Paws Up Preview - FIU Football vs Liberty

DATE – Saturday, November 15th

TIME – 5:00 PM EST

OPPONENT – Liberty Flames (Conference USA)

VENUE – Pitbull Stadium (Miami, FL)

HOW TO WATCH – ESPN+

ODDS – Liberty -3

Well, this season of ups and downs for FIU Football continues to roll. Even in a win, there are so many questions buzzing about which direction the ~~Panthers~~ Sunblazers will go for these final few games of the season. They’re only two more wins away from bowl eligibility with three games to go.

And now, they’re entering a homestretch at Pitbull Stadium. Good timing, too, as they take on some of the top teams in Conference USA, starting with Liberty. They’re having what many Liberty fans would call a “down season” with a 4-5 record.

“It’s great to hit your stride this time of year,” said Head Coach Willie Simmons. “Hopefully, we can carry that momentum this week as we return home for homecoming against a tough Liberty team whose record isn’t indicative of the type of team they are. We know we have our hands full.”

At least FIU did what they had to do against Middle Tennessee. Consider that another losing streak has been snapped. Will it be enough momentum to carry FIU to their Homecoming Game? Who’s starting at quarterback for the Sunblazers? And will we get a BEAUTIFUL day for football?

No Nonsense, Got The Job Done

If you focus solely on the second half between FIU and Middle Tennessee, you’ll find it was a laugher for the then-called Panthers. On offense and defense, they could do no wrong – when they did, they made up for it on the ensuing drive.

However, even in a win, there are hard-hitting questions to deal with. Joe Pesansky was the QB, getting the nod as Keyone Jenkins was still dealing with a nagging injury. And he made the most of the opportunity, throwing for 257 yards and five all-purpose touchdowns.

Got back to who we are. Got the result. 💯

FIU vs MTENN – Cinematic Recap 🎥
Presented by @geico pic.twitter.com/8sMyUMtvhM

— FIU Football (@FIUFootball) November 12, 2025

He did so well that it begs the question: should he stay the starter for FIU? MTSU’s defense is partially why they’re currently 1-8 on the season, so you have to factor that in. However, this offense delivered the most complete performance of the season with Pesansky at the helm. They didn’t even look this good against Bethune-Cookman, a literal FCS team.

So who’s starting against Liberty? Here’s what we know. Willie Simmons stated (this past Tuesday) that Jenkins is still not 100% recovered from his injury, and Pesansky has been taking first-team reps in practice. He didn’t outright say Joe’s getting the nod, but I think the writing’s on the wall.

We’re Not In Murfreesboro Anymore

If you wrote off the Flames after Week Five, I wouldn’t blame you. They were 1-4, with an unimpressive over Maine, then losses to Jax State, Bowling Green, James Madison, and Old Dominion. Since then, however, they’ve won three of their last four, with a loss to Missouri State being their most recent contest.

So yeah, it’s been a mixed year for Liberty. That can partially be put on their passing game, which has been very inconsistent. Ethan Vasko, a transfer from Coastal Carolina, has 1,602 passing yards for eight touchdowns and six interceptions. They average 197.2 passing yards per game – only one of four teams in CUSA that’s under 200 yards.

picking up where he left off 🫢

📺 @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/dUcRulfpan

— Liberty Football (@LibertyFootball) November 8, 2025

It helps that they have a reliable running game instead. With all the hype around Kejon Owens and Cam Cook, you might forget that Evan Dickens has 738 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.

Liberty’s defense is certainly a step up from Middle Tennessee’s. They only allow 360.7 yards per game, the least in Conference USA. Ironically, it’s the pass defense that shoulders most of that. Their rush defense has given up 161 yards per game, which is in the bottom half of the conference.

Who Wins – FIU or Liberty?

This is tough. Tough, tough, tough. If you check out the matchup on ESPN, the winning percentage for both teams is near 50-50.

If Pesansky will really be the starter for FIU, he’s going to have his hands full. Liberty’s defense is no joke, and will challenge him passing-wise more than any other team in Conference USA. He has the talent to do so, and will be aided by a running game that can put up big numbers against the Flames.

On the other side, this Liberty offense is so unstable that I don’t know what we’re going to see on Saturday. Unfortunately, FIU’s defense has been the same at times, so this really feels like a toss-up.

But the Panthers have momentum entering the matchup. They REALLY need to win this is they want to go bowling. It’s THEIR Homecoming against a team that beat them two years ago in Homecoming already.

This season will go down as one in which a lot of multi-year losing streaks were broken. I think this will be another.

FIU – 30

LIBERTY – 24

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