Panthers Capture First VICE Night Game in Program History

MIAMI, FL – FIU had another dominant performance on the football field against the New Mexico State Aggies. In their first Conference USA game of the season, the FIU Panthers controlled the game from the opening quarter. Not allowing a touchdown for the second straight game, the Panthers captured their first VICE Night game in program history, 22-3.

Robert Czeremcha Makes Five Field Goals

Both squads traded punts a few times before Wesley Miller intercepted a pass, his first of the season. This offensive drive was FIU’s first and only touchdown. Anthony Carrie scored on a one-yard rush, giving the Panthers a seven-point lead.

Punched it in for tonight's first TD @AnthonyCarrie3 pic.twitter.com/aQi3QeKuZL

— FIU Football (@FIUFootball) October 8, 2026

In the second quarter, NM State responded with a 26-yard field goal, their only points of the night. Then, Robert Czeremcha answered with his first field goal of the game, a 40-yard attempt. FIU led 10-3 at halftime.

Czeremcha proved his reliability in the third quarter, hitting 52- and 33-yard field goals to give FIU a 16-3 lead. His 52-yard kick was one yard shy of the program record of 53.

Career-long 52 yd BOOT from @RCzeremcha 🥾 pic.twitter.com/8MDGGyrz4t

— FIU Football (@FIUFootball) October 8, 2026

FIU’s defense broke out in the fourth quarter with a Deejay Holmes Jr. strip sack and a late interception by Demetrius Hill. Czeremcha added two more field goals, from 21 and 48 yards to tie a program record. He was the first kicker since Dustin Rivest did so on November 8, 2008, to make five field goals in a game.

Defense Shows Why It’s Top 10 in the Nation

The INT that led to the TD https://t.co/BfYsjnu8op pic.twitter.com/NMfyNSha6Y

— FIU Football (@FIUFootball) October 8, 2026

DeAndre Boykins led the team with six tackles (5 solo), while Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine had five (4 solo) and two pass breakups, and Percy Courtney Jr. had five (3 solo). Pickle Stewart had four tackles (3 solo). After the win, FIU climbed to No. 7 in the total defense rankings. They allow just 241.8 yards per game while opponents have scored four touchdowns.

Final Thoughts

This win marked FIU’s first 3-0 home start since 2017 and it’s also their fifth straight win at Pitbull Stadium, dating back to last season. FIU’s offense wasn’t explosive, but its running game showed flashes of improvement. JJ Kohl went 12 of 21 for 115 yards and Devonte Lyons led the rushing unit with 78 yards on 14 carries, averaging 5.6 yards per attempt. Greg Gaines III caught two passes for 30 yards.

“I thought we were able to move the ball, go ahead and have some good drives,” said Simmons. “We were able to run the ball more consistently than we had run it all season. Second half, we had some breakdowns there with some communication, but I thought the backs ran hard. They accepted the challenge of getting their shoulders squared, not dancing, just getting their foot in the ground and running. They broke a lot of tackles tonight.”

FIU got off to an encouraging start in Conference USA play thanks to defensive discipline, effective game management, and firm special teams. “It felt great to do it in a conference game, starting off 1-0,” said Coach Simmons. “It was huge for us to control our own destiny. Like we tell our guys, as long as we’re in the driver’s seat, we’re in good shape.” Despite a competitive first half, FIU made things more comfortable in the second half.

“Great to see Rob make five field goals, but disappointed we had to settle for five field goals,” said Willie Simmons. “We talked about finishing drives. Some missed reads, some missed executions. So, we have to do a better job of finishing those drives in the end zone. We had a chance to get 35 points, and we only got 15 of them.”

On Deck

FIU will head to Jacksonville State for their first CUSA road game on Tuesday, October 13 at 8 pm.

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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