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FACTS & STATS: Site: Rutgers Stadium (52,454) -- Piscataway, New Jersey. Television: SNY, Big East TV. Home Record: FIU 0-0, Rutgers 1-1. Away Record: FIU 0-1, Rutgers 0-0. Neutral Record: FIU 0-0, Rutgers 0-0. Conference Record: FIU 0-0, Rutgers 0-1. Series Record: First-ever meeting.

GAME NOTES: For the first time ever, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Florida International Golden Panthers will butt heads on the gridiron, as the two are set for a non-conference clash at Rutgers Stadium.

Former Rutgers assistant Mario Cristobal (2001-03) is now the head coach at FIU, and he'll have his first opportunity to match wits with ex-boss Greg Schiano. Rutgers has never played an opponent from the Sun Belt Conference, so there it will be interesting to see how these two programs match up.

The Golden Panthers opened their schedule with a 40-14 loss at the hands of fourth-ranked Alabama last weekend. FIU plays four of its first five games on the road.

As for the Scarlet Knights, they beat up on Howard last weekend, 45-7, which followed a season-opening 32-point loss to Big East rival Cincinnati. This is the finale of three straight home games to start the season for Rutgers.

The Golden Panther offense had all kinds of trouble moving the ball against a speedy Alabama defense last weekend. FIU managed just 13 first downs and 214 yards of total offense. Whether it was the run or the pass, the Crimson Tide was a step ahead on just about everything the Golden Panthers tried. Their net rushing total for the game: one yard on 26 attempts. Obviously, that total was impacted by the fact that quarterback Paul McCall was sacked five times for a loss of 38 yards. Still, it's not as if FIU had a whole lot of success otherwise. As for the passing game, McCall finished 16-of-32 passing for 189 yards and a touchdown to Greg Ellingson, who caught five balls for 92 yards. T.Y. Hilton also had five catches, though his biggest impact came on special teams, as he returned a first-quarter kickoff 96 yards for a score.

At times last Saturday, the FIU defense seemed to show too much respect for the high-powered Alabama offense, not wanting to get beat deep for big plays. As a result, Tide quarterback Greg McElroy took everything the Golden Panther defense gave him and, at one point, completed a school-record 14 straight passes. Expect somewhat of a more aggressive scheme this week from a defense that recorded 15 interceptions last season. However, that will only be possible if the front seven is able to generate more of a pass rush, which was one of the team's bigger concerns entering the season. In addition to their success throwing the football, the Crimson Tide were able to gash the Golden Panthers with the run, totaling 275 yards on 6.5 yards per carry as a team.

The Rutgers' offense was virtually nonexistent against Cincinnati, then was near flawless against Howard. Expect the Scarlet Knights to settle somewhere in between, as they break in a few new starters at key positions. Freshman Tom Savage took over at quarterback in the second half against Cincinnati and played well. As a result, coach Schiano chose to start the true freshman last weekend against Howard. That decision panned out quite well, as Savage threw for 223 yards and two TDs in his first collegiate start. He connected with top wideout Tim Brown three times for 132 yards and a score, while Jourdan Brooks shouldered the ground game with 124 yards and three TDs on 17 carries. The Scarlet Knights opened the tilt by scoring 32 unanswered points, including scores on seven straight drives.

Defensively, the Scarlet Knights were able to impose their will against an overmatched Howard squad. The Bison struggled to sustain drives, as they went just 3-of-14 on third downs. Rutgers held Howard's run game in check to the tune of 3.2 yards per carry, while Bison quarterback Floyd Haigler managed just 151 passing yards on 12-of-27 accuracy. The Scarlet Knights were also able to take advantage of a few miscues, as they forced a pair of fumbles and pounced on three loose balls. Zaire Kitchen led the defense with eight tackles, while Jonathan Freeney recorded two sacks. Billy Anderson was in lockdown mode in the passing game, breaking up three passes.

FIU is in the midst of finding out just how difficult its early-season schedule is. Look for McElroy and the Rutgers' offense to pick apart the Golden Panthers' secondary en route to an easy win at home.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Rutgers 45, Florida International 17