FIU Football: Three Must-Win Games in 2024

As head coach Mike MacIntyre enters his third year with FIU, there are big games on the schedule that feel like must wins

Sep 16, 2023; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; FIU Golden Panthers quarterback Keyone Jenkins (1) runs the ball against the UConn Huskies in the first quarter at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The pressure is on for FIU this season. After back-to-back 4-8 seasons for Mike MacIntyre and his staff, a better season is almost a guarantee. With a rather favorable schedule which won't include Western Kentucky for the first time since 2014, a bowl game record isn't out of the question.

Week 3 - The Shula Bowl Returns

The last time FIU defeated the Florida Atlantic Owls came in 2016, but that was in Miami. The last time the Panthers defeated the Owls in Boca Raton was 2014. It's been ten years since FIU successfully took the Shula Bowl trophy back to Miami.

MacIntyre has yet to take his team to Boca Raton, so this time it will be the first. MacIntyre did take on this Florida Atlantic team in his first season where they fell by a final score of 52-7 in Miami.

The Owls are coming off a 4-8 season under head coach Tom Herman. Adding quarterback Cam Fancher gives the Owls a chance to win, but it will certainly be a closer matchup this time around as both teams lost their top receivers to the transfer portal and defesnively lost pieces as well.

Week 7 - Panthers head to the Sun Bowl to take on UTEP

Last season, FIU was embarrassed against a UTEP Miners team that they frankly should've defeated on vice night. With a fourth string quarterback taking the field and their top wide receiver out, it should've been an FIU win.

Cade was dropping dimes all night 👏 pic.twitter.com/LDMbBEIjwN

— UTEP Football (@UTEPFB) October 12, 2023

This time around, the Miners are under first time FBS coach Scotty Walden and as expected, the team did regress in terms of talent, but you never know what a rather younger and hungrier team can do. This is also a CBS Sports Network game, so all eyes will be on FIU.

Week 8 - ESPNU game against the Sam Houston State Bearkats

Last year, the battle between the Panthers and Bearkats was a double-overtime thriller where Keyone Jenkins and FIU came out on top. There will be another vice game this season and just throwing out a guess, an ESPNU home game at 7:30 pm would be my personal front runner game to do it on.

The game winning TUDDY.@LyghtzO ➡️ @KrisMitch10 🎯 pic.twitter.com/HJZhrAcbpm

— FIU Football (@FIUFootball) October 19, 2023

The Bearkats played in a lot of close games. In 2023, Sam Houston had five losses that were by one touchdown (or field goal/extrapoint) in conference play. The Bearkats will keep it close with a team that did see improvements this offseason.