MIAMI — As FIU football continues its 25 Moments in 25 Seasons chronological timeline in celebration of the program's upcoming 25th season in 2026, the fourth moment in this series honors the program's first-ever FBS win over Louisiana-Monroe on November 5, 2005.
A NEW BEGINNING
Following three seasons as an FCS program, largely against FCS competition, the Panthers were ready to make their official step up to the highest level of college football in 2005. FIU's 2005 campaign kicked off with road matchups against titan-level FBS programs Kansas State and 19th-ranked Texas Tech, fully cementing Panther Nation's dreams of going toe-to-toe with the best-of-the-best that college football had to offer.
THE FIRST FBS WIN
A landmark moment came for FIU in its fourth game as Sun Belt Conference (SBC) members in that inaugural FBS season as the Panthers traveled to Monroe, La. and knocked off Louisiana-Monroe (ULM), 31-29, in front of a raucous crowd in the Pelican State. The Panthers trailed early on, but took a lead they would never relinquish on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Josh Padrick to Cory McKinney with 5:17 left in the first quarter.
FIU's defense, which featured several future NFL players and was the strength of the 2005 squad, showed its might in the second quarter as Kevin Akinbiyi forced a ULM fumble that Nick Turnbull scooped up and took to the house for a 73-yard touchdown, putting the Panthers ahead 14-6.
Up 14-9 at the half, the Panthers distanced themselves in the third quarter with another timely defensive play, this time from safety Chris Smith. Smith picked off a deflected pass and returned it all the way down to ULM's 26-yard line, setting up another score.
A short time later, dynamic wide receiver and future NFL draft pick Chandler Williams capped the drive with a quick pass from Padrick in the flat that he took 22 yards to the end zone for a commanding 24-9 lead. The Warhawks fought back, however, as the game went on, scoring the next two touchdowns to get within two points.
Up just 24–22, Padrick engineered another scoring drive after a long kickoff return, finding Julius Eppinger for an 11-yard score with 11:13 to go, putting FIU up 31-22. ULM delivered a quick response with a touchdown with 10:19 left, setting the stage for an 'instant classic' finish in the fourth quarter.
FIU's defense stood tall in the final frame, making a fourth-down stop on its own 23-yard line to get the Panthers the ball back. ULM then made a stop of its own and marched down the field in a 'two-minute drill' all the way to the FIU 18.
With time winding down, fate proved to be on the Panthers' side as ULM missed a game-winning 35-yard field goal with 12 seconds to go to preserve the win. In total, Padrick ended the game with 235 passing yards and three TDs while the stalwart Panther defense had three turnovers.
Not only was this moment historic for the Panther program as its first FBS win, it served to establish FIU's arrival on the FBS scene, defeating ULM on the road, which entered the game as the SBC's first place team. The Panthers used this big victory to propel themselves to a three-game winning streak to close the regular season, defeating WKU, Fla. Atlantic and MTSU in the final three contests of the year.
DON STROCK'S REACTION
"I'm happy for the players. They went through a tough week last week with Hurricane Wilma. Some of them still don't have electric. I'm proud of the way we played…we hung in there (in the end) and made the plays when we had to."
25TH SEASON CELEBRATION
The upcoming 2026 season for the Panthers officially marks FIU's 25th season of football competition, dating back to the Panthers' first-ever season in 2002. Over that time period, FIU has qualified for six bowl games, secured six Shula Bowl victories and produced countless NFL players, including Pro Bowlers T.Y Hilton and Jonnu Smith. The program has also seen many legendary coaches and outstanding players pass through the Panther facilities throughout its history, creating a litany of incredible moments experienced by Panther Nation.
Fans can be expected to be taken on a journey back to the inception of the program all the way up to the present day, recognizing the standard set by the first teams and acknowledging how many past Panthers have helped to build on that legacy. All of this will lead up and continue through the 25th official season in 2026, the second under head coach Willie Simmons, following one of the most historic seasons on record in his first year on the sidelines.
As the campaign begins with a variety of content in the coming weeks, visit our one-stop shop for the 25th Season Celebration. In conjunction with this, fans are encouraged to follow along with the many highly-engaging pieces of content recognizing the past that will be released on FIU Football's social media channels, listed below.
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.
