MIAMI — FIU's football program takes on first-place Jacksonville State for its final home game of the 2025 season on Saturday, of which will double as Senior Day, honoring 21 Panthers pregame.
The Panthers (5-5, 3-3 CUSA) match up with the Gamecocks (7-3, 6-0 CUSA) for their home finale at 3:30 p.m. inside Pitbull Stadium on Saturday. FIU is riding a two-game winning streak following an overtime win over Liberty at home last Saturday.
GAME SPONSOR
FIU's final home game is sponsored by University Credit Union. University Credit Union serves the banking needs to all employees, alumni, and students at FIU. For more information, visit
ucumiami.org.
FAN FITS / PROMOTIONS
Fan Fit: Fan Choice
Promotions: Military Appreciation, Paws at the Pit, Senior Day, Fan Appreciation Day
PAWS AT THE PIT
Paws at the Pit is a one-of-a-kind FIU football gameday experience that invites fans to bring their dogs to South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium for a family-friendly afternoon of tail-wagging fun. Designed for both animal lovers and football fans, the event transforms gameday into a lively community celebration with pet-friendly seating, hydration stations, on-site adoptions and playful halftime activities.
General-admission tickets in the designated Paws at the Pit section are only $9 and can be
purchased by clicking here or visiting FIUTickets.com. For those with questions, please call (305) 348-4263.
SERIES HISTORY
Series Record: Jax State leads 3-0
Last Matchup: Jax State def. FIU, 34-31 (Nov. 16, 2024)
Willie Simmons vs. Jax State: First-Ever Meeting
HOW TO FOLLOW
Fans can follow along with the game on variety of platforms. The matchup will air live on CBS Sports Network and also be available via audio stream on
fiusports.com/listenlive. Live stats will also be available on
fiusports.com/FBStats.
BROADCAST TEAMS
CBS Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Jordan Kent
Analyst: Logan Ryan
fiusports.com Audio Stream
Play-by-Play: Corey Brooks
Analyst: Billy Gil
MATCHUP NOTES
⁃ This is the fourth overall meeting between the Panthers and the Gamecocks and the third as Conference USA members.
⁃ FIU will honor its 21 seniors pregame:
Bobby Salla Jr.,
Brian Blades II,
C'Quan Jnopierre,
Dallas Payne,
Jackson Schultze,
Jaleel Davis,
Joe Pesansky,
Johnny Chaney Jr. ,
Jose Corbo,
Julius Pierce,
Justin Cayenne,
Keegan Davis,
Kejon Owens,
Noah Grant,
Olasunkonmi Agunloye,
Ross Fournet,
Trey Wilhoit,
Chad Staley,
Aaron Armitage,
Quaylen Hill and
Jake Helfrich.
⁃ After securing its first five-win season in six years, FIU is in search of its first bowl game since 2019 with two games remaining on its schedule, a home tilt with Jax State and a road matchup to end the season at Sam Houston.
⁃
Joe Pesansky, who spent most of the season as a backup quarterback, has shined for the Panthers in his two starts against Middle Tennessee and Liberty, racking up eight combined touchdowns while leading FIU to two crucial victories in its last two games. Pesansky set a new school record with five combined TDs (four passing, one rushing) in his first-ever start as a Panther at MTSU.
⁃
Kejon Owens eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for the season last week in FIU's win over Liberty, becoming the first FIU player to have over 1,000 rushing yards in a season since 2011.
⁃ A win will extend
Willie Simmons' streak to nine consecutive seasons of a .500 or better record as head coach.
⁃ Jax State, under first year head coach Charles Kelly, continues its run atop the Conference USA standings following its 2024 CUSA Championship crown. Despite losing former head coach Rich Rodriguez to West Virginia, the Gamecocks are currently undefeated in CUSA play (6-0) and have a 7-3 overall record.
⁃ After defeating Kennesaw State 35-26 last weekend, JSU is in the driver's seat to host the CUSA Championship Game for the second-straight season, needing just one win in its final two games to clinch the top spot.
⁃ The Gamecocks are led by the nation's second-ranked rusher, Cam Cook, who has 1,306 rushing yards, averaging 130.6 rushing yards per game. Cook's 149.2 all-purpose yards is the best in the nation and his 13 touchdowns are 11th-most in the country and first in CUSA.
⁃ Jax State's rushing attack is fifth-best nationally as a team with 260.0 rushing yards per game.
⁃ Defensively, Caleb Nix is tied for the league in CUSA with four interceptions.
⁃ Jax State is 4-0 at home and 3-3 on the road.
FIU ATHLETICS APP
Fans are encouraged to download the Official FIU Athletics App for all FIU Athletics News and Digital Content, of which can be found searching 'FIU Athletics' in the App Store on both Android and iOS-based devices. Inside the app, fans will find the Panther Rewards program, of which rewards fans for attending FIU Athletics event with points that can be used for prizes.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR GAMEDAY
Here is a comprehensive breakdown of everything students, alumni, donors and Panther supporters of any capacity need to know about the home gameday experience surrounding FIU football in 2025.
WEEKLY MEDIA AVAILABILITIES
BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA
THE WILLIE SIMMONS COACH'S SHOW
The Panthers will partner with Twin Peaks Doral, one of the highest-grossing restaurants in the entire franchise, for a weekly show with first-year Head Coach
Willie Simmons and other special guests.
Host Corey Brooks will sit down with Coach Simmons to discuss all facets of Panther football, with an emphasis on recapping the previous week's match-ups and previewing the upcoming game. For more information, click
here.
TICKETS
For more information on FIU Football tickets, including season tickets, single game and multi-game package tickets, 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.
