Like 90% of Louisville fans, I was disappointed when U of L agreed to a home-and-home football series with Florida International because I saw the Golden Panthers as little more than a surefire early September victory.
It's looking like a foolish stance now that the Panthers are coming off of a conference championship and bowl victory in 2010, not to mention a throttling of North Texas in week one. In fact, the Cardinals have opened up as just a 4.5-point favorite over FIU, and the Courier-Journal's own Eric Crawford has gone public with his belief that Louisville will lose by a touchdown on Friday night.
The biggest cause for concern if you're a Louisville fan is T.Y. Hilton, the FIU star who will probably be the best player on the field three days from now. Hilton is the reigning Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year, and earned the league's Offensive Player of the Week title after racking up a national best 283 yards of all-purpose yards against North Texas.
He can turn what should be a five-yard gain into an 80-yard touchdown, and is a threat to house and kick or punt that lands in his hands.
There's a little proof in this season-highlight video from FIU's 2010 campaign: