2014 Florida Tech Panthers football team

The 2014 Florida Tech Panthers football team represented the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) during the 2014 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by head coach Steve Englehart, who was in his second year at Florida Tech. The Panthers played their home games at Pirate Stadium, approximately one mile from the Florida Tech campus and were a member of the Gulf South Conference. The 2014 season was the Panthers' second, after having football approved at FIT in April, 2010.[1]

2014 Florida Tech Panthers football
ConferenceGulf South Conference
2014 record6–5 (3–4 GSC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJayson Martin (2nd season)
Defensive coordinatorWillie Tillman (2nd season)
Home stadiumPirate Stadium at Palm Bay High School
2014 Gulf South Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 13 Delta State +^  6 –1     9 –2  
No. 16 North Alabama +^  6 –1     9 –2  
No. 6 West Georgia ^  5 –2     12 –3  
No. 10 Valdosta State ^  5 –2     10 –3  
Florida Tech  3 –4     6 –5  
West Alabama  2 –5     5 –6  
Shorter  1 –6     3 –8  
Mississippi College #  0 –7     1 –9  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
  • # – Provisional Division II member
Rankings from AFCA Poll

The Panthers would record the first winning season in program history at 6-5. Highlights included the program's first ever win over a ranked team in a 37-31 victory over #12 Tarleton State at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas as part of the Lone Star Football Festival [2] , their first ever road win in GSC play thanks to a last second 33-32 win at West Alabama [3] and clinching a winning record on a 41-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass from Mark Cato to Xavier Milton as time expired to defeat Shorter, 34-30.[4]

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 67:00 pmat Stetson*
W 54–12[5]4,042
September 136:00 pmAve Maria*
W 42–64,050
September 206:00 pmvs. No. 12 Tarleton State*
W 37-3113,024
September 274:00 pmat No. 15 (FCS) Bethune-Cookman*
L 33–348,431
October 27:00 pmNo. 11 Delta State
  • Pirate Stadium
  • Melbourne, FL
ESPN3L 20–582,875
October 117:00 pmat West Alabama
W 33–323,250
October 186:00 pmNo. 4 North Alabama
  • Pirate Stadium
  • Melbourne, FL
L 31–343,129
October 251:00 pmMississippi College
  • Pirate Stadium
  • Melbourne, FL
W 44–93,200
November 112:00 pmat Shorter
W 34–302,250
November 82:00 pmat West Georgia*
ESPN3L 35–494,610
November 156:00 pmNo. 25 Valdosta State
  • Pirate Stadium
  • Melbourne, FL
L 29–314,126
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game

Game summaries

at Stetson
1 2 3 4 Total
Panthers 30 7 10 7 54
Hatters 0 0 0 12 12

Ave Maria
1 2 3 4 Total
Gyrenes 0 0 6 0 6
Panthers 14 0 28 0 42

Tarleton State
1 2 3 4 Total
Panthers 7 14 7 9 37
Texans 14 10 0 7 31

at Bethune-Cookman
1 2 3 4 Total
Panthers 7 7 10 9 33
Wildcats 7 13 0 14 34

Delta State
1 2 3 4 Total
Statesmen 7 16 28 7 58
Panthers 7 13 0 0 20

at West Alabama
1 2 3 4 Total
Panthers 6 7 7 13 33
Tigers 10 10 3 9 32

North Alabama
1 2 3 4 Total
Lions 10 7 10 7 34
Panthers 0 10 14 7 31

Mississippi College
1 2 3 4 Total
Choctaws 6 0 3 0 9
Panthers 14 13 7 10 44

at Shorter
1 2 3 4 Total
Panthers 0 0 14 20 34
Hawks 0 10 0 20 30

at West Georgia
1 2 3 4 Total
Panthers 7 14 7 7 35
Wolves 21 7 0 21 49

Valdosta State
1 2 3 4 Total
Blazers 3 14 7 7 31
Panthers 3 6 0 20 29

Awards and milestones

Gulf South Conference honors

Nine players from Florida Tech were honored as All-GSC selections by the league's coaches. Wide Receiver Xavier Milton was named the GSC Co-Offensive Player of the Year with West Alabama QB Kyle Caldwell, becoming the first Panther to receive the honor. Quarterback Mark Cato became the first of two consecutive Panthers to win GSC Offensive Freshman of the Year with Antwuan Haynes winning it the following year. Steve Englehart was named GSC Co-Coach of the Year with Delta State's Todd Cooley and would go on to win the award outright in 2015.[6]

  • Gulf South Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year: WR Xavier Milton
  • Gulf South Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year: QB Mark Cato
  • Gulf South Conference Co-Coach of the Year: Steve Englehart

Gulf South Conference All-Conference First Team
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