G5 Football Daily

FIU Panthers @ New Mexico State Aggies: How to Watch and Preview

Date/Time: Wednesday, October 4th, 9:00 PM ET TV: CBS Sports Network Radio: Miami's WQBA 1140 AM with the voice of the Panthers AJ Ricketts andCorey Brooks as

Kevin Barral

Albert Palacios/Lemon City Live
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Date/Time: Wednesday, October 4th, 9:00 PM ET

TV: CBS Sports Network

Radio: Miami's WQBA 1140 AM with the voice of the Panthers AJ Ricketts andCorey Brooks as the Analyst

Location: Las Cruces, New Mexico

Betting Line: N/A

FIU Panthers

With their loss to Liberty, FIU fell to an 0-2 record in league play, so bouncing back against another Conference USA opponent in New Mexico State is crucial for the Panthers. A fourth win would also match last season's win total.

"We caused some turnovers with two minutes and 40 seconds to go," said FIU head coach Mike MacIntyre when he spoke to the media on Friday. "At the half, it was 14-6. Second down and nine, we missed fit a run and they end up scoring, we turn the ball over twice real quick. It kind of just got away from us right there."

Quarterback Keyone Jenkins told the media following the loss that he sustained an ankle injury when throwing an interception, but that he would be good to go on Wednesday.

"Go back to work," said Mike MacIntyre to Keyone Jenkins after he suffered his first loss in a very long time. "Learn from what he didn't do well. He did some good things and we had some other things happen to him, and overall, our team offensively, we need to do play better. So I think he'll just go back to work and regrouping and going on from there."

Starting center John Bock II and right guard Jacob Peace were both out in the Panthers loss, but MacIntyre told the media that Bock II will be good to go come Wednesday, but did not give an update on Peace.

New Mexico State Aggies

The Aggies are off to a 2-3 start this season, exchanging wins and losses each week. Last week, the Aggies fell to Hawaii 20-17.

Quarterback Diego Pavia is already off to a great start in 2023, having thrown for 1,073 yards with 10 touchdowns against four interceptions. Pavia's total passing yards at the moment leads all Conference USA quarterbacks and he is also at the top in pass efficiency. Despite an alleged off-the-field incident that is currently under investigation by the university, the Aggies' quarterback is expected to start on Wednesday against the Panthers.

"Really athletic. does a lot of different things in their in their option offense," said Mike MacIntyre. "They also bring in Eli Stowers, a big athletic guy from Texas A&M. He's made some big plays. They play him at receiver too, but he comes into play quarterback quite a bit. Both they're quarterbacks are truly what you would say definitely 100% dual threat quarterback."

On the ground, Pavia currently leads the team in rushing yards, but right behind him is running back Star Thomas who has ran for 234 yards and three touchdowns this season. Despite Pavia, the quarterback being the teams leading rusher, the Aggies rank second, just behind Liberty in rushing yards.

MacIntyre mentioned quarterback Eli Stowers, the Texas A&M transfer who now finds himself with the Aggies playing all over the field. This season, Stowers already has a rushing touchdown on 63 rushing yards and has gotten in the game at quarterback a few times.

Pavia's top target has been Jonathan Brady who has ten receptions for 252 yards and three touchdowns. Although Brady ranks within the top ten in receiving yards per game and top five in all purpose yards, the Aggie's offense has been reliant on Pavia's success in the air and on the ground. 

Defensively, the Aggies are yet to pick off a quarterback this season and have only totaled eight sacks, which is seventh in the conference, but FIU ranks eighth in that category. Linebacker Keyshaun Elliot currently leads the Aggies with 32 total tackles on the season. 15 of those 32 total tackles or solo.

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Kevin Barral
KEVIN BARRAL

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