Week 9 of the college football season features another dose of Weekday CUSA action, and this time the spotlight shifts to South Florida. The upcoming Kennesaw State vs. FIU matchup brings together two programs eager to prove they belong among the league’s top contenders.
Both teams have shown flashes of strong play throughout the season, and this matchup could go a long way in shaping the conference standings heading into the final stretch. Our Kennesaw State vs. FIU prediction contains all the game details, the head-to-head record, exclusive PFSN grades, and a score forecast for this exciting CUSA clash.
Kennesaw State vs. FIU Details
- Date: Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025
- Game time: 7:00 PM ET
- Location: Pitbull Stadium | Miami, FL
- Predicted weather at kick: 78 degrees, clear, no wind
- How to watch: ESPN2
Kennesaw State vs. FIU Head-to-Head Record
Since Kennesaw State transitioned to the FBS level only recently, the history between these two programs is brief. The first and only meeting came during the 2024 season, when the Owls stunned Florida International with a 27-26 victory at home.
That narrow win gave Kennesaw State an early signature moment in its FBS era and added some intrigue to this year’s Kennesaw State vs. FIU rematch, as both teams now enter the contest with something to prove in CUSA play.
Kennesaw State vs. FIU Grades
- Kennesaw State: 71.8 (C-)
- FIU: 68.5 (D+)
- Kennesaw State: 74.2 (C)
- FIU: 71.2 (C-)
- Kennesaw State: 64.7 (D)
- FIU: 67.7 (D+)
- Amari Odom, Kennesaw State: 72.2 (C-)
- Keyone Jenkins, FIU: 67.1 (D+)
- Coleman Bennett, Kennesaw State: 72.9 (C-)
- Kejon Owens, FIU: 77.4 (C+)
- Gabriel Benyard, Kennesaw State: 75.6 (C)
- Alex Perry, FIU: 71.6 (C-)
- Gerard Bullock, Kennesaw State: 72.6 (C-)
- Dallas Payne, FIU: 71.4 (C-)
- Marcus Patterson, Kennesaw State: 73.2 (C)
- Keegan Davis, FIU: 69.8 (D+)
- Tylon Dunlap, Kennesaw State: 84.3 (B)
- Xion Chapman, FIU: 78.7 (C+)
- Baron Hopson, Kennesaw State: 74.5 (C)
- Josiah Taylor, FIU: 67.1 (D+)
- Antonio Stevens, Kennesaw State: 84.4 (B)
- Jessiah McGrew, FIU: 80.9 (B)
Kennesaw State vs. FIU Prediction
This is a super intriguing matchup in CUSA since the top of the conference looks wide open. The winner here should have an inside track on making the Conference Championship Game. The PFSN College Football Playoff Meter (FPM) has Kennesaw State projected a few points better in this game despite playing on the road.
This is only Kennesaw’s third road game of the season, and their first since Week 2 when then went to Indiana. There’s a chance the Owls are a bit out of sync early on after becoming so used to playing at home for much of the season.
However, it will help that they’re coming off a Bye week to get some much-needed rest. Despite the off week, keep an eye out on the status of Owls QB Amari Odom, who is a little banged up and did not play in the Week 7 game against Louisiana Tech.
There are a few reasons that I like FIU in this spot. One is that there should be plenty of motivation after getting upset by Kennesaw in last year’s matchup. Another reason is the difference in strength of schedule, with FIU having played a much harder schedule than Kennesaw State.
After playing two Power Four schools (Wake Forest and Indiana), Kennesaw State faced FCS Merrimack and an underwhelming Arkansas State team, before facing two of the worst offenses in the CUSA–MTSU and Louisiana Tech.
I understand that Kennesaw State grades out better defensively than FIU, but I like that the Panthers have played impressive teams and offenses like WKU, UConn, Delaware, FAU, and Penn State when the Nittany Lions were healthy. Now, Kennesaw State goes from playing two weak CUSA offenses to an FIU offense that is finding its stride recently.
The Panthers will have success moving the ball on the ground behind the duo of QB Keyone Jenkins and RB Kejon Owens, one of the best in CUSA.
The main reason to back FIU here is that the Panthers are getting healthy at the right time. The roster, primarily the defense, has been unhealthy for much of the season. The return of two of their best defenders, CB Brian Blades and LB Percy Courtney Jr., were two key additions for this defense, which is one of the CUSA’s best when healthy.
That was on display last week when the Panthers shut down WKU’s high-powered offense in a dominant 25-6 win. I see Kennesaw State having a hard time moving the ball through the air against this secondary.
Kennesaw State is much improved from last season, mainly because their defense has really taken a step up, but I lean FIU in this spot with the Owls having to come on the road for the first time in a while, and also because a healthy FIU team can be a real contender in this conference.
These two teams will be led by their defenses, so don’t expect a shootout, but FIU has the better players at home to pull away in the end.
Prediction: FIU 23, Kennesaw 17