Penn State continues its nonconference slate on Saturday, hosting Florida International at Beaver Stadium for a noon kickoff airing on the Big Ten Network.
Head coach James Franklin has previously stated the first three games of the season are being used to evaluate the team’s depth, and the Nittany Lions got 73 players into last week’s game against Nevada. The plan remains to rotate in second- and third-string players, provided the starters can build a comfortable lead early on.
Here’s everything to know about FIU heading into the second-ever meeting between the two and first since 2007.
Head coach:
The Golden Panthers are led by Willie Simmons, who’s kicking off his first season leading the program after Mike MacIntyre’s departure. Simmons’ previous head coaching roles include three seasons at Prairie View A&M and five with Florida A&M, during which he accumulated a 66-24 overall record.
Simmons led the Rattlers to a 12-1 finish, conference championship and 2023 Celebration Bowl win before leaving to be the run game coordinator and running backs coach at Duke, where he worked with former Nittany Lion defensive coordinator Manny Diaz last year.
Earlier in the week, Simmons was asked about playing Penn State and offered high praise for head coach James Franklin.
“Ton of respect for James, known him for a long time,” Simmons said. “He’s done a phenomenal job, not only there, but during his time at Vanderbilt. I really respect him because he’s one of the best coaches in the profession. Looking forward to rubbing elbows with him, going up against him. As a younger coach relatively, you look forward to opportunities like this to go up against some of the best coaches in the profession.”
Simmons will be responsible for offensive play-calling against the Nittany Lions Saturday, which seemed to work well for the team in its opener.
Coordinators:
Offensive coordinator Nick Coleman came in with Simmons, arriving in Miami with the new regime. He’s a former college quarterback for Middle Tennessee, where he earned his first coaching role as a graduate assistant.
Coleman spent time bouncing around smaller universities, primarily as an offensive coordinator or in similar roles. Most recently, he served as the quarterbacks coach at UAB for the past two seasons, a role he also holds with FIU.
On the flip side, Jovan Dewitt enters his fourth season as the Golden Panthers’ defensive coordinator. He boasts an extensive coaching résumé, which includes stints as a special teams coordinator for Central Florida, Nebraska and North Carolina.
Notably, Dewitt was the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Army the last time it faced off against Penn State in 2015. The Nittany Lions came away with a 20-14 win.
Standout players:
On Monday, Franklin said he’s been impressed by quarterback Keyone Jenkins, running back Kejon Owens, linebacker Johnny Chaney Jr., defensive back Brian Blades II, defensive lineman Keegan Davis, defensive lineman Kenton Simmons, wide receiver C’Quan Jnopierre and punter Trey Wilhoit.
Jenkins, nicknamed “Lyghtz Out,” was named the preseason Conference USA Offensive Player of Year. He’s entering his third campaign as a starter and went 18-for-30 for 187 yards in the first game of the year. He showed substantial improvement last year and could develop into one of the better Group of Five quarterbacks this season.
Jnopierre also earned conference recognition as the preseason Special Teams Player of the Year. He was named to the All-Conference USA second-team as a kick returner last season and is the only returning FIU player with All-Conference recognition from 2024.
Owens is entering his fifth season with the Golden Panthers and is expected to be the bell cow for a backfield that’s struggled in recent years.
Record: 1-0
FIU earned a dominant Week 1 victory over FCS opponent Bethune-Cookman, cruising to a 28-6 halftime lead before taking its foot off the pedal and winning 42-9. The Golden Panthers had a balanced attack offensively and were stout against the run.
Series history:
In their only previous meeting, Penn State welcomed FIU for the 2007 season opener, which resulted in a 59-0 drubbing in Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions finished 9-4 with an Alamo Bowl win over Texas A&M, while the Golden Panthers stumbled through a 1-11 year.
Prediction: Penn State 51, FIU 7
The Golden Panthers looked impressive in Week 1, but that matchup came against an FCS school that finished 2-10 last season. Penn State is once again a massive betting favorite, and this time, I expect them to cover.
Two main goals for Penn State will be to establish the run, which was lackluster last week, and cycle in depth pieces early. While either of those are conducive to blowouts, the Nittany Lions should score on every drive, leading to a big point total. I expect at least one interception for Penn State and some explosive plays offensively, propelling it to victory.
