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ChaneyPSU251FB
0
FIU FIU 1-1 , 0-0
34
Winner Penn St. PSU 2-0 , 0-0
FIU FIU
1-1 , 0-0
0
Final
34
Penn St. PSU
2-0 , 0-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
FIU FIU 0 0 0 0 0
PSU Penn St. 7 3 10 14 34

Game Recap: Football |

Football Goes Toe-to-Toe with Second-Ranked Penn State in Defeat

FIU trailed just 10-0 at the half and kept Penn State from scoring on six different offensive possessions

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — FIU's football program battled against second-ranked Penn State on Saturday afternoon, falling 34-0. 

In what was expected to be a one-sided affair at Beaver Stadium in front of 103,817 fans, the Panthers showed their toughness, especially on the defensive end, throughout the contest against one of the nation's top-ranked teams. FIU trailed just 10-0 at the half and only gave up two touchdowns defensively until late in the fourth quarter, forcing the Nittany Lions into six possessions that ended in zero points. Penn State scored 14 of its 34 points in the final three and a half minutes. 

The FIU defense stopped Penn State on fourth down twice in the first 30 minutes and then blocked a kick, courtesy of Jessiah McGrew, to end the first half. Offensively, FIU drove it deep into PSU territory on two occasions in the first half, but an interception and turnover on downs kept the Panthers off the board. 

In the second half, the Panther defense forced a Nittany Lion field goal to open the half, putting PSU up 13-0. FIU again drove the ball with 25 rushing yards on three plays from Owens to get to midfield. From there, Keyone Jenkins took a deep shot, inside the Penn State ten-yard line, to Kyle McNeal that was narrowly broken up to keep FIU away from the end zone. On the ensuing PSU drive, Penn State hit its first big play of the day, a 42-yard touchdown pass, that put the Nittany Lions up 20-0. 

Late in the fourth quarter, FIU drove into Penn State territory again before being stopped on fourth down for the second time in the game. PSU responded with a 67-yard touchdown run on the first play of its drive to go up 27-0. The Nittany Lions tacked on another score with 1:19 to go to seal the 34-0 result. 

On the offensive end, the rushing attack produced 115 yards, led by Owens, who finished with 78 yards on 15 carries. Keyone Jenkins had 127 passing yards, completing 15-of-28 attempts. FIU spread the ball around on the receiving end for the second-straight game with 11 different pass catchers for the Panthers. Jojo Stone led all receivers with 27 yards. 

QUICK NOTES

  • Kejon Owens eclipsed 1,000 career yards with a two yard rush on the opening drive of the game. 
  • Keyone Jenkins moved into fourth all-time in passing yards at FIU , passing Paul McCall (5,189), and now has 5,285 career passing yards.
  • Both Quaylen Hill and Johnny Chaney Jr. had a sack in the game. 
  • Chaney Jr. racked up nine tackles to lead the defense, his second-straight game with eight or more stops. 
  • Josiah Taylor stepped in for an injured Percy Courtney Jr. and made eight tackles.
  • Jenkins was sacked just once in the game.
  • Jenks' interception was his first of the season and his first since Nov. 23, 2024 at Kennesaw State.
  • FIU won the time of possession battle, holding the ball for 32:58 compared to Penn State's 25:43. 
  • The Panthers had 275 total yards while Penn State had 409. FIU had 13 first downs while PSU had 20. 

UP NEXT
The Panthers turn their attention to a pivotal rivalry matchup at home with Florida Atlantic on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. ET. The Shula Bowl will air on ESPN+. 

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.

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