TAMPA, FL – The FIU Panthers fell to the USF Bulls by a final score of 19-9, marking the first collegiate head coaching win for Brian Hartline. For FIU, this is the first time since 2024 that they have dropped the first game of the season against Indiana.
FIU vs. USF 2026 Recap
JJ Kohl with strong debut performance
The Panthers’ signal caller finished his first start at FIU, completing 31 passes for 301 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. His lone touchdown came in the final seconds, connecting with tight end James Resar for a 21-yard touchdown. On the ground, he ran for 31 yards, tied for the team lead with Anthony Carrie.
“Without watching the film, I was pleased with how JJ played,” head coach Willie Simmons said postgame. “He can continue to develop from where he started tonight; we have a chance to have a special quarterback … I thought he managed the game, got us in the right checks and stepped up in the pocket well. Just got to get him to trust those free-access throws. A couple times, he held on to the ball too long instead of just getting it out quick. They were giving us grass on the outside, so he gets to the point where he sees things, obviously, that come with more reps.”
Kohl’s 31 completions marked a career high. Of those 31 completions, eight were from Maguire Anderson, setting a career-high in that category. Resar, a JUCO transfer, hauled in his first collegiate touchdown. Kohl’s 301 yards is the most by a transfer quarterback in his FIU debut.
A+ Defense for the Panthers
Anytime you hold one of the best Group of Six teams to only 208 yards of total offense, you did something right. For FIU, that marked the fewest yards surrendered since October 22, 2024, against Sam Houston State (207).
Leading the way for the Panther defense was Oklahoma State transfer DeAndre Boykins who had nine total tackles (four solo/five assisted) and one tackle for loss. As a unit, FIU had seven tackles for loss and one sack, which came from Ole Miss transfer DeeJay Holmes Jr., marking his first collegiate sack.
“That’s an A-plus effort from my defense,” Simmons said. “If we continue to play like that, I think we have a chance to have one of the best defenses in America.
Fundamentals Burn FIU
Despite 381 total yards of offense and the FIU defense limiting the Bulls to just 208 total yards, penalties and dropped passes hurt FIU.
On the night, FIU’s eight penalties cost them 50 yards. Of the eight penalties, six of them were pre-snap penalties of either a false start or an illegal substitution.
“If our guys can’t focus and lock in on the snap count, that means we haven’t repped it enough. If they don’t know how to react when a guy jumps in the neutral zone, that means we haven’t repped it enough,” Simmons said. “It’s up to us to make sure we do these things every day as a coaching staff, to put these guys in the best positions so they cannot mess it up on game day. That’s fundamentals, and today was a poor display of fundamentals.”
What’s Next?
The Panthers will head back down south to Miami to welcome the Buffalo Bulls. For South Florida, they will hit the road to face off against Army, one of the two academy schools in the American Conference.
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