G5 Football Daily

Week 14 - Middle Tennessee State @ FIU: How To Watch, Preview, Time/Date, Storylines

FIU will look to finish the season strong on senior day

Kevin Barral

FIU sophomore quarterback Keyone Jenkins
FIU sophomore quarterback Keyone Jenkins / FIU Athletics
In this story:

For Mike MacIntyre and the FIU Panthers, their best case scenario is to finish 4-8 on the season. After dropping their eighth contest of the season to the Kennesaw State Owls, the Panthers will look to finish the season off on a high note on senior day.

As for the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State, they look to also finish 4-8 in their first year under head coach Derek Mason.

Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (3-8, 2-5 Conference USA) @ FIU Panthers (3-8, 2-5 Conference USA)

Date: Saturday, November 30

Time: 2:00 PM ET // 1 PM CT

Location: Pitbull Stadium - Miami, FL

TV: ESPN+

Radio: fiusports.com/listen and FM/95.1 FM - TuneIn

Betting Line: FIU -9 on FanDuel

Storylines

Upate Regarding Mike MacIntyre

Last week, former FIU linebacker Reggie Peterson alleged that Panthers head coach repeatedly verbally abused players and struck a player with a chair during a 2022 loss to FAU. On Tuesday FIU released a statement regarding those allegations:

"The FIU administration is aware of issues raised surrounding the football program. They are being taken very seriously. The matter is being addressed following the university’s standard procedures; therefore, we have no further comment at this time."

Battle For Passing Yards Champion

Saturday's matchup will feature two of the top passing offenses in Conference USA. Middle Tennessee State with the top passing offense has Florida native Nick Vattiato who leads the conference with 2,836 passing yards.

"Nicholas is from down here in Florida. Unbelievable arm, makes all kinds of plays," said FIU head coach Mike MacIntyre.

As for FIU, quarterback Keyone Jenkins is third amongst the conference in passing yards with 2,238. Jenkins will look to finish at the top of the conference in passing touchdowns.

Struggles Against The Blue Raiders

Historically, FIU have struggled against the Blue Raiders, having last defeated them in 2018 by a final score of 24-21. In their last matchup, the Blue Raiders dominated the Panthers in Murfreesboro by a final score of 40-6.

A Potential 100-Yard rusher

FIU freshman Devonte Lyons came just a yard short of becoming the Panthers' first 100-yard rusher in a game this season. The Panthers will have an opportunity to reach that goal on Saturday. The Blue Raiders are eighth in rush defense, surrendering 201.8 rushing yards per game.

"Has great vision, and then he's able to burst through the hole and really like what Devonte has been doing," said FIU head coach Mike MacIntyre. "He's also been helping us on special teams and I think he's got a bright future for us."

Quietly One Of The Best: C'Quan Jnopierre

Yes, you likely do not know who Panthers wide receiver C'Quan Jnopierre is, but he's one of the best kick-off returners in the country. His 489 kick return yards ranks ninth in the country and his 30.6 kick return yards per return ranks first in Conference USA and third in the country.

Jnopierre is a transfer out of St. Thomas University. On the offensive side of the ball, the Panthers wideout has nine receptions for 55 yards.

"What an excellent kickoff returner," said MacIntyre. "I don't think the first guy that's gotten down there has tackled him yet, maybe once or twice. He kind of like a hot knife through butter. He just lines through them and gets going. He's really had a good year and the guys up front have blocked well for him."

How To Stop Omari Kelly

Although Eric Rivers is statistically the best receiver in Conference USA, right behind him is MTSU's Omari Kelly. This season, the Auburn transfer has 53 receptions for 869 yards and four touchdowns. Kelly has also been dominant on special teams with 83 punting yards and one punt returned for a touchdown.

"He is really fast," said MacIntyre. "He can make something happen instantly. We've got to really know where he is and be able to know where he's going to be, so we can't get him to get loose."

More Reading Material From G5 Football Daily

What The CFP Committee Said About Ranking Tulane #17 Ahead of Week 14

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS: Boise State #11, Tulane #17, UNLV #22, Army Out

COACHES POLL: Boise State, Tulane, UNLV, & Memphis Rise, While Army Drop To #22

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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Kevin Barral
KEVIN BARRAL

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