GAME 5
FIU (1-3, 0-0 CUSA) vs. Louisiana Tech (1-2, 0-0 CUSA)

DATE
Saturday, September 28, 2024

KICKOFF
6 p.m. ET

STADIUM
South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium (20,000)
 
 

TV	ESPN+
AUDIO	Panther Online Network
LIVE STATS	Stats Link
FOLLOW US	Twitter | Instagram
WEEKLY PRESSER	WATCH

 
WATCH FIU FOOTBALL WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE
FIU FOOTBALL MEDIA AVAILABILITY – GAME 5 – vs. LOUISIANA TECH – CUSA OPENER
FIU football head coach Mike MacIntyre, along with sophomore quarterback Keyone Jenkins and senior defensive back CJ Christian met with the media on Tuesday afternoon to preview this Saturday's game against Louisiana Tech.
 
WATCH HERE

 
THE COACHES
FIU                                                          
Head Coach: Mike MacIntyre (Georgia Tech '89)
Overall Record: 55-85 (12th season)
Record at FIU: 9-19 (3rd season)
 
LOUISIANA TECH                                
Head Coach: Sonny Cumbie
Overall Record: 9-23 (4th season)
Record at LT: 7-20 (3rd season)
 
QUICK HITS

• FIU will be facing Louisiana Tech for the third straight season and seventh time in program history when they square off on Saturday.
• The Panthers have played three of their last four games at Pitbull Stadium, including Saturday's clash with the Bulldogs.
• FIU trails the all-time series with La Tech 1-5.

 
PANTHERS HOST LOUISIANA TECH IN CUSA OPENER
The Panthers are back at South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium on Saturday night when they host Louisiana Tech in the Conference USA opener in a 6 p.m. ET Kickoff.
 
Saturday's game will be aired on ESPN+ and called by AJ Ricketts (pxp) and Zach Letson (analyst).
 
The audio broadcast can be heard on The Panther Online Network with Corey Brooks (pxp) and Jackson McDonald (analyst) on the mic.
 
The pregame show on The Panther Online Network will start 15 minutes prior to kickoff and a postgame show will follow the conclusion of the contest.
 
The Panther Online Network can be accessed by visiting fiusports.com/listen.
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers will follow Saturday's clash with the start of four consecutive nationally-televised weeknight league clashes - beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at defending conference champion Liberty.
 
The Panthers will travel to UTEP on Wednesday, Oct. 16 before hosting Sam Houston (Oct. 22/Tues.) and New Mexico State (Oct. 29/Tues.) to close out the stretch of weeknight contests.
 
The games against Liberty, UTEP and New Mexico State will air on CBS Sports Network, while the Sam Houston game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
 
SCOUTING LOUISIANA TECH
Louisiana Tech enters Saturday's clash with the Panthers with a 1-2 mark over their initial three games and fresh off a 23-20 setback in overtime against Tulsa in Ruston last week.
 
The Bulldogs won their opening game vs. Nicholls (25-17) before dropping a 30-20 road decision at North Carolina State on Sept. 14.
 
Louisiana Tech is led by Sonny Cumbie, who is in his third season at the helm of the Bulldogs' program.
 
The Bulldogs are averaging 21.67 points over the first three games and have posted an average of 251.6 passing yards and 79.7 rushing yards on the offensive side.
 
Tru Edwards leads the La Tech receiving corps with nine receptions for 169 yards and one touchdown.  Jay Wilkerson is averaging a team-best 21.3 yards per catch and boasts 149 yards and seven catches.
 
Jack Turner is expected to lead the Bulldogs' offense and has completed 30-of-58 pass attempts for 392 yards and a pair of touchdowns over the opening three games.
 
Defensively, the Hawks are allowing 23.3 points per game in 2024.  They have surrendered an average of 106.0 yards on the ground and 192.0 through the air.  They have posted nine sacks in the first three games.
 
The Bulldogs are minus eight (-8) in the turnover battle so far this season.  La Tech has tossed five interceptions and lost five fumbles over the opening three games and have only managed two takeaways defensively.
 
BARNES SETS INT RETURN RECORD
FIU junior linebacker Travion Barnes returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown with 9:53 left in the first quarter of the Sept. 21 game vs. Monmouth – breaking the record for the longest interception return in FIU history. 
 
The 85-yard pick six bested the previous long of 82 yards by Marshall McDuffie vs. Florida Atlantic on Nov. 26, 2005.
 
NOTABLES FROM MONMOUTH

• FIU's defense and offense both scored touchdowns during their respective opening drives of the game.  Barnes ran back the interception for a record 85 yards en route to a touchdown before the Panthers' offense put together an eight-play, 58-yard march for a touchdown on their first possession of the game.
• Sophomore quarterback Keyone Jenkins connected with sophomore wide receiver JuJu Lewis for a 42-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter – it marked the Panthers' longest pass play this season at the time.
• FIU junior JoJo Evans was ejected from the game for targeting with 2:54 left in the second quarter.
• The FIU and Monmouth offenses combined for four consecutive touchdowns (two each) during a stretch in the opening half.
• Monmouth attempted a total of six fourth-down conversions in the first half – and were successful on four of those chances.  Monmouth finished the game 5-for-7 on fourth down opportunities.
• The game featured a total of three ties. 
• FIU tight end Josiah Miamen fumbled on the FIU 39 with the score tied at 42-42 and 5:03 left in regulation.
• Quarterback Keyone Jenkins finished with a career-high 362 passing yards – his first 300-yard passing performance.
• Wide receiver Eric Rivers finished with 101 receiving yards – matching his career high set last week at Florida Atlantic.
• The Panthers were flagged for 12 penalties and a total of 108 yards – its most since getting 15 penalties for 127 yards at Liberty on Sept. 26, 2020.
   

DEFENSIVE SCORES
The FIU defense ranks tied for fifth nationally with a pair of defensive touchdowns through the opening four games of 2024.
 
The Panthers have run back two interceptions for scores this season - one by Brian Blades against Central Michigan and a second by Travion Barnes vs. Monmouth.
 
DEFENSIVE PICKS
The FIU defense also ranks eighth nationally and leads Conference USA in passes intercepted with six through four games.
 
Six different players have intercepted a pass for the Panthers this season - two of which have been run back the distance for touchdowns.
 
BARNES LEADING THE WAY
Junior linebacker Travion Barnes has wasted no time in establishing himself as a leader of the FIU defense.
 
He currently ranks seventh among all FBS players in solo tackles with an average of 6.3 per game - which is also tops in Conference USA.
 
In addition, Barnes sits 14th among FBS leaders and second in CUSA with an average of 10.0 total tackles per contest through the opening four games of 2024.
 
BIG PLAY RIVERS
Junior wide receiver Eric Rivers is averaging 21.33 yards per catch through the opening four games of 2024 - which ranks third in CUSA and 20th among all FBS players.
 
Rivers has notched a total of six catches of at least 20 yards or more in 2024.
 
PANTHERS PULL OFF FIRST AT FAU
FIU blocked a punt and a field goal in the same game for the first time in program history at Florida Atlantic on Sept. 14.
 
Junior Eddie Walls III blocked a 39-yard field goal attempt by Florida Atlantic with 1:49 left in first half.
 
Prior to that, redshirt freshman Luby Maurice Jr. blocked a punt at the 10:48 mark of the first quarter, it marked the first blocked punt for FIU since Sept. 25, 2021 at Central Michigan (Rishard Dames).
 
TICKETS
For more information on FIU Football season and individual tickets, including student ticketing, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit the FIU Athletics Online Ticket Office
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIU.Football on Instagram and @FIUFootball on Twitter and Facebook.
 
General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.