G5 Football Daily

Week 9 - Sam Houston State @ FIU: How To Watch, Preview, Time, Date, Storylines

FIU will look to save their season against a much improved Sam Houston team

Kevin Barral

FIU Athletic
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After another disappointing loss against the UTEP Miners, FIU will look to bounce back at home against a Sam Houston Bearkats team that is coming off a 31-14 loss against Western Kentucky. On a more exciting note, it'll be Vice Night for FIU with the Panthers wearing specialty uniforms that garnered quite a bit of attention upon release.

Here's everything you need to know about the midweek matchup.

Sam Houston State Bearkats (5-2, 2-1 Conference USA) @ FIU Panthers (2-5, 1-2 Conference USA)

Date: Tuesday, October 22

Time: 7:30 pm ET

Location: South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium, Miami, Florida

TV: ESPNU

Audio Only: fiusports.com/watch

Betting: Sam Houston -9.5 on FanDuel

Update On QBs Keyone Jenkins and Amari Jones

In the second quarter of Wednesday's game, sophomore quarterback Keyone Jenkins suffered a left (throwing) shoulder contusion. He would go on to miss the remainder of the game, but an MRI revealed that there is no permanent damage. The expectation is that Jenkins will play on Tuesday.

Redshirt sophomore Amari Jones entered Wednesday's game in place of Jenkins, but he also took a big hit which knocked him out of the game. On Friday, FIU head coach Mike MacIntyre told the media that he suffered an AC joint sprain to his non-throwing shoulder.

In Friday's practice, redshirt junior Haden Carlson and junior Chayden Peery split first team reps.

Bearkats Possess Major Advantage On The Ground, But...

Going into Tuesday's game, Sam Houston State is the third-best rushing offense in Conference USA, averaging 219.7 yards per game. Leading the way for the Bearkats is redshirt junior quarterback Hunter Watson with 407 rushing yards so far.

"Their running attack with their quarterback being able to run the ball has been a big advantage for them this year compared to last year," said MacIntyre.

Safety Jojo Evans, who had 19 total tackles last Wednesday also spoke about the Bearkats' quarterback.

"He's a tough quarterback," said Evans. "He's not scared to tuck it and run. He'll run at your face. He's not worried about getting hit. So he definitely is a tough quarterback, kind of on the heavy side, nothing crazy, though."

Watson suffered an injury which kept him out for the second half of action this past week against Western Kentucky. Sam Houston head coach K.C. Keeler told the media that Watson visited a chiropractor on Friday. They likely will not decide whether the redshirt junior can start on Tuesday until the last second.

If Watson is indeed out, Sam Houston will go with Central Michigan transfer Jase Bauer who has appeared in four games this season. He is a more pass-heavy quarterback. In 2024, the Bearkats have the eighth-best passing offense in Conference USA.

With Watson's health in question, the Bearkats will have to rely on redshirt freshman running back DJ McKinney to take on more carries. Through seven games, he has 394 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 67 attempts. Along with McKinney, Jay Ducker has ran for 373 yards and five touchdowns on 72 attempts.

Panthers Pass Offense Will Be Crucial

If there's one aspect of the FIU offense that has seen plenty of success, averaging 222.9 yards per game. Although Sam Houston has been able to stop the run well this season, their pass defense allows 219 yards per game through the air.

"We're going to go with what we can do best," said MacIntyre. "That's an advantage for us and making sure that we can protect the quarterback. They are talented in the back end. They're very aggressive up front, with their front rushing the passer and doing some things there. We will definitely try to take advantage of that if we can."

It is uncertain how limited Jenkins will be on Tuesday, but going into the game, he is third in passing yards, second in passing touchdowns and second in completions amongst Conference USA quarterbacks.

Eric Rivers also continues to make a name for himself among CUSA receivers. On Wednesday, he hauled in five passes for 91 yards and a touchdown, his fourth of the season, tying him with four other players for first in Conference USA.

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Kevin Barral
KEVIN BARRAL

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