G5 Football Daily

TAKEAWAYS: FIU Comeback Not Enough, Liberty Stays Undefeated in Tuesday CUSA Bout

FIU gives Liberty a run for their money, but it isn't enough, falling in overtime

Kevin Barral

FIU Athletic
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Due to the effects of Hurricane Helene, the Liberty Flames had to wait 17 days in-between football games. In their first game back against the FIU Panthers, Liberty blew a 24-10 lead, needing an overtime period to win by a final score of 31-24. For FIU, it marked the first overtime loss of the Mike MacIntyre era.

“We had a lot of momentum there," said FIU head coach Mike MacIntyre after the game. "It shows you the fight and belief our guys have. We need to learn from this one. It hurts, right or wrong, there’s no doubt about it. We need to learn from it and take the next step and realize how good we can be.”

Overtime

For the first time since 2022, the Liberty Flames found themselves in an overtime game. However, for FIU, they had been in this situation two prior times under Mike MacIntyre, winning both of those contests.

In OT, Liberty did what they do best: run the ball. After handing it off to running back Quinton Cooley three times, quarterback Kaidon Salter ran it in for his second rushing touchdown of the season to give the Flames a 31-24 lead.

When FIU took the field, they handed it off to Kejon Owens twice, one for a gain of six yards, then a gain of one. On third and three on the Liberty 18-yard line, sophomore quarterback Keyone Jenkins was sacked for the first time on the night and he would lose the football, recovered by Jerome Jolly Jr. ending the game.

“You’re a product of how you practice, good or bad," said Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell. "I think it’s more practice makes permanent. How you practice determines how you’re going to do in a game. We practice those situations. Not one person over there had a look in their eye of we might lose. There’s a big confidence in that. We scored in four plays and looked like we were a juggernaut. The defense got on there on the third down and had the sack fumble. There’s a renewed focus, and there is never a doubt. I think it comes from those guys and the bond they created and the time they’ve spent sacrificing for these opportunities.”

Liberty's Rush Offense Just As Advertised

Liberty's biggest advantage going into Tuesday night's showdown was their running game. Led by Quinton Cooley, Liberty ran for 281 yards on the evening. Cooley contributed a season-high 174 rushing yards on a career-high 29 attempts. He also scored two touchdowns.

Kaidon Salter, who had yet to score a rushing touchdown in 2024, scored two on Tuesday. The first came right before halftime and the second was the game-winning touchdown in overtime. Salter ended the game running for 60 yards on 12 attempts.

FIU Offense Able to Keep Up with Liberty

Keyone Jenkins, who leads Conference USA in passing touchdowns didn't throw one tonight, but still completed 19 passes for 245 yards and one rushing touchdown. On the ground, Jenkins punched in the game tying touchdown at the one-yard line thanks to a "tush push" play.

Dean Patterson caught six passes for 90 yards, a career-high for the senior wide receiver. Eric Rivers had the Panthers biggest play of the night, with a 40-yard reception which would be followed by a Kejon Owens three-yard run. Rivers ended the night catching six passes for 95 yards.

Although the Panthers' rush attack hasn't lived up to expectations, it played a huge role. Kejon Owens ran for 52 yards and one touchdown on 15 attempts. Lexington Joseph ended the night with 26 rushing yards on seven attempts.

Travion Barnes continues to make waves across college football

Travion Barnes is cementing his place as the best linebacker in Conference USA, leading in total and solo tackles. Entering Tuesday, Barnes was ninth in the country in total tackles and fourth in solo tackles.

On Tuesday night, Barnes posted a career-high 16 total tackles and two sacks. He also matched a career-high in solo tackles as well.

For the Panthers' defense as a unit, they were able to limit Kaidon Salter to a season-low 125 passing yards on 19 completions. It marked the fewest passing yards for the Flames quarterback since their Fiesta Bowl loss to Oregon.

What's Next?

With the loss, FIU will drop to 2-4 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. The Panthers will travel to El Paso, Texas to take on the winless UTEP Miners on Wednesday, October 16 at 9:00 PM ET. As for Liberty, they keep their regular season win streak alive at 17 and move to 5-0 on the season and 3-0 in conference play. They will face Kennesaw State on Wednesday, October 23 at 7:00 PM ET.

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Kevin Barral
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