New Mexico State Aggies at Florida International Panthers
Wed Oct 7 · 6:30 PM CT
By Pablo SanchezUpdated 6d ago·2 min read
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FIU opens Conference USA play riding real momentum from a breakout year, while New Mexico State is still searching for the identity that's eluded Tony Sanchez's program for two seasons running.
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NMSUFIU
NMSUFIU
OverUnder
Best BetFlorida International
FIU enters this as the clearly more stable program right now — a bowl trip, a returning top receiver, and a home CUSA opener against a New Mexico State team that lost 6 of its last 7 games in 2025. The Aggies have shown flashes with TK King healthy, but Tony Sanchez still hasn't strung together the kind of sustained success that inspires confidence on the road. Back FIU here.
New Mexico State
+TK King back, led CUSA in receiving yards/game
+Returning LBs Gethers and Aupiu anchor defense
−7-17 combined under Sanchez in first two years
−Lost 6 of final 7 games to close 2025
Florida International
+7-6 season, first bowl trip since 2019
+Won last meeting 34-13, returning top WR Gaines
−Breaking in new starting QB in Kohl
−Lost 3 offensive linemen to portal/graduation
This one doubles as a statement game for FIU. The Panthers open CUSA play at home off a 2025 season that ended their bowl drought, and Year 2 under Willie Simmons starts with a QB competition that's settled on App State transfer JJ Kohl as the presumptive starter. New Mexico State, meanwhile, comes in off a stretch that saw the Aggies lose 6 of their final 7 games a year ago, the only win a 3-point squeaker over UTEP. Tony Sanchez is still chasing his first winning season in Las Cruces.
FIU's turnaround wasn't a fluke. The Panthers went 7-5 in the regular season and got their first bowl trip since 2019, though the First Responder Bowl ended in a lopsided 57-20 loss to UTSA that's worth remembering before anyone crowns this team. Wide receiver Greg Gaines III, a Rhode Island transfer, is back after hauling in 65 catches for 1,018 yards and 4 touchdowns, giving Kohl a proven target from day one. New Mexico State counters with its own returning piece in TK King, whose 73.5 receiving yards per game led the conference last season despite missing 4 games.
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NMSU New Mexico State
FIU Florida International
The bigger question for New Mexico State is whether the roster can hold up. The Aggies' nonconference slate — trips to Florida State and Hawaii, plus a home rivalry game with New Mexico — is brutal, and by the time CUSA play starts, this team could be banged up or simply worn down. FIU, by contrast, gets to open conference play at home in Miami with a full week to prepare and a defense that returns pieces from a squad that found its footing as the year went on.
New Mexico State Aggies
Oct 1?vs Western Kentucky—
Sep 26?vs New Mexico—
Sep 12?@ Hawai'i—
Sep 5?vs Mercyhurst—
Aug 29?@ Florida State—
Florida International Panthers
Sep 26?vs Long Island University—
Sep 19?@ Florida Atlantic—
Sep 12?vs Buffalo—
Sep 5?@ South Florida—
Recent form.
History leans FIU's way too. The series sits at 2-2 all-time, but the Panthers took the last meeting 34-13 back in October 2024, and little about New Mexico State's trajectory since then suggests that gap has closed. Sanchez is 7-17 combined in his first two years, and a talented but thin roster — headlined by linebackers Tory Gethers (87 tackles, 3 sacks) and Sone Aupiu (68 tackles) on defense — hasn't been enough to turn results around.
New Mexico State Aggies
(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.
FIU's offensive line took a hit this offseason, losing 3 starters to the portal and graduation, which is the one real crack in an otherwise good story heading into this CUSA opener. Still, New Mexico State has to prove it can hang with a team that's playing with far more confidence right now, on the road, after a nonconference gauntlet that isn't designed to build it up.
