Adrian Benitez | Staff Writer
The FIU football team will face the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Saturday, September 28, 2024 at Pitbull Stadium in Miami.
Last Saturday, September 21, 2024, the Panthers entered the game at 1-3 after a crushing loss to the FCS Monmouth Hawks. The game marked Monmouth’s first win over an FBS opponent in program history and FIU’s first loss to an FCS team. 2020.
They will be hoping for a win against the Bulldogs as they enter conference play in desperate need of a change of momentum. The Bulldogs are 1-2 so far on the year, losing their most recent game to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 23-20 in overtime.
Louisiana Tech’s quarterback position is in flux, with junior Jack Turner and freshman Evan Brock competing for the starting spot Thursday.
Turner started all three games for the Bulldogs, completing 30 of 58 passes for 392 yards and a 2:2 TD:INT ratio. Bullock played mop-up duty against Tulsa, completing 4 of 6 passes for 49 yards and a touchdown.
In terms of statistics, LA Tech’s offense is middling among CUSA teams. The Bulldogs are allowing 21.7 points per game and 331.3 yards per game, ranking sixth and seventh in the conference, respectively.
LA Tech leans heavily toward the passing game. The Bulldogs rank third in the conference in passing yards per game with 251, while ranking ninth in the conference in rushing yards with 79.7 yards per game.
The Bulldogs have a reliable defense. Louisiana Tech ranks third in the conference by allowing the fewest yards per game of any CUSA team at 298 and allowing 23.3 points per game.
Their run defense is excellent, allowing 106 rushing yards per game. This is also #1 in the conference. Their pass defense isn’t bad either, averaging 192 yards, which ranks third in the conference.
Another statistic to note is that the Bulldogs only committed 12 penalties for 90 total yards all season, both of which are the lowest in the conference. The Panthers committed 12 penalties in the game against Monmouth alone, so they will need to improve their discipline quickly.
If the Panthers want to come out on top in this game, they’ll need to take advantage of an uncertain quarterback situation by overcoming the careless penalties they saw last week and taking away the Bulldogs’ passing attack.
In desperate need of a win, the FIU football team will look to shift momentum when they take on the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Saturday, September 28, 2024 at Pitbull Stadium in Miami.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Prediction: LA Tech 30, FIU 17
PantherNOW staff predictions
Jonathan Suarez:
Los Angeles Tech’s struggling offense heads to Pitbull Stadium to face a lackluster FIU defense. Last week, the Panthers allowed 540 yards to FCS Monmouth, and the Bulldogs are poised to exploit that weakness through the air.
LA Tech 35, FIU 17
Brian Olmo:
The pressure is on for the Panthers to accomplish everything. LA Tech has one of the toughest defenses in CUSA so far, allowing just seven touchdowns and 3.1 yards per attempt through three games. However, the Bulldogs don’t have as much offense as this FIU team, with eight passing touchdowns tied for the most in the conference.
LA Tech 27, FIU 20
