Breaking down FIU’s game-by-game schedule for the 2022 college football season

Sept. 1 vs. Bryant (7 p.m.): FIU opens the coach Mike MacIntyre era with a home victory over an FCS team on a Thursday night. But the Bulldogs were 7-4 last season and won’t roll over. FIU 35-23

Sept. 10 at Texas State (7 p.m., ESPN+): The Bobcats went 4-8 last year with four losses by fewer than nine points. They added ex-Arkansas State star quarterback Layne Hatcher. Texas State 42-38

Sept. 24 at Western Kentucky (3:30 p.m., CBSSN): FIU opens Conference USA play against WKU, which led the nation last year in passing yards, finishing 9-5 and winning its bowl game. Transfer Jarret Doege, a sixth-year quarterback who played his last three seasons at West Virginia, has more than 10,000 career passing yards. WKU 42-34

Oct. 1 at New Mexico State (8 p.m.): A tough stretch of three road games ends with a nonconference game against the Aggies, who were 2-10 last year and brought in a new coach, Jerry Kill, formerly the boss at Minnesota. A win here would should break FIU’s losing streak in FBS games. FIU 28-7

Oct. 8 vs. Connecticut (7 p.m.): FIU’s final nonconference game of the season is against the Huskies, who were 1-11 last season and brought in ex-UCLA and NFL coach Jim Mora. FIU 21-20

Oct. 14 vs. Texas-San Antonio (8 p.m., CBSSN): This is a Friday game against the league-favorite Roadrunners, who boast four of C-USA’s top 10 NFL prospects, including QB Frank Harris and WR Zakhari Franklin. UTSA 45-13

Oct. 22 at Charlotte (3:30 p.m.): Chris Reynolds returns for his fifth straight year as the 49ers’ starting quarterback, but their defense needs to be fixed. Charlotte 50-49

Oct. 28 vs. Louisiana Tech (8 p.m., CBSSN): Watch for Bulldogs wide receiver Smoke Harris in this Friday night game. The Bulldogs finished 3-9 last year, and enter this season having lost eight straight games away from home. FIU 31-10

Nov. 5 at North Texas (4 p.m.): The Mean Green, a team that runs the ball well, won five of its final six games last year. North Texas 24-12

Nov. 12 vs. Florida Atlantic (7 p.m.): The Owls have won five straight Shula Bowls — all of them by at least 19 points. QB N’Kosi Perry, who played last season in Boca Raton but the previous three years at Miami, could be tough to stop. FAU 34-17

Nov. 19 at Texas-El Paso (4 p.m.): The Miners went to a bowl game last year, improving from 3-5 in 2020 to 7-6. QB Gavin Hardison has started 20 games and set the school passing record last year with 3,217 yards. UTEP 28-27

Nov. 26 vs. Middle Tennessee (6 p.m.): The Blue Raiders, who beat FIU 50-10 last year, return quarterback Nick Vattiato for his second season. MTSU 40-20

This story was originally published September 1, 2022 at 11:23 AM.