GAME 2
FIU (0-1, 0-0 CUSA) vs. Central Michigan (1-0, 0-0 MAC)

DATE
Saturday, September 7, 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 2 – vs. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
FIU football head coach Mike MacIntyre met with the media on Tuesday afternoon to preview this Saturday's showdown vs. Central Michigan.
 
WATCH HERE

 
THE COACHES
FIU                                                          
Head Coach: Mike MacIntyre (Georgia Tech '89)
Overall Record: 54-83 (12th season)
Record at FIU: 8-17 (3rd season)
 
Central Michigan
Head Coach: Jim McElwain
Overall Record: 74-56 (12th season)
Record at CMU: 30-28 (1st season)
 
QUICK HITS

• FIU and CMU will be meeting for the second time in history - and the second time over the last four seasons.
• The Panthers dropped a 34-27 decision in the previous meeting on Sept. 25, 2021 on the road.
• The Panthers will be looking to win their fourth consecutive home opener this Saturday.

 
PANTHERS OPEN HOME SLATE VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The Panthers begin the 2024 home schedule with the inaugural game played at the newly named South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7 in a 6 p.m. kickoff vs. Central Michigan.
 
Saturday's game will be aired on ESPN+ and called by Steve Goldstein (pxp) and Kim Bokamper (analyst).
 
The audio broadcast can be heard on The Panther Online Network with Corey Brooks (pxp) and Billy Gil/Jackson McDonald (analysts) 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.
 
WELCOME TO SOUTH DADE KIA FIELD AT PITBULL STADIUM
Earlier this summer, FIU Athletics announced a groundbreaking partnership with international superstar and entrepreneur Armando Christian Pérez, better known as Pitbull.
 
The 10-year agreement will see FIU Stadium rebranded as Pitbull Stadium, making it the world's first-ever athletics venue with an artist possessing the naming rights.
 
The unrivaled collaboration includes multi-faceted marketing and promotional opportunities between Pitbull, a Miami native, and FIU – the only public Division-I institution in Miami.
 
FIU IN HOME OPENERS
The Panthers are 9-13 all-time in home openers entering Saturday's showdown with Central Michigan.
 

2002	Saint Peters (N.J.)	W, 27-3
2003	Bethune-Cookman	L, 14-24
2004	Louisiana	L, 34-43
2005	Florida A&M	W, 23-6
2006	Bowling Green	L, 28-33
2007	Maryland	L, 10-26
2008	No. 12 South Florida	L, 9-17
2009	Toledo	L, 31-41
2010	Rutgers	L, 14-19
2011	North Texas	W, 41-16
2012	Akron	W, 41-38
2013	UCF	L, 0-38
2014	Bethune-Cookman	L, 12-14
2015	NC Central	W, 39-14
2016	Indiana	L, 13-34
2017	Alcorn State	W, 17-10
2018	Indiana	L, 28-38
2019	Western Kentucky	L, 14-20
2020	Middle Tennessee	L, 28-31
2021	Long Island	W, 48-10
2022	Bryant	W, 38-37 (OT)
2023	Maine	W, 14-12

 
FLEX RETURNS
Graduate running back Lexington Joseph returned to game action for the first time in over a year during the Panthers' season opener at Indiana on Aug. 31.
 
Joseph, who suffered a knee injury during 2023 spring practice, missed the entire 2023 season.
 
SOLID DEBUT FOR JOJO
Junior safety JoJo Evans had a solid debut in his opening game at FIU as he paced the Panthers with a team-high 11 tackles during the season opener at Indiana on Aug. 31.
 
NEW DUO AT LINEBACKER
The Panthers featured a fresh pair of faces on at the inside linebacker slots during the season opener at Indiana as junior Dwight Nunoo and Travion Barnes made their debuts for FIU.
 
Nunoo tabbed seven tackles and his first career sack in the meeting with the Hoosiers, while Barnes chipped in three stops.
 
SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The Chippewas enter Saturday's clash with FIU following a 66-10 victory over FCS foe Central Connecticut in their season opener last Saturday.
 
Central Michigan rang up 491 yards of total offense in the victory, including 378 yards through the air.  Quarterback Joe Labas completed 18-of-24 pass attempts and threw three touchdowns, including a pair to Solomon Davis, who totaled 109 yards on four receptions.  Myles Bailey led the Chippewas on the ground with 68 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Central Michigan hails from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and are in its sixth season under head coach Jim McElwain.
 
LAST MEETING VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
FIU received career-best efforts from quarterback Max Bortenschlager, wide receivers Tyrese Chambers and Bryce Singleton, but it wasn't enough as Central Michigan rallied with 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to escape with a 31-27 win over the Panthers at Kelly-Shorts Stadium on Sept. 25, 2021.
 
The Panthers opened a 27-10 lead with 3:17 remaining in the third quarter, but Central Michigan responded with three fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the decisive score – a 27-yard touchdown pass from freshman Daniel Richardson to Dallas Dixon with 78 seconds left in the contest.
 
FIU had a final chance to reclaim the lead as it drove 72 yards on nine plays over the final 1:11 before coming away empty when a pass by Bortenschlager was intercepted by Donte Kent in the end zone.
 
Chambers had a day for the Panthers, hauling in a total of six receptions for a career-best 175 yards and a touchdown.  He averaged 29.2 yards per catch and recorded three grabs that netted at least 30 yards, including a 75-yard catch that set up a third quarter TD run by D'vonte Price – his fifth of the season.
 
Singleton joined Chambers in recording a career-high day in receiving yards with six grabs for 173 yards – an average of 28.8 yards per catch.  The duo became the first FIU wideouts to each tally over 100 yards in a single contest since 2012.
 
FIU signal caller Bortenschlager finished 20-of-37 through the air for a career-high 395 yards along with a pair of touchdowns and an interception.
 
PANTHERS OWN SOUTH FLORIDA
The Panthers' roster is loaded with student-athletes that hail from the Sunshine State and specifically South Florida.
 
FIU has a total of 91 players from the state of Florida - including a total of 58 combined from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties.
 
The Panthers boast a total of 28 players from Miami-Dade, 20 from Broward and 10 from Palm Beach.
 
FIU's roster also includes a total of 33 players who are from Florida but outside of the South Florida region.
 
CENTRAL MICHIGAN - FLORIDA CONNECTION
The Chippewas have 11 players on their active roster that hail from the state of Florida.
 

Vashom Bailey	Fort Lauderdale, Fla.	Somerset Academy
Tyler Jefferson	High Springs, Fla.	Hawthrone
Quavion Bird	Lake Wales, Fla.	Bartow Senior
Mark-Allen Gay	Miami, Fla.	Miami Central
Germanuel Tanelus	North Lauderdale, Fla.	Fort Lauderdale
Jaree Turner-KInsler	Ocala, Fla.	North Marion
Jason Williams	Ocoee, Fla.	Ocoee
Josiah Booker	Sarasota, Fla.	Booker
Nasir Williams	Tallahassee, Fla.	Gadsden County
Jadyn Glasser	Tampa, Fla.	Venice Senior
Daniel Bennett	White Springs, Fla.	Columbia

 
FIU VS. THE MAC
The Panthers will be facing an opponent from the Mid American Conference for the 10th time when they meet Central Michigan on Saturday.
 
FIU is currently 5-4 against Mid American foes - with its most recent matchup also coming against the Chippewas in 2021.
 
SIGNAL CALLER JENKINS BACK FOR SECOND SEASON
FIU sophomore quarterback Keyone Jenkins returns under center for his sophomore season following a rookie campaign that marked one of the best performances by a FIU freshman quarterback.
 
Jenkins finished with 2,414 passing yards - the most by a true freshman at FIU and the fifth-highest total by any freshman last year nationally in FBS.
 
Jenkins one-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter at Arkansas on Nov. 16, 2023, marked his sixth of the season and broke the FIU program record for most rushing scores by a signal caller – surpassing Alex McGough's total of five in 2017.
 
In addition, Jenkins has scored a rushing touchdown in a stretch of five consecutive games (Sept. 16-Oct. 18) – the program record for most consecutive games with a rushing touchdown by any player is six (6) – set by Darriet Perry in 2009.
 
Jenkins finished the 2023 season with 11 passing touchdowns.
 
In addition, Jenkins had a knack for the big play with an average of 12.44 yards per completion - 40th best total among all FBS quarterbacks.
 
Jenkins has known little but winning as a prep as a starting signal caller dating back to his prep career at Miami Central.
 
Jenkins won each of his last 26 starts at Miami Central while also guiding the Rockets to three consecutive state titles from 2020-22.
 
He opened 3-0 as a starter for FIU prior to a loss against Liberty on Sept. 23.
 
FIRST TRUE FRESHMAN QB START SINCE 2014
Keyone Jenkins became the first true freshman to start a game at quarterback for FIU - when he opened under center vs. Maine on Sept. 2 , 2023- since Nov. 22, 2014 when Alex McGough opened under center at North Texas – he started 11 games as a true freshman in 2014.
 
Jenkins start vs. Maine on Sept. 2 marked the first in a span of 93 games which saw a true freshman start at quarterback for the Panthers.
 
JENKINS SETS FRESHMAN PASSING RECORD IN DEBUT
Keyone Jenkins had a record-setting debut as his 292 passing yards vs. Maine last season and eclipsed the FIU program record for the most passing yards ever by a true freshman.
 
He surpassed Jamie Butler, who tossed for 258 yards vs. Butler on Sept. 14, 2002 – during the inaugural season of the program.
 
Jenkins tossed the first touchdown pass of his collegiate career at 8:12 of the first quarter on a 19-yard toss to junior Kris Mitchell - his first of two to Mitchell - which also included a 62-yard scoring strike.
 
WHAT IS BACK
The Panthers return a total of 20 starters from last season's squad - with a total of eight offensive, six defensive and four special teams starters returning to the fold in 2024.
 
MINIMUM OF FIVE NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAMES
The Panthers will play before a national television audience at least five times during the 2024 season.
 
The Panthers' television schedule features three games televised on CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) and their first ESPNU national broadcast since 2020, when they host Sam Houston on Tuesday, Oct. 22 (7:30 p.m.) at Pit Bull Stadium in Miami.
 
FIU will have a regular-season game nationally televised on one of ESPN's primary networks for the second consecutive season – marking the first time since the 2011 and 2012 campaigns.
 
The Panthers' three games on CBS Sports Network all take place during the October weeknight portion of the schedule.  The trio of national telecasts begins with a match up at defending CUSA Champion Liberty in Lynchburg, Va., on Tuesday, Oct. 8 in a 7 p.m. ET start.
 
FIU follows with a clash at UTEP on Wednesday, Oct. 16 in a 9 p.m. ET kickoff, before hosting New Mexico State in its final CBS Sports Network broadcast in October on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. in Miami.
 
The Panthers will also kickoff the 2024 campaign before a national audience when they travel to battle Indiana in the season opener in Bloomington, Ind., on Saturday, August 31 in a 3:30 p.m. ET start on the Big Ten Network.
 
FIU ANNOUNCES FRESH BROADCASTING TEAM
FIU football broadcasts will have a new look in the booth and audio streams will air on the newly formed Panther Online Network, which will make its debut for the 2024 season opener, when FIU travels to battle Big Ten member Indiana on Saturday, August 31.
 
FIU football audio broadcasts will be moving exclusively to the new Panther Online Network, a free service free which can be accessed by phone, laptop, tablet or any device with internet access.  All audio streams will begin 15 minutes prior to kick off with a pregame show and concluded with a 15-minute postgame wrap up.
 
The Panther Online Network can be accessed by visiting fiusports.com/listen.
 
All audio broadcasts will be archived and available on demand shortly after the completion of each contest.
 
FIU football telecasts will also have a new look this season as a new rotation of play-by-play announcers and analysts familiar with south Florida sports fans will take to the air to call Panthers' games in 2024. 
 
Joining the broadcast team for select games will be Steve Goldstein, the veteran play-by-play voice for the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers and voice of the Miami Dolphins preseason telecasts.  Former Miami Dolphins' standout and current analyst for the Dolphins' preseason games, Kim Bokamper, will also be a part of select FIU football television and audio telecasts this fall.
 
Other new additions include Zach Letson, who has served as a commentator for FIU Athletics over the past year for numerous sports and previously served as a broadcaster for the Division I Junior College World Series and NAIA Lacrosse Championships.  Finally, former FIU football tight end Jackson McDonald will also join the mix as an on-air analyst.
 
The new members of the broadcast teams will join the returning voices of the Panthers' AJ Ricketts and Corey Brooks, who both will return to call Panthers' games on both select television and radio broadcasts.  In addition, guest analyst Billy Gil will return after appearing on a number of broadcasts in 2023.  Gil is a former FIU track and field standout and currently is a senior producer and on-air talent for the Dan Le Batard Show.
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers play their second of four consecutive games in south Florida and their lone road game during the stretch when they head north to Boca Raton to battle rival Florida Atlantic in the Shula Bowl on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. ET.
 
The game will air live on ESPN+ and the Panther Online Network.
 
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.