Paws Up Preview: FIU Panthers vs New Mexico State Aggies

DATE – Wednesday, October 7th

TIME – 7:30pm EST

OPPONENT – New Mexico State Aggies (CUSA)

VENUE – Pitbull Stadium (Miami, FL)

HOW TO WATCH – ESPN2

ODDS – Florida International -3.5

Conference USA play begins on Wednesday for the FIU Panthers, where the New Mexico State Aggies make the visit to Miami. These are two teams that are entering league play with different recent results.

The Aggies come into this game at 2-3 and 1-0 in Conference USA after starting league play with a dominating 34-13 win over Western Kentucky. Meanwhile, the Panthers are 2-2 entering their first CUSA game after a 20-3 win over LIU.

Next Wednesday, #VICEU returns to Pitbull Stadium.

Presented by @Pitbull 🤝 pic.twitter.com/Rpe7Jcrcds

— FIU Football (@FIUFootball) October 1, 2026

The goal for New Mexico State is to build off a victory against the Hilltoppers and establish itself in the conference standings while FIU is looking to protect their home field advantage and ride on momentum for their season.

NM State Comes in with Momentum

Coming off their most complete game, the Aggies showed off their elusive running game last weekend. They ran for 206 yards, led by James Jones, who had a career-high 155 yards on 20 rushes. He’s now had three 100+ yard performances. After Trey Hedden got benched, Adam Damante appeared under center and went 15/26 for 146 yards with a touchdown and a rushing score.

Their defense can’t be overlooked either. New Mexico State completed six sacks against WKU; five came after halftime, and De’Marcus Peters had a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown. They also had two fourth-down stops. Their formula was simply to run the ball, create pressure, and have the defense oppress the game.

Last week’s win gave the Aggies their first 1-0 conference start since 2014. Offensively, they bring a balanced attack and play ahead of the chains, while their defense plays physically and creates opportunities. FIU’s plan coming into this contest will be to keep their eyes on Jones, who’s proven to be the go-to player at New Mexico State.

FIU Looking to Build Off September

Through four games, the Panthers are averaging 418.0 points per game, including 294.0 passing yards, while averaging 18.0 points per contest. JJ Kohl has been the engine of FIU’s offense, throwing for 1,176 passing yards. He has shown an ability to throw the ball to a variety of receivers. FIU has thrown the ball 151 times, and Kohl has shown he can put up numbers while their receivers can stretch defenses.

NM State is averaging 402 yards per game and 26.2 points through four games. Despite allowing 100 rushing yards to LIU, the Panthers allowed just 2.9 yards per carry and limited them to a field goal. This unit can make any team one-dimensional, surrendering just 58 points in September. FIU has 10 sacks on the season and is allowing just 14.5 points per game.

Their X-factor entering October needs to shift to owning a more consistent offense. FIU already has a defensive identity, but they need to complete more successful drives against conference opponents. The Panthers need to forget about their previous ups and downs and sustain longer drives to wear down defenses.

"I expect this season to be much like other seasons. It's going to be a dogfight."
– Willie Simmons on Conference USA

Also noted that CUSA was second last year behind the SEC in margin of victory #FIU #PawsUp

— Kevin Barral (@kevin_barral) October 1, 2026

Who Will Win – FIU or New Mexico State?

New Mexico State has already faced some difficult challenges on the road, dropping games to Florida State and Hawaii. The win over WKU certainly boosted their confidence and now play their first CUSA road game in Miami. Their path to a victory is to establish Jones, keep the Panthers’ offense off the field, and let their defensive front that just recorded six sacks create intolerable passing situations.

However, FIU’s passing game can outweigh the Aggies’ defensive efforts. Despite coming off his worst game, Kohl has proven in previous contests that he can put explosive statistical numbers. Also, FIU’s defense has played its best football at Pitbull Stadium. They are coming off a much-needed bye week, and they should play with some spark in the first game of its CUSA schedule.

This series is tied 2-2 all-time and both teams have faced each other recently over the years. FIU beat New Mexico State in Las Cruces in 2022 and then lost on the road in 2023. The Panthers beat the Aggies 34-13 on October 29, 2024, in what was their first meeting in Miami. Wednesday’s matchup will be tight and physical. One late play in the game can determine the final outcome.

FIU PANTHERS – 24

NEW MEXICO STATE AGGIES – 21

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About Post Author

Ricardo Urrusuno

He’s a diehard 305 native who roots for his hometown teams in the good, the bad, and the ugly. Recently, he graduated from FIU with an MBA, but now he’s a Lemonhead covering UM basketball. Known to be anywhere and everywhere, you may catch him at a Miami sporting event.

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