Missouri State Bears at Florida International Panthers
Sat Nov 7 · 3:00 PM CT
By Pablo SanchezUpdated 5d ago·2 min read
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Missouri State and FIU both crashed bowl season a year ago out of nowhere. This one's about proving it wasn't a one-year fluke.
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Best BetFlorida International
FIU gets the nod here mostly on stability — Willie Simmons is in Year 2 with a roster that already knows how to win, while Missouri State is still installing a new staff under Casey Woods. New coaches on the road tend to drop a game or two before things click, even with a talented roster. It's close, but back the Panthers to win at home.
Missouri State
+Went 7-6 with a bowl bid in FBS debut
+8 returning starters, 3 on CUSA watch list
−New head coach Casey Woods, real transition risk
−CUSA voters give just 35% bowl odds
Florida International
+First winning season since 2018 at 7-5
+Year 2 continuity under Willie Simmons
−Starting QB job still unresolved this summer
−Shula Bowl rivalry week could sap momentum
Missouri State just wrapped its first season at the FBS level with a 7-6 record, a 5-3 mark in Conference USA and a trip to the inaugural Xbox Bowl. That's about as good a debut as a program can ask for, and it's why new head coach Casey Woods inherited a roster with 61 returning players, 30 lettermen and 8 returning starters instead of a rebuild.
FIU's path looked similar from the other direction. Willie Simmons took over in December 2024 and delivered the program's first winning season since 2018, going 7-5 in the regular season before a trip to the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl against UTSA. Year 2 brings real continuity for FIU, along with a wide receiver transfer in Greg Gaines, who put up 1,018 receiving yards at Rhode Island last season.
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FIU Florida International
The one wrinkle in Miami is at quarterback. Zach Marker transferred in to compete for the starting job, which means FIU's passing game plan for a November conference game is still an open question this summer. Missouri State, by contrast, knows exactly who it's bringing back at the skill spots.
Missouri State Bears
Oct 27?vs Sam Houston—
Oct 20?@ Delaware—
Oct 14?vs Kennesaw State—
Oct 8?@ Western Kentucky—
Sep 25?@ SMU—
Sep 19?vs Marshall—
Sep 12?vs Lindenwood—
Sep 5?@ Texas A&M—
Florida International Panthers
Oct 31?@ Liberty—
Oct 20?vs Middle Tennessee—
Oct 13?@ Jacksonville State—
Oct 7?vs New Mexico State—
Sep 26?vs Long Island University—
Sep 19?@ Florida Atlantic—
Sep 12?vs Buffalo—
Sep 5?@ South Florida—
Recent form.
That returning production is the headline for the Bears. Tight end Jeron Askren caught 5 touchdowns on just 19 catches last year, linebacker Jared Lloyd led the team with 77 tackles, and receiver Jmariyae Robinson posted team highs of 44 catches, 632 yards and 7 touchdowns — all 3 landed on Conference USA's preseason watch list this month. The catch is that Conference USA's own coaches only gave Missouri State a 35% probability of reaching back-to-back bowl games in 2026, a sign the league expects a step back somewhere.
Missouri State Bears
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Florida International Panthers
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
Both programs are still building depth charts this far out, so treat any hierarchy as a July snapshot, not a November guarantee. But the shape of the matchup is set: a Missouri State team stacked with returning production adjusting to a new staff, against an FIU team with coaching continuity and a receiving corps in flux at the position that decides most of these games.
