MIAMI — FIU's football program dropped its second-straight game on Tuesday evening in Conference USA (CUSA) play, falling to Middle Tennessee, 26-23, inside Pitbull Stadium.
The Panthers (3-4, 1-2 CUSA) battled the Blue Raiders (4-3, 2-1 CUSA) to the end, but came up short on Tuesday night, suffering their first home defeat since Oct. 21 2025, snapping a streak of five-straight home wins. Devonte Lyons led the offensive effort with a career-high 115 yards on 19 rushes, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Lyons finished with 211 all-purpose yards, leading FIU in receptions and rushing yards. JJ Kohl passed for three touchdowns, two in the second half, finishing with 179 yards on 15 completions.
Defensively, Wesley Miller led the way with 16.0 tackles, the most for any Panther defender this season. Elisha Baldridge and Demetrius Hill each had one tackle for loss in support.
FIU scored a touchdown with 6:06 remaining as Kohl found Sterling Joseph for a 22-yard TD, but the Panther defense could not muster a stop on the Blue Raiders' final drive. FIU forced MTSU into fourth and 10 with less than two minutes to go, but the Blue Raiders converted a 25-yard pass to ice the victory.
Kyle McNeal opened the scoring as the Panthers struck quickly on a 49-yard connection from Kohl in the first quarter with 9:55 to go. After a few MTSU penalties, FIU elected for the two-point conversion as Kohl punched it in to put the Panthers up 8-0.
Middle Tennessee then answered that drive with a touchdown drive of its own to get within one. The Blue Raiders tacked on two field goals before the half, taking a 13-8 lead into the locker room. After a MTSU field goal to start the second half scoring, FIU's offense found its form with a 12-play, 75-yard drive in 5:06 that was capped by a one-yard touchdown catch from Kevin Schaeffer, his first of the season. Lyons then found the end zone on the two-point conversion to tie the score up at 16-all.
On the ensuing Blue Raider drive, facing 2nd and 14, MTSU ripped off a 54-yard touchdown run to regain the momentum heading into the fourth quarter. MTSU extended its lead to 10 points with 10:26 to go before FIU then answered, cutting its deficit to three with Joseph TD.
MTSU then possessed the ball for the final 6:06 to seal the win.
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