Paws Up Preview – FIU Football vs Delaware

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DATE – Saturday, September 20th

TIME – 6:00 PM EST

OPPONENT – Delaware Blue Hens (Conference USA)

VENUE – Pitbull Stadium (Miami, FL)

HOW TO WATCH – ESPN+

ODDS – FIU -6.5

Good evening to fans of South Florida teams not based in Boca Raton ONLY.

FIU Football is riding high off their win over THEM, sitting with a 2-1 record to start the season. To many, this is the best-case scenario this early on, as they begin their Conference USA slate a little early against the Delaware Blue Hens.

Hear from Head Coach Willie Simmons (@HCWillieSimmons) following media availability ahead of FIU vs Delaware. 🏈#FIU | #Panthers | #PawsUp pic.twitter.com/pnVlb0dAtP

— Paws Up Podcast (@PawsUpPodcast) September 16, 2025

If the Panthers were to play like they did in the third quarter vs FAU in every game moving forward, they’ll be a force in the CUSA stretch of the season. In a conference this wide open, this battle against one of the newcomers will be another big test for FIU.

A Second Half For The Record Books

The buses started a little early for Florida Atlantic thanks to an outburst by FIU in the third quarter. With 21 unanswered points and a defensive domination, this game went from back-and-forth to a boat race in record time.

FIU’s defensive line continues to dominate in the trenches, denying offenses a consistent running game and forcing pressure on the quarterback. In a case like Veltkamp – who is considered one of the better QBs in G5 – he made silly throws out of desperation, resulting in more interceptions (3) than touchdowns. (2)

Mister Clark? nah Mister CLUTCH @0nly1mister pic.twitter.com/5IeZ08BlJm

— FIU Football (@FIUFootball) September 14, 2025

Keyone Jenkins finally got his first passing touchdown of the season out of the way. This passing game continues to evolve as they’ll continue to find a WR1 who can win man-on-man coverage. (I wonder if it’ll be Christian Langford) Until then, Kejon Owens seems to have no problem putting the team on his back in the meantime.

FIU was also mentally ready for this game, limiting silly penalties while the Owls crumbled with personal foul calls as the game progressed. The Panthers never retaliated; they just took what FAU gave them. Especially in a rivalry game, this was a breath of fresh air.

The one player that needs to clean up their game the most is their center, Julius Pierce. A good blocker, his snaps to Jenkins were inaccurate almost all night, with one of them going between his legs, recovered by the Owls, and led to an early touchdown.

New England Energy Heading South

The Delaware Blue Hens are one of the newest members of Conference USA, with Missouri State being the other. So far, it’s been a good start to their FBS journey, taking down Delaware State and UConn in an OT thriller, while giving Colorado the business in the first half.

They’ve begun their season just like the Panthers – a win over an in-state HBCU school, a loss to a power conference opponent, and an uplifting win over a regional rival leading up to this game.

What makes the Blue Hens click? It starts with their quarterback, Nick Minicucci. Dangerous with his arm and legs, he’ll be the first true dual-threat quarterback the Panthers will face this season. He’s racked up 847 yards through the air, 69 on the ground, and nine combined touchdowns.

This is what people mean when the say “yesterday was a movie” 🍿 pic.twitter.com/uDHqoOv9K9

— Delaware Football (@Delaware_FB) September 14, 2025

He’s usually safe with the ball, only throwing a single interception thus far. However, an Achilles heel might be his offensive line, which doesn’t always provide the best protection. He’s been sacked nine teams – the fourth most in CUSA thus far.

Jo Silver is their top running back, while Kyre Duplessis is their top receiver. They have solid attacks both ways, spearheaded by an emphasis on the option plays. A headache to stop on defense, that’ll be a big test for the Panthers.

Defensively, they’re solid. However, they’ve given up 29.7 points per game, tied for the third most in CUSA with Middle Tennessee. In their last two games against Colorado and UConn, opposing offenses did whatever they wanted to do.

Who Wins – FIU or Delaware?

This game feels more even than a lot of people might think. Even though they’re just getting into FBS, Delaware has an experienced roster that was ready for the challenge.

But FIU also has a roster that has the pieces needed to counter anything Delaware can throw at them. Their rush defense should still look solid against this Blue Hens offense, even with an abundance of option plays. On offense, Keyone will have a challenge with Delaware’s unique defensive scheme.

But who’s stopping Owens and the running game?

Better question – will there be another lightning delay?

FIU – 34

DELAWARE – 23

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