MIAMI — As FIU football continues its 25 Moments in 25 Seasons, presented by Miccosukee Casino & Resort, chronological timeline in celebration of the program's upcoming 25th season in 2026, the next moment features Kejon Owens setting a new single-season rushing record in a 27-21 bowl-clinching victory over Jax State on Nov. 22, 2025.
All On The Line
FIU entered November with a 3-5 record, but started to turn around its 2026 campaign with historic victories over Middle Tennessee and Liberty in back-to-back weeks. Sitting at 5-5 with two games to go, the Panthers needed just one more win to secure bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019.
However, FIU faced its toughest test to date in its next game, welcoming in first place Jax State, who held an undefeated 6-0 mark in Conference USA (CUSA). In a marquee matchup with everything to play for, Owens paced the Panthers to one of the best nights in the recent history of the FIU Football program.
Counting On KJ
Owens entered Game 11 of the 2026 season already in the midst of one of the most productive seasons in the history of FIU running backs. Notably, Owens scored at least one touchdown in all five of FIU's wins up to this point, a testament to the team's reliance on Owens to lead the Panthers to victory.
On the first drive of the game, KJ found the end zone from three yards out, staking FIU to a 7-0 lead, opening up the scoring for what would prove to be an instant classic. In total, Owens ran for 135 yards and racked up 153 yards from scrimmage in the win. Most notably, Owens eclipsed Kedrick Rhodes' single-season rushing record of 1,159 yards with a four-yard rush in the fourth quarter.
Simply The Best
Owens finished his final season in Blue and Gold re-writing the record books in what can surely be called the best running back season in the history of FIU Football. Owens racked up a single-season rushing record 1,334 yards on the ground and had 11 touchdowns, third-most in school history. The Miami Central product was named CUSA's Offensive Player of the Year, rushing for 100+ yards in five games. His outstanding season earned him a free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings.
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.
