie Burke (Adam Moss kick), 13:53. Golden Panthers 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 23 yards, 0:19.
FIU – Rashod Smith 39-yard run (Adam Moss kick), 8:24. Golden Panthers 21–0. Drive: 3 plays, 66 yards, 1:38.

Second quarter

FIU – Cory McKinney 58-yard pass from Jamie Burke (Adam Moss kick), 11:00. Golden Panthers 28–0. Drive: 3 plays, 52 yards, 0:56.
FIU – Rashod Smith 16-yard run (Adam Moss kick), 0:47. Golden Panthers 35–0. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 2:47.

Third quarter

FIU – Harold Leath 9-yard pass from Jamie Burke (Adam Moss kick), 9:37. Golden Panthers 42–0. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 2:10.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays

Statistics	BUT	FIU
First downs	13	20
Total yards	212	455
Rushing yards	94	197
Passing yards	118	258
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	32:35	27:25

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Butler	Passing	Travis Delph	9/21, 101 yards
	Rushing	Justin Campbell	10 rushes, 65 yards
	Receiving	Adam Lafferty	4 receptions, 56 yards
FIU	Passing	Jamie Burke	13/19, 258 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	Rashod Smith	14 rushes, 116 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Cory McKinney	4 receptions, 107 yards, TD

Vs. No. 24 Bethune–Cookman

FIU Golden Panthers vs. No. 24 Bethune–Cookman Wildcats – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Panthers	0	0	0	0	0
No. 24 Wildcats	10	14	0	7	31

at Lockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Date: September 21
Game time: 5:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Hot, 86 °F (30 °C)
Game attendance: 16,386
Referee: Preston Harding
Box score

Statistics	FIU	BCC
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
FIU	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Bethune–Cookman	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Georgetown

Georgetown Hoyas at FIU Golden Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Hoyas	2	0	0	0	2
Golden Panthers	6	21	0	0	27

at FIU Stadium, Miami, Florida

Date: September 28
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 90 °F (32 °C)
Game attendance: 6,084
Referee: A. Riveron
Box score

Statistics	GU	FIU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Georgetown	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
FIU	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

At Western Kentucky

FIU Golden Panthers at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Panthers	0	0	0	7	7
Hilltoppers	21	21	0	14	56

at L. T. Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, Kentucky

Date: October 12
Game time: 5:30 p.m. EDT/4:30 p.m. CDT
Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C)
Game attendance: 6,000
Referee: Bill Etzler
Box score

Statistics	FIU	WKU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
FIU	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Western Kentucky	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

No. 8 Maine

No. 8 Maine Black Bears at FIU Golden Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 8 Black Bears	3	14	6	10	33
Golden Panthers	0	0	0	7	7

at FIU Stadium, Miami, Florida

Date: October 19
Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Sunny, 83 °F (28 °C)
Game attendance: 5,303
Referee: Perry Havener
Box score

Statistics	ME	FIU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Maine	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
FIU	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Gardber–Webb

Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs at FIU Golden Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Runnin' Bulldogs	7	3	0	7	17
Golden Panthers	0	14	0	0	14

at FIU Stadium, Miami, Florida

Date: October 26
Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Humid, 88 °F (31 °C)
Game attendance: 6,733
Referee: M. Lewis
Box score

Statistics	GWU	FIU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Gardner–Webb	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
FIU	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Jacksonville

Jacksonville Dolphins at FIU Golden Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	0	6	0	0	6
Golden Panthers	3	10	26	0	39

at FIU Stadium, Miami, Florida

Date: October 31
Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 82 °F (28 °C)
Game attendance: 5,221
Referee: A. Riveron
Box score

Statistics	JU	FIU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Jacksonville	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
FIU	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Albany

Albany Great Danes at FIU Golden Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Great Danes	7	13	0	6	26
Golden Panthers	0	0	28	7	35

at FIU Stadium, Miami, Florida

Date: November 9
Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 85 °F (29 °C)
Game attendance: 4,588
Referee: S. Frederickson
Box score

Statistics	ALB	FIU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Albany	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
FIU	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

At Florida Atlantic

FIU Golden Panthers at Florida Atlantic Owls – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Panthers	0	2	6	13	21
Owls	7	14	3	7	31

at Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Date: November 23
Game time: 3:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Sunny and mild, 73 °F (23 °C)
Game attendance: 10,224
Referee: A. Riveron
Box score

Statistics	FIU	FAU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
FIU	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Florida Atlantic	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

References

^ "Year-By-Year Records" (PDF). 2015 FIU Football Media Information Guide. FIUsports.com. p. 143. Retrieved January 10, 2016.

v t e FIU Panthers football
Home field	FIU Stadium (2002–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Florida Atlantic: Shula Bowl
Culture & lore	Roary the Panther FIU Fight Song FIU Panther Marching Band FIU–Miami football brawl
People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024