MIAMI – As FIU football continues its 25 Moments in 25 Seasons series, presented by Miccosukee Casino and Resort, we revisit a historic performance by quarterback
Joe Pesansky, who accounted for five touchdowns in the Panthers' 56-30 road victory over Middle Tennessee on Nov. 8, 2025. With the performance, Pesansky became the first player in program history to account for five touchdowns in a single game.
New Sheriff in Town
Entering the eighth game of the season, FIU held a 3-5 record with its bowl hopes hanging in the balance and four games remaining on the 2025 schedule.
Following a 28-21 road loss to Missouri State, graduate transfer
Joe Pesansky was named the starting quarterback for the matchup at Middle Tennessee after
Keyone Jenkins suffered an injury.
A Tampa, Florida, native, Pesansky entered the season as FIU's backup quarterback and had appeared in five games in a reserve role. Making his first career start as a Panther, Pesansky immediately provided a spark and helped FIU emerge as one of the hottest teams in college football during the month of November.
Joe Shiesty
In the Panthers' 21st all-time meeting with Middle Tennessee, the FIU offense, led by Pesansky, put together one of the most prolific performances in program history.
Pesansky accounted for five touchdowns, four passing and one rushing, to etch his name into the FIU record book as the first Panther to account for five touchdowns in a single game.
FIU opened the scoring when Pesansky punched it in from six yards out to tie the game in the second quarter. Later in the quarter, with 7:17 remaining, Pesansky connected with wide receiver JoJo Stone on a deep 49-yard touchdown pass to give the Panthers a 14-7 lead.
FIU carried a four-point advantage into halftime before continuing its offensive onslaught in the second half. Pesansky opened the third quarter by connecting with
Alex Perry on a 20-yard touchdown pass before finding tight end
Dallas Payne for a 30-yard touchdown later in the quarter, extending the Panthers' lead to 34-24.
Pesansky capped his historic afternoon in the fourth quarter, connecting with
Alex Perry on an 18-yard touchdown pass for his fourth passing score of the game as FIU pulled away for a 56-30 victory in Murfreesboro.
Pesansky finished the afternoon with 257 passing yards on 17 completions and four touchdown passes, tying the FIU single-game record for touchdown passes. The Panthers' 56 points also marked the third-most points scored in a single game in program history.
The victory sparked a four-game winning streak to close the regular season, as FIU went undefeated during themonth of November and finished the 2025 campaign with a 7-5 record.
The Panthers' seven wins marked their first winning season since 2018 and secured FIU's first bowl appearance since 2019, making Pesansky's record-setting performance a defining moment in the Panthers' late-season surge.
25th Season Celebration, Presented by Miccosukee Casino and Resort
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.
