Jennifer Gonzalez | Sports Assistant
Head Coach Willie Simmons and the FIU Panthers have proven their first season together to be one of resounding success as they make their way to the programs’ first bowl game since their 2019 appearance in the Camellia Bowl.
The Panthers handily defeated CUSA’s lowest performing team in Sam Houston Bearkats 56 – 10 last week, including a 3 touchdown performance in Keyone Jenkins first action in a month following his injury in FIU’s loss to Missouri State back on October 29.
In their victory FIU saw a pair of receivers go for 100 yards in Alex Perry and Dallas Payne, totaling 140 yards and 100 yards through the air respectively.
23 different defenders recorded at least one solo tackle to cap a defensive effort led by Redshirt Junior Linebacker Percey Courtney Jr., who has solidified his place in the FIU defense over the last two seasons with a total 64 tackles over a 21 game span.
Runningback Kejon Owens continues to make FIU history as his 124 rushing yards against the Bearkat defense add more to his FIU single season record of 1298 rushing yards.
Owens was named CUSA offensive player of the year, and will have another opportunity to add to his legacy with the Panthers upcoming bowl game.
After finishing 7-5, their first time finishing a season with 7 wins since 2018, the Panthers will be heading to the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl to face the UTSA Roadrunners in Dallas at the Gerald J. Ford stadium on December, 26 at 8 p.m. ET.
UTSA comes into the bowl at 6 – 6 following an inconsistent season where they were unable to string more than 2 consecutive wins.
They rank as one of the better scoring offenses in the American Athletic Conference but have a defense that struggles to generate sacks or bring pressure up front, with only a single player reaching five sacks in Linebacker Nnanna Anyanwu.
FIU and USTA have both had several games this season with 45 points or more, and their matchup could prove to be a firefight.
What could come in FIU’s favor is if they’re willing to take advantage of UTSA’s weakness on the line and let Kejon Owens grind away at the defense while keeping the Roadrunner secondary in check with Keyone Jenkins’s arm.
UTSA is one of the worst teams in the American Athletic Conference in giving up fresh 1st downs or allowing 3rd down conversions, and FIU has demonstrated their ability to find the down marker all season even with obstacles in their way.
What it will take for the Panthers to win is to keep their late season momentum going and have confidence that this first season under Willie Simmons is the start of a long term turnaround for a program searching for an identity after a half decade of inconsistency.
Score Prediction:
FIU: 35
UTSA: 31
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