American college football season
The 2018 Florida Tech Panthers football team represented Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) during the 2018 NCAA Division II football season . They were led by sixth-year head coach Steve Englehart . The Panthers played their home games at Florida Tech Panther Stadium , approximately one mile from the Florida Tech campus, and were members of the Gulf South Conference .
The 2018 season saw FIT finish with a record of 8-4, earning their second trip to the NCAA Division II Football Championship where they were eliminated in the first round at Lenoir-Rhyne.[ 1] [ 2]
Preseason
Gulf South Conference coaches poll
On August 2, 2018, the Gulf South Conference released their preseason coaches poll with the Panthers predicted to finish in 6th place in the conference.[ 3]
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
West Alabama
62 (6)
2
West Florida
59 (3)
3
West Georgia
44
4
Delta State
41
5
Valdosta State
38
6 Florida Tech 32
7
North Greenville
24
8
Mississippi College
16
9
Shorter
8
Preseason All-Gulf South Conference Team
The Panthers had four players at four positions selected to the preseason all-Gulf South Conference team.[ 4]
Offense
Romell Guerrier – WR
Antwuan Haynes – RB
Defense
Adonis Davis – DL
J. T. Hassell – LB
Schedule
Florida Tech 2018 football schedule consists of five home and six away games in the regular season. The Panthers will host GSC foes Delta State , Mississippi College , North Greenville , and Valdosta State , and will travel to Shorter , West Alabama , West Florida , and West Georgia .[ 5]
The Panthers will host one of the three non-conference games against Newberry from the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) and will travel to Benedict from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Wingate also from the SAC.[ 6]
Two of the eleven games will be broadcast on ESPN3 , as part of the Gulf South Conference Game of the Week.[ 7]
Date Time Opponent Site TV Result Attendance September 1 6:00 p.m. at Benedict * W 33-141,528 September 8 1:00 p.m. Newberry * W 17-102,500 September 15 7:00 p.m. Delta State Florida Tech Panther Stadium Melbourne, FL ESPN3 W 30-123,567 September 22 2:00 p.m. at No. 8 West Georgia L 21-302,524 September 29 3:00 p.m. at Wingate * ESPN3 W 26-232,171 October 6 7:00 p.m. Mississippi College Florida Tech Panther Stadium Melbourne, FL W 31-242,543 October 13 1:00 p.m. No. 8 Valdosta State Florida Tech Panther Stadium Melbourne, FL L 21-513,679 October 20 5:00 p.m. at No. 17 West Florida W 30-285,191 October 27 5:00 p.m. at West Alabama ESPN3 L 22-295,106 November 3 2:00 p.m. North Greenville Florida Tech Panther Stadium Melbourne, FL W 37-72,800 November 10 1:00 p.m. at Shorter W 55-71,575 November 17 2:00 p.m. at No. 17 Lenoir-Rhyne L 21-432,436 *Non-conference game Rankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time
Schedule Source: [ 8]
Rankings
Ranking movementsLegend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking Week Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Final AFCA RV RV RV RV RV RV RV — RV — — RV RV
Game summaries
At Benedict
1
2
3
4
Total
Panthers
16
3
7
7
33
Tigers
7
0
0
7
14
Newberry
1
2
3
4
Total
Wolves
0
3
7
0
10
Panthers
0
7
10
0
17
Delta State
1
2
3
4
Total
Statesmen
0
6
6
0
12
Panthers
21
9
0
0
30
At West Georgia
1
2
3
4
Total
Panthers
7
7
7
0
21
Wolves
7
0
10
13
30
At Wingate
1
2
3
4
Total
Panthers
0
7
7
12
26
Bulldogs
0
10
7
6
23
Mississippi College
1
2
3
4
Total
Choctaws
0
14
7
3
24
Panthers
3
7
7
14
31
Valdosta State
1
2
3
4
Total
Blazers
14
10
0
27
51
Panthers
0
0
7
14
21
At West Florida
1
2
3
4
Total
Panthers
3
7
10
10
30
Argonauts
14
7
0
7
28
At West Alabama
1
2
3
4
Total
Panthers
0
10
9
3
22
Tigers
14
0
7
8
29
North Greenville
1
2
3
4
Total
Crusaders
0
0
7
0
7
Panthers
20
10
7
0
37
At Shorter
1
2
3
4
Total
Panthers
10
28
10
7
55
Hawks
0
0
0
7
7
At Lenoir-Rhyne
1
2
3
4
Total
Panthers
7
0
14
0
21
Bears
17
10
13
3
43
Awards and milestones
Gulf South Conference honors
Four players from Florida Tech were honored as All-GSC selections by the league's coaches. Linebacker J.T. Hassell was named the GSC Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the second Panther to receive the honor.[ 9]
Gulf South Conference All-Conference First Team
J.T. Hassell, LB
Adonis Davis, DL
Romell Guerrier, WR
Gulf South Conference All-Conference Second Team
Gulf South Conference offensive player of the week
October 22: Romell Guerrier [ 10]
Gulf South Conference defensive player of the week
September 10: J.T. Hassell [ 11]
October 1: J.T. Hassell [ 12]
October 29: J.T. Hassell [ 13]
November 5: Dezmond Morgan [ 14]
Gulf South Conference special teams player of the week
November 5: Trey Schaneville [ 14]
School records
Most career rushing yards: 3,496, Antwuan Haynes
Most career rushing touchdowns: 25, Antwuan Haynes
Most career sacks: 23, Adonis Davis
Most career tackles for loss: 52, Adonis Davis
Most touchdown receptions in a season: 13, Romell Guerrier
Most tackles in a season: 124, J.T. Hassell
Most interceptions in a season: 4, John McClure
Most defensive touchdowns in a season: 3, Richard Leveille
Most tackles in a game: 20, J.T. Hassell (October 6, 2018)
Most sacks in a single game: 4, J.T. Hassell (September 29, 2018)
T-Most interceptions in a single game: 2, Dezmond Morgan (November 3, 2018) and John McClure (September 1, 2018)
T-Most tackles for loss in a single game: 4, J.T. Hassell (September 29, 2018)
Most carries in a single game: 29, Antwuan Haynes (October 20, 2018)
Largest comeback: 18 at West Florida (October 20, 2018)
Most points scored in single game: 55 at Shorter (November 10, 2018)
References
^ "Panthers' Season Ends with NCAA Playoff Loss to Lenoir-Rhyne" . Florida Institute of Technology. Retrieved January 8, 2019 .^ "Florida Tech Comes Back to Win Coastal Classic" . Florida Institute of Technology. Retrieved January 8, 2019 .^ "West Alabama Tops GSC Football Preseason Poll" . Gulf South Conference. August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018 .^ Gulf South Conference 2018 ^ "Football Announces 2018 Schedule" (Press release). Florida Institute of Technology Department of Athletics. March 2, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018 .^ "Florida Tech Panthers football adds Newberry to 2018 schedule" (Press release). Hometown News. March 26, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018 .^ "GSC Announces 2018 Football Game of the Week Schedule" . Gulf South Conference. Retrieved July 18, 2018 .^ "Florida Tech unveils 2018 football schedule" . Florida Today. March 2, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018 .^ "GSC Announces 2018 Football All-Conference Awards" . Gulf South Conference. Retrieved January 5, 2019 .^ "GSC Football Players of the Week: October 22, 2018" . Gulf South Conference. Retrieved January 5, 2019 .^ "GSC Football Players of the Week: September 10, 2018" . Gulf South Conference. Retrieved January 5, 2019 .^ "GSC Football Players of the Week: October 1, 2018" . Gulf South Conference. Retrieved January 5, 2019 .^ "GSC Football Players of the Week: October 29, 2018" . Gulf South Conference. Retrieved January 5, 2019 .^ a b "GSC Football Players of the Week: November 5, 2018" . Gulf South Conference. Retrieved January 5, 2019 .
