MIAMI — FIU's football program hits the road for the first time in 2025 this week, traveling to State College, Pa. to face off with second-ranked Penn State at Noon on Saturday afternoon.
SERIES HISTORY
Series Record: PSU leads 1-0
Last Matchup: Sept. 1, 2007 (PSU def. FIU, 59-0)
Willie Simmons vs. PSU: First-Ever Meeting
HOW TO FOLLOW
Fans can follow along with the game on variety of platforms. The matchup will air live on Big Ten Network and also be available via audio stream on
fiusports.com/listenlive. Live stats will also be available on
fiusports.com/FBStats.
BROADCAST TEAMS
Big Ten Network
Play-by-Play: Guy Haberman
Analyst: Yogi Roth
Sideline: Rhett Lewis
fiusports.com Stream
Play-by-Play: Steve Goldstein
Analyst: Corey Brooks
MATCHUP NOTES
- The Panthers and Nittany Lions met previously on Sept. 1, 2007, of which was Mario Cristobal's first-ever game as FIU head coach. Legendary head coach Joe Paterno was on the other sideline for Penn State.
- Additionally, FIU assistant coach Anthony Gaitor played in the previous matchup against the Nittany Lions, making two tackles in the game.
- FIU will be looking for its second victory over a Power Four opponent and first since a 30-24 victory over Miami on Nov. 23, 2019.
- A win would also be FIU's first-ever victory over a top-25 opponent.
- Redshirt sophomore Xion Chapman, a native of Allentown, Pa., is FIU's lone player from Pennsylvania on the roster and will have the opportunity to play in his home state on Saturday.
- Willie Simmons is looking for his first-ever victory over an FBS opponent as a head coach.
- Penn State has won 29-straight non-conference home games, dating back to a win over Kent State in 2013.
- Penn State's rushing attack is well documented as the Nittany Lions returned two 1,000-yard rushers from last season, Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. Allen and Singleton combined for 20 total touchdowns in 2024.
- The Nittany Lions advanced to the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff (CFP) in 2024 after defeating SMU and Boise State in the first two rounds. PSU fell 27-24 in an instant classic to Notre Dame in the semifinals, of which were at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.
GAME PREVIEW
FIU football will have its toughest test of the 2025 season this week as the Panthers prepare to take on the nation's second-ranked team, Penn State, on Saturday afternoon. This will be FIU's second-ever meeting against the Nittany Lions as the Panthers return to Happy Valley for the first time since 2007.
The
Willie Simmons era opened with a convincing 42-9 win over Bethune-Cookman last Friday night in front of an energized crowd at Pitbull Stadium. Offensively, the run game was extremely effective against BCU as the Panthers rushed for a combined 223 yards and six touchdowns, matching a school-record for rushing scores. Individually,
Kejon Owens led the way with 71 yards and two TDs while
Devonte Lyons and
Anthony Carrie each found the end zone once. Owens now has 999 career yards as a Panther and can be expected to eclipse the 1,000 career yard milestone against Penn State. FIU also had 13 different receivers catch passes in the game, of which was the most-ever individual pass catchers in a game in school history.
Looking at the Nittany Lions, the Panthers can expect a prolific offensive attack that features veteran running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton as the primary offensive weapons. Quarterback Drew Allar, who has shown ability with his arm and his legs, has also received plenty of national attention as one of the top prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft. PSU handled its Week One opponent, Nevada, 46-11, on Saturday afternoon at home.
Similar to FIU's matchup with BCU, PSU had both elements of its offense working in its first game, rushing for 135 yards while passing for 303. Allar finished with 217 yards and one touchdown. On the ground, Allen had 43 yards and one score while Singleton scored twice. Trebor Pena, a transfer from Syracuse, led the receiving effort with seven catches and 74 yards.
WEEKLY MEDIA AVAILABILITIES
Willie Simmons
Anthony Carrie
Kenton Simmons
BEST OF SOCIAL
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, see the link above or check out FIU Football's social media pages.
BUY 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.
