Improved Florida International heads to Troy

TROY — This isn’t your older brother’s Florida International team that Troy will face tonight. This year’s FIU bunch, in its second year with head coach Mario Cristobal, appears to be legit.

FIU’s recent success — conference wins over North Texas and Middle Tennessee and a blowout win at Toledo, the same team that beat Michigan — has caught the Trojans’ eye.

The teams tussle today at 6 p.m. at Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium. FIU went 0-12 in 2006, lost its first 11 before a win in the season finale last year and lost its first three this year, albeit to good competition against Kansas, Iowa and South Florida (just a 17-9 loss). Kansas and USF were highly ranked when FIU played them.

“Swagger is what I see,” Troy linebacker Bear Woods said. “They go out there knowing they can win. That alone puts you in great position as a team.”

Junior Paul McCall has taken over at quarterback for the more athletic but inconsistent Wayne Younger. FIU’s leading pass-catchers are true freshmen in T.Y. Hilton (11 catches, 366 yards, 4 TDs) and Junior Mertile (14-91), though Greg Ellingson (9-119) and Jeremy Dickens (7-101), who is from nearby Cottondale, Fla., have stepped up.

“They’re not flip-flopping their offense every week and doing something totally different, similar to what they did last year,” Troy defensive coordinator Jeremy Rowell said. “Other than the early games, I think they had some turnovers against Iowa and Kansas and some sacks, but you wipe those two games off the schedule stat-wise and they’ve been very productive.”

Hilton has been the league’s best freshman so far, as he returned a punt for a score the first time he touched the ball as a college player against Kansas. At FIU home games, the America Online moniker “Goodbye” plays over the speakers when “T.Y. Goodbye” scores.

“All I’ve heard is that he’s very fast,” Woods said. “I’ll try to find my way to him. I’ll find him before the night’s over, maybe.”

Troy has settled on a quarterback to replace injured Jamie Hampton, but won’t announce it. Junior Levi Brown took the first reps in practice drills Wednesday. Sophomore Tanner Jones could also play and wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan could take snaps.

True freshman Dan Parker will dress and is the emergency quarterback.

“Levi puts me in the mind of a quarterback,” linebacker Boris Lee said. “He can sit there and he’s tall, and his throws get there and they’re catchable and all that. Both of them’s got potential to be great.”