2014 GSC Football Team Preview--Florida Tech Panthers
On August 20, we began featuring a short team-by-team preview of all eight GSC Football members ending on August 29.
|
|
2013 Record:
5-7, 1-5 GSC
|
Returning starters:
O-9, D-11, S-3
|
Avg. Pts per game:
23.7
|
Avg. Pts allowed:
30.2
|
QUICK HITS
Only NCAA DII football program in the state of Florida, until UWF begins in 2016. Entering second season of football this fall.
Florida Tech is scheduled to play 11 games, two are against Football Championship Subdivision schools in Stetson (Week 1, Sept. 6) and Bethune-Cookman (Week 4, Sept. 27). The Panthers beat Stetson in their inaugural game 20-13.
The Panthers will travel to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas to play Tarleton State in Week 3 on Sept. 20. The game is part of the Lone Star Football Festival.
FIT’s games this fall will be radio broadcast for the first time on WFIT 89.5 FM.
The Panthers finished with a 5-7 record in their inaugural season.
First season was highlighted by a 32-20 win over fellow first-year program Alderson Broaddus in the first-ever Eastern College Athletic Conference Division II Futures Bowl.
Returning are seven all-conference honorees in DB Manny Abad, LB Justin Arcune, TE Gabe Hughes, WR Xavier Milton, OL Ramsey Sellers, DL Skylar Sheffield and LB Chris Stapleton. Stapleton was also chosen GSC Co-Defensive Freshman of the Year. All seven were named to the USA College Football Preseason All-American Team this summer.
Xavier Milton led the GSC last season in receiving yards (938), receptions (84) and receptions per game (7.0).
Manny Abad was the only nominee from a GSC school for the 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. He has volunteered over 56 hours in the community in his first two years at FIT.
Twenty Panthers, including Abad, were named to the GSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll in February.
KEY PLAYER
|
|
 |
|
|
|
FIT's Xavier Milton led the GSC in receptions and receiving yards in 2013 |
Headlining FIT's individual list of honors last season was wide receiver Xavier Milton. Milton took the league by storm a year ago, leading the GSC in receptions (84) and receiving yards while hauling in 11 touchdowns in 12 games.
The senior saved his best for last a year ago, guiding the Panthers to a 32-20 victory over Alderson-Broadus in the first-ever ECAC Division II Futures Bowl on November 23 by catching a GSC season-high 14 passes for 177 yards and two scores. The Alameda, CA native was a unanimous FIrst Team All-GSC selection and was also tabbed a
Don Hansen's Football Gazette Third Team All-American.
|
2014 Schedule |
|
Sept. 6 |
@ Stetson |
7:00 pm |
|
Sept. 13 |
Ave Maria |
6:00 pm |
|
Sept. 27 |
@ Bethune-Cookman |
4:00 pm |
|
Oct. 2 |
Delta State (GSC-TV) |
7:00 pm |
|
Oct. 11 |
@ West Alabama |
6:00 pm |
|
Oct. 18 |
North Alabama |
6:00 pm |
|
Oct. 25 |
Mississippi College (Homecoming) |
1:00 pm |
|
Nov. 1 |
@ Shorter |
12:00 pm |
|
Nov. 8 |
@ West Georgia |
2:00 pm |
|
Nov. 15 |
Valdosta State |
6:00 pm |
#GSC#