Filed under: Florida International, Toledo, Bowl Games
Florida International's 34-32 come-from-behind win over Toledo in the Little Caesars Bowl didn't just signify the program's first bowl victory, it marked a culmination of five years of lackluster results, the perseverance and belief of a team and its coaching staff, and ultimately, an homage to a fallen teammate.
"I think these players and these coaches have done a great job of overcoming adversity," FIU coach Mario Cristobal said. "I think they deserve all the credit in the world because I do think it's one of the better stories in college football. These guys were faced with penalties that weren't their fault and scholarship limitations that weren't their fault. And I think all of those things, when they're pitted against you coming off an 0-12 season, that's not a pretty picture. But these guys never looked back, they were always going forward regardless of who we played and what the score was."
In 2007, Cristobal took over a team that was 0-12 in just its second season as a member of the FBS. He implemented a spread offensive system and told himself that it could take as many as seven seasons to get the program where it needed to be. He dealt with APR sanctions and the challenges of bringing high-level players to campus. He promised recruits a chance to be the first to make a mark on an up-and-coming program.
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