Adrian Benitez | Staff Writer
The FIU football team returns to Pitbull Stadium to take on the Sam Houston Bearkats on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024 in Miami.
The Panthers will wear their 2024 FIU Vice uniforms in the contest. The uniforms, inspired in design and name by the Miami Vice TV show, were revealed to the public back on Oct. 3.
In their previous game, the Panthers lost to a UTEP Miners team with an 0-6 record, a loss that compounds on an already tough season for the Panthers. In dire need of a win to stem the tide, CUSA’s other team from Texas awaits on Tuesday night.
Sam Houston is 5-2 on the year. In their most recent game, they took a 31-14 loss to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. They were within striking distance for most of the game, until Western Kentucky scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to put it on ice.
Despite the loss, Sam Houston’s record still puts them among the best teams in the CUSA. It’s not just the record, their stats also stack up well among teams in the conference.
The Bearkats offense is averaging 29.3 points per game as well as 401 total yards and 219.7 rushing yards per game. All of these metrics rank third among Conference USA teams.
On defense, the Bearkats allow 24.9 points per game, give up 348.4 total yards per game and 129.3 rushing yards per game, putting Sam Houston among the top four teams in the CUSA in these stats.
The Bearkats defense also has a proclivity for making big plays. The Bearkats defense has recorded 14 sacks and seven interceptions. They’ve also forced eight fumbles and recovered six. Sam Houston ranks top three in the conference for all these stats.
In terms of players, Sam Houston is led by junior quarterback Hunter Watson. Watson has completed 84 of his 141 passes for a total of 987 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions.
Watson is also the team’s leading rusher, with 407 yards and four touchdowns on the ground this year.
Don’t let that statistic fool you into discounting the Bearkats running backs, though. Freshman DJ McKinney has recorded 393 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while senior Jay Ducker has run for 365 yards and five touchdowns so far this year.
The Bearkats defense has plenty of playmakers, most notably junior defensive back Caleb Weaver. Weaver leads the team in both tackles (47) and interceptions (three.) He has also logged a forced fumble and a recovered fumble.
Among the Bearkats’ many sack producers, junior defensive lineman Chris Murray and junior defensive lineman Briceon Hayes are the most prolific. Murray has logged 3.5 sacks on the year and Hayes has 2.5.
If the Panthers want to win, they must fix their issues with run defense. FIU has given up 492 rushing yards in their last two games, and now they’re up against an offense that has generated 1,538 total yards on the ground, the most in the CUSA.
However, beyond anything that numbers can contextualize, the most important thing for the Panthers in this game will be how they respond to adversity.
After their loss to FCS Monmouth, the Panthers responded by beating Louisiana Tech to begin conference play. The game after that, they took the undefeated Liberty Flames all the way to overtime.
If the Panthers can respond the same way they did after their first setback of the season, they have a great shot of beating the odds and celebrating a win in their vice uniforms.
Looking to get momentum back, the FIU football team is taking on the Sam Houston State Bearkats on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024 at Pitbull Stadium in Miami.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
Prediction: FIU: 21, Sam Houston: 17
Follow Adrian Benitez on X: @ab305FIU
PantherNOW Staff Predictions:
Brian Olmo – FIU: 14 , Sam Houston: 28
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