FIU football season ends on a high note with a 35-24 victory against Middle Tennessee

A season filled with disappointment for the FIU football team, lowlighted by losses to Conference USA bottom-feeder Kennesaw State and FCS Colonial foe Monmouth along the way, at least finished on a high note Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers played their season finale at Pitbull Stadium and, thanks to a terrific offensive performance from quarterback Keyone Jenkins, defeated Middle Tennessee 35-24. It marked FIU’s first win against Middle Tennessee since 2018 and avenged last year’s lopsided 40-6 road loss to the Blue Raiders.

As he has been so many times this year, Jenkins was the straw the stirred FIU’s offensive drink as he finished 19 of 27 for 319 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

“I’m so happy for the seniors going out on a winning note today,” head coach Mike MacIntyre. said “They and the whole team fought and fought and fought and competed all season so I’m proud of how they competed. Wish we had won a few more games, but we didn’t and feel bad that we didn’t get to a bowl game.”

MacIntyre and the Panthers suffered through a season of frustration as they finished 1-5 in one-possession games.

“Definitely a tough season but these kids never quit and easily could have if they’d wanted to,” MacIntyre said. “But they did not and that’s a credit to our coaching staff to keep them focused and playing hard every week and you saw that out there today with the way we played, especially in the first half. First quarter might’ve been one of our best quarters of the season. Two long drives to score and two three-and-outs on defense.

The win meant a third consecutive 4-8 season for FIU, and as good as the performance was, there is speculation about the future of coach MacIntyre. Beyond his 12-24 three-year record, MacIntyre was under fire recently for his “This program hasn’t had a good history since the beginning” comment that drew the ire of many former players on X, some who have called for him to be replaced.

“I really don’t want to talk much about that at this time,” said MacIntyre. “I just want to talk about today, these seniors and this team. I appreciate the question, but I just want to focus on finishing on a winning note. The thing about these young men, we talk about this all the time, you can’t always control your circumstances and that you always have to get up, no matter how bad it gets, and keep moving. They learned a lot of life lessons this years.”

MacIntyre could not have asked his team to get off to a better start as the Panthers took the opening kickoff and marched 70 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown which came courtesy of three third down conversions.

First a 19-yard pass in the left flat to Lexington Joseph on third-and-11 from their own 29, which was followed by a 23-yard completion to Ross Fournet on third-and-8 from the MT 32. Three plays later, on third-and-goal from the one, Joseph plowed into the end zone to complete the 11-play, 70-yard drive and 7-0 lead five minutes into the game.

Things only got better from there. After the Panthers defense turned in a solid three-and-out on MT’s first possession, Jenkins and the offense went at it again.

Another third-down conversion and two fourth-down conversions including a fourth-and-seven 14-yard completion to Dean Patterson highlighted a 13-play, 68-yard drive.

The payoff came on the second fourth-down situation, a fourth-and-one at the MT 21 when running back Devonte Lyons busted through a nice hole on the left side and bolted to the end zone. It was 14-0 with 2:02 left in the first quarter and the Panthers, who enjoyed perhaps their best quarter of the season, were on their way.

The Blue Raiders drew closer early in the second quarter thanks to a little bit of razzle-dazzle from the playbook. That’s when quarterback Nick Vattiato, from his own 44, handed off to running back Jekail Middlebrook, who promptly lateraled back to Vattiato who then found tight end Holden Willis wide open 30 yards downfield. Willis outraced two FIU defenders to the end zone complete the 56-yard play.

FIU had an immediate answer for that score with another touchdown drive of its own when Jenkins led the Panthers downfield on a six-play, 76-yard drive. The payoff came when Jenkins rolled to his left and fired a bullet to the back right corner of the end zone where a well-covered Patterson made an outstanding catch, just barely getting one foot down for a 19-yard score and 21-7 lead with 8:04 left in the second.

One series later, the Panthers extended the lead to 28-7 when Jenkins dropped back and dropped a perfect throw to Rivers down the middle who outdueled MT defensive back Marvae Myers for the ball and a 38-yard touchdown with 6:14 left.

At that point in the game, Jenkins was already 13 of 17 for 232 yards with the two touchdown passes.

Vattiato answered that score with a touchdown pass of his own when he found Willis again, this time from 37 yards out to make it 28-14 with 3:34 left in the first half. MT added a 35-yard field goal by Zeke Rankin 27 seconds before halftime to make it 28-17 at the break.

After both teams were stagnant during a scoreless third quarter, the Panthers more or less put things away when Jenkins dropped back and found a wide open Eric Rivers for a 50-yard touchdown with 11:01 left to make it 35-17.

The Blue Raiders kept themselves in the game when Vattiato put together a nine-play, 62-yard drive, Middlebrook going into the end zone from a yard out, to make it 35-24 with 7:23 left.

This story was originally published November 30, 2024 at 8:04 PM.