FIU Football: Panthers Run Over Bethune-Cookman, 42-9

After a bit of a rain delay, the FIU Panthers dispatched Bethune-Cookman by a score of 42-9. FIU was able to dictate the terms of engagement on both sides of the ball. They got whatever they wanted, executed at a high level, and easily ran away with the game against an inferior opponent.

The game was not perfect for the Panthers, though. There were plenty of big-time plays left on the table, along with some mistakes that a better team could have made FIU pay for. However, it is only Week 1, and the fact that those statements ring true after a game the Panthers won 42-9 is a great sign for this season.

What stood out from this game, though? And what are the main takeaways? That is, of course, what I am here for! Follow along as we recap FIU’s convincing Week 1 victory against Bethune-Cookman.

FIU vs. Bethune-Cookman Week 1 Recap

A Dynamic Rushing Attack

Run. The. Rock.

It’s a simple mantra that derives its roots from the earliest forms of the sport. But even in 2025, the strategy can work at a high level. And, that is what the Panthers did on Friday night.

As a team, FIU averaged 5.9 yards per attempt, notching 223 yards on 38 total attempts. They scored all six of their touchdowns on the ground, tying a school record that was set in 2017 against UMass.

The main contributors to these gaudy statistics were the players who you would expect to lead the charge in this category for the offense. That is, Kejon Owens, Anthony Carrie, and Devonte Lyons.

Owens, the veteran of the group, has the all-around ability to be one of the better featured backs in Conference USA. He consistently displays nice burst and vision, hitting the correct holes when the plays call for them. He gets downhill immediately, churning out yards to keep the sticks moving for the Panthers. Additionally, he can chip in as a pass catcher and a pass blocker whenever the team needs him.

The best part of Owens’s game, though, is his sheer force. The running back will run through any player’s face on a consistent basis. Combined with his other abilities, Owens has the potential to have his best year in 2025. And if tonight is any indication, he is on the correct path.

Lyons, in his typical fashion, made one of the best plays of the night for the Panthers’ offense. Taking the ball on a perfectly designed concept, the running back raced into the end zone without a single defender getting a hand on him. On top of his explosive play, Lyons showed some nice burst and decisiveness as a runner. Like I have said all spring and fall, I think the second-year RB could be a huge asset for the Panthers this season.

Carrie, the newest addition to the backfield, might have had the best all-around performance. He racked up 49 yards and a touchdown on the ground, while also adding 33 yards on three receptions as a pass catcher. The Georgia Tech transfer looked explosive to an impressive degree. His speed put most of the defenders trying to tackle him in the dust. His vision, burst, and even strength were upper-level. At times, it felt like Carrie was gliding on the field, moving at a level that most players simply cannot. The running back is an impressive talent, and the Panthers are going to heavily benefit from his contributions.

I cannot discuss the rushing attack without mentioning the star quarterback himself, Keyone Jenkins. While looking to pass all night, Jenkins showed that he can be lethal when he decides it is time to run the ball. Not only did Jenkins make defenders miss, but he also ran through them to pick up critical yards. It was an aspect of his game that, while I knew it existed, seemed to have leveled up in 2025.

FIU is going to flow a ton of its offense through the rushing attack. Aas a result, will either open up the passing attack (due to an committed approach to stopping the run) or allow FIU to grind opposing teams to dust.

Friday night is a proof of concept of this identity. If the Panthers can do this to opposing teams, they will be in a position to win a lot of football games.

A Passing Game on the Cusp of Breaking Out

It is only Week 1, but the FIU passing attack is on the cusp of big things in 2025.

Keyone Jenkins threw for 187 yards and completed 18-30 passes in the FIU Panthers’ win against Bethune-Cookman. On a handful of plays, he displayed his trademark escapability, great pocket awareness, and quick decision-making. Whether it was hitting players in the flat or his wideouts down the field with great accuracy, Jenkins found a way to keep the chains consistently moving.

However, Jenkins had his struggles and inconsistencies. He was late or inaccurate on a handful of throws; two key examples are when he threw behind a wide-open Kyle McNeal on a slant and just missed a deep touchdown to him. Jenkins also bailed on some clean pockets and forced throws, some of which would have likely been intercepted in a different scenario.

This should be expected, though, in the first week of the season. The game against Bethune-Cookman was the first real game the FIU quarterback had played within this scheme.

There were always going to be some bumps and inconsistencies over the course of an entire game. Additionally, in-game timing is slightly different than practice, and it takes live reps to develop a better feel for it.

And with all of that being said, the Panthers still won 42-9.

Jenkins, with a bit more accuracy, likely hits some more big-time throws. And, there is no reason to think that success will not be the case going forward.

Alex Perry showed his versatile skill set on his touches, and he did not have a chance to really make a vertical play down the field. Eric Nelson and Kyle McNeal look ready to make star turns at wideout with their overall ability, especially as separators. Anthony Carrie, along with the other running backs, showed that they can be big contributors in the passing game. And that does not even mention the various other wideouts and tight ends, including freshmen Jackson Verdugo, Tyson Carter, and Amari Isaac, who look to potentially contribute in 2025.

Friday’s win was not a firework display from the passing attack, and that is more than ok. But over the course of the season, I expect this offensive scheme to unleash a passing attack that is very hard to stop on a consistent basis.

Defensive Has More Highs than Lows

Just like the offense, the defense mainly had a lot of truly great moments that helped power the Panthers to victory. They also had some unfortunate miscues that could have resulted in points or a deficit in a different game.

On the positive side of things, Johnny Chaney Jr, aka the “Chansaw,” was arguably one of the best players on the field tonight. In the run game, the Colorado transfer was blowing up ball carriers and stopping yardage instantly. On one of these plays, Chaney forced a fumble, directly leading to a touchdown for the Panthers. He also provided great coverage, including forcing a turnover on downs by making a hit on a pass catcher in space.

Percy Courtney Jr. and Keegans Davis were also everywhere tonight, making plays all over the field as run stoppers or pass rushers. Defensive end Kenton Simmons had one of the biggest plays of the game, sacking the Wildcats’ quarterback right before halftime to force a turnover on downs and not allowing the lead to be significantly cut into. All three of these players look to be vital for FIU’s success this season.

In the secondary, Victor Evans III and Brian Blades II continued to show a high level of play. They locked down wideouts and made big tackles in space; in the case of Blades, he made multiple great plays on special teams. Antonio Patterson and Demetrius Hill also made some huge tackles for the defense, with Hill having one of the highlight hits of the entire season so far.

The positives could keep going, too. Dwight Nunoo and Josiah Taylor flew around all night making plays as linebackers. Quaylen Hill was a force on the interior of the defensive line, and Olasunkonmi Agunloye split double teams with strength and pass rushing prowess. Ashton Levells, Jessiah McGrew, and Bobby Salla Jr. also found ways to contribute to the winning cause.

However, everything was not perfect.

There were multiple coverage breakdowns on the backend of the FIU defense, allowing Bethune-Cookman wideouts to run free down the field. Additionally, the Panthers had some key struggles stopping the run, especially when it got to the outside. These mistakes did not cripple FIU’s ability to win the game; thanks to the talent and production of the majority of the unit, they were able to shut down the Wildcats.

Going forward, those mistakes will likely cost the Panthers some wins. It is great that so much was working for the defense, no matter who was on the field. But the Panthers need to focus on their communication on the backend immediately; otherwise, they could face some serious trouble in the next few weeks.

Postgame Quotes

Head coach Wille Simmons on what it means for the offense to have a three-headed monster in Lyons, Carrie, and Owens: “The goal of recruiting is to build quality depth at every position … We feel really good about the talent in the running back room, and Coach Hyppolite has done a great job of teaching those guys how to be unselfish. They are all going to eat, and I think you saw that tonight. Between KJ, AC, and Devonte, we have three guys who can tote the bell. And if we can hand it to them and get positive yardage, it bodes well for the Panthers. ”

RB Kejon Owens on how he enjoys the run game setting the tone: “A championship team has to be able to establish the run, so we just try to do a good job with that first. That should be able to open up other things in the offense. We just try to push each other harder when it comes to setting the tone. And, punching the other team in the mouth. We have to have that attitude about us. We also have to preach it to the o-line to set the tone and fire off the ball. That is what really sets it off for us.”

LB Johnny Chaney Jr. on what his success is derived from: ” I take great pride in my work, work ethic, and all of the time I have put in. Just having faith in the coaches, and obviously, we joined back together. I just have faith in their plan for me nd how they will use me out there, which allows me to play fast.

QB Keyone Jenkins on the biggest thing the team is taking from the game as they move forward: “We can do whatever we want to do when we are clicking. So, we have to get on the same page, stay consistent, and execute. Other than that, we showed little glimpses here and there. They were playing over the top a lot, so we did not really get the chance to go deep. I feel like we can be really dynamic. ”

Looking Ahead for FIU

Next week, FIU travels to Penn State to face off against the Nittany Lions, who are currently ranked as the No. 2 team int he country. The game will be at 12 EST on the Big Ten Network.