FIU vs. Buffalo 2026 Preview: Panthers look to rebound after Week 1 loss

MIAMI, FL – After a tough season-opening loss to the South Florida Bulls, a final score of 19-9, FIU heads back down to Pitbull Stadium to welcome the Buffalo Bulls of the Mid-American Conference in Week 2.

FIU vs. Buffalo 2026 Preview

A New-Look Matchup

These two programs will face off for the first time in program history. FIU has an all-time record of 5-4 against the MAC, with their most recent win coming against Central Michigan, where the Panthers dominated, 52-16.

For the Panthers, this will be the team that takes the second-longest journey down south. The Bulls are traveling a total of 1,437 miles, which, for reference, is a 22-hour and 33-minute car ride. The only team that will take a longer trip to Pitbull Stadium is New Mexico State, making a 1,982-mile trip, which is a 29-hour car ride.

For the Bulls, this will mark their first trip to the Sunshine State since 2017, when they faced off against Florida Atlantic and defeated them 34-31. The last time Buffalo faced a Conference USA team, they defeated the Liberty Flames in the Bahamas Bowl, 26-7.

In their season opener against UAlbany, the Bulls came out on top by a final score of 21-17.

Key Players to Watch

FIU Panthers

Pickle Stewart, LB

Stewart took the field as a starter in the Panthers’ Week 1 game against USF. He finished the night totaling six tackles (two solo/four assisted) and one tackle for loss. Per Pro Football Focus, Stewart finished the night with an overall defensive grade of 74.0, which was third among the four linebackers who played on Saturday night. He did top out with the best rush defense grade at 84.6.

Brayshawn Littlejohn, LB

Littlejohn didn’t start against USF, but made his presence known right away. Ignoring the snap minimum, Littlejohn had the third-highest overall defensive grade (81.7) among Conference USA linebackers. He finished the game with four total tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss.

Ryan Gadson, CB

It feels like this will be one of those games where if Gadson can do a good job at covering Buffalo receiver Chance Morrow, then the Bulls will have a long night at Pitbull Stadium. Gadson is coming off a week where he graded out as the fourth-best cornerback in Conference USA (74.9). He finished Saturday’s game with two total tackles and a pass breakup. USF finished the game with 100 passing yards on the night.

DeeJay Holmes Jr., DL

Holmes recorded his first career sack on Saturday night and finished the night with three total tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack. Holmes graded out as the 13th-best interior defender in the country (78.4) and 15th in pass defense (73.9) in the country.

JJ Kohl, QB

Kohl’s FIU debut was more than what you could’ve asked for against a Group of Six team that has its revenue sharing maxed out. He completed a career-high 31 passes (on 50 attempts) for 301 yards and a touchdown. Kohl now holds the record for most passing yards by a transfer quarterback in his FIU debut. He graded out as the fourth-best quarterback in Conference USA following Saturday’s performance. Kohl also finished the game tied for the team’s rushing lead and graded out as the third-best rushing quarterback in the conference despite his six-foot-seven stature. Expect him to build upon his performance against a Buffalo team that is not at the level of USF.

Buffalo Bulls

Chance Morrow, WR

Morrow was the lone source of offense for the Bulls in their season opener against UAlbany. He hauled in seven receptions for 48 yards and three touchdowns. He was the 10th highest-graded wide receiver in the MAC conference following his performance. Morrow is a returner who played in seven games last season.

Messiah Burch, RB

FIU was outgained on the ground against the good group of running backs in that USF room. That doesn’t mean it will happen again, but if FIU’s secondary shuts down Buffalo quarterback Elijah Holmes, it will come down to Burch to get something done. The longtime Bulls running back ran for 74 yards and averaged 9.2 yards per carry in week one.

Stevie Bracey, LB

Bracey, a transfer from Virginia, led the Bulls with two tackles. He also totaled seven tackles and one sack. Bracey was graded as the 15th-highest linebacker in the MAC following his performance. FIU struggled to get the run game going in their season opener, so expect Bracey to be a big part of potentially continuing that trend in week two.

Keontz Bradley and Kobi Blackwell, CB

Buffalo’s cornerback room is one of the better units in the MAC. Bradley and Blackwell are a major reason why. In that unit, they limited UAlbany to 204 passing yards. Blackwell graded out as the 16th-best cornerback in the country and third in the MAC. He posted three total tackles and a pass breakup. As for Bradley, he led the team with eight total tackles (four solo/four assisted).

Keys to Victory For FIU

Establish the Run

For the Panthers, it starts with establishing the run game. The Buffalo secondary is no joke, one of the better units in the MAC, so expect them to make life tough for JJ Kohl to get the passing game going. The combo of Anthony Carrie and Devonte Lyons needs to step up in week two. Carrie was the fourth highest-graded running back (61.7) in Conference USA, per Pro Football Focus (snap minimum included). Carrie needs to deliver explosive runs to help FIU find better field positioning and then try to develop a passing game.

Limit the Bulls on the Air:

Ryan Gadson shined in his FIU debut, but he will once again need to be relied upon to stop Morrow and this Bulls passing attack. Quarterback Elijah Holmes may be a transfer from the Division III level, but in his Bulls debut, Holmes completed 26 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns. Holmes was the second-highest-graded quarterback in the MAC (77.9).