As the Blue Devils prepare for Saturday’s contest against Florida International, their defense will be sure to hone in on senior quarterback Wesley Carroll. Transferring from SEC staple Mississippi State after his sophomore year, Carroll has spearheaded the Golden Panthers’ surprising rise to prominence in the Sun Belt Conference.
Playing as a redshirt junior in 2010, Carroll set program records by notching 2,263 passing yards and 16 passing touchdowns. After Florida International scuffled to an 0-4 start, he propelled his squad to a 6-2 record over its final eight regular season games. The strong finish assured the Golden Panthers of their first postseason game in school history, where they edged out Toledo in the Little Casears Bowl, 34-32. Carroll was a linchpin in the effort, completing 16 of 27 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown.
This season, Carroll’s steady play has driven Florida International to a 3-1 start. He was tremendous in the team’s surprise 24-17 victory over Louisville, completing 14 of 21 passes for a season high 248 yards and two touchdowns. And Carroll’s performance against a strong non-conference opponent should not come as too big a surprise. He threw for 355 yards and two touchdowns against Maryland, and completed 23 of 38 passes for 238 yards against the Pittsburgh. While the Golden Panthers dropped both games, Carroll certainly raised eyebrows with his performances.
He heads into Saturday’s matchup as the Sun Belt’s leader in passer rating, but if the Blue Devils can pressure Carroll into making mistakes—he has yet to throw an interception this season—their chances of improving to 3-2 on the season will improve greatly.
Carroll left last weekend’s game against Louisiana-Lafayette in the first quarter with an ankle injury, a game the Golden Panthers ultimately lost 36-31. While he is expected to start on Saturday without limitations, his health will certainly be something to monitor.
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