2025 PSU vs. FIU

September 6, Noon EDT, Beaver Stadium, Big Ten Network

Back to 2025 Schedule

General Game Information

PSU-FIU FINAL GAME STATS LINK

PSU-FIU GAME FLOW & SUMMARY

  • Game Two of 2025 season—This is the THON Game. Both PSU & FIU opened at home in Week One non-conference games—PSU posted a win over Nevada & FIU defeated Bethune-Cookman, 42-9 giving Head Coach Willie Simmons a victory in his debut with the Panthers.

  • Last PSU Game played: Penn State 46 Nevada 11 at Beaver Stadium

  • This week’s rankings: AP Poll #2 (behind new #1 Ohio State/Oregon now #6), Coaches Poll #2 (up from #3 behind new #1 Ohio State/Oregon now #5)

  • Second meeting with Florida International all-time: PSU defeated FIU in the 2007 season opener, 59-0. A crowd of 107,678 at Beaver Stadium (PSU’s then-second largest opening day attendance ever) was on hand to see PSU score 8 TDs on the day. Anthony Morelli passed for 295 yards and 3 TDs, and Redshirt-Freshman Running Back Evan Royster made his debut (8 carries for 70 yds.) and scored his first college TD. Royster would pass Curt Warner in 2010 to become PSU’s all-time leading rusher (3932 yards, 29 TDs). Royster’s rushing yards record could possibly be broken this season by Nick Singleton and/or Kaytron Allen. NOTE: Then first year FIU Head Coach Mario Cristobal famously wore a suit on the sidelines out of respect for Joe Paterno.

  • First meeting with FIU as a member of Conference USA. The 2007 season saw FIU in the Sun Belt Conference. The Panthers joined C-USA in the 2013 season.

  • First meeting with a Conference USA opponent since the Jan. 2, 2012 TicketCity Bowl in Dallas vs. Houston (30-14 loss). Most recent regular season game vs. Conference USA foe was Homecoming 2001 vs. Southern Mississippi (38-20 win).

  • FIU in 2024 season: 4-8, 3-5 in C-USA—Head Coach: Willie Simmons (1st season)

  • First Noon ET kick for PSU since Dec. 21, 2024 CFP 1st Round Game vs. SMU at Beaver Stadium (38-10 win).

  • The Sept. 6, 2025 game on the PSU schedule was originally to have been the first Beaver Stadium appearance of Virginia Tech (with former PSU DC Brent Pry who is head coach of the Hokies since 2022) as part of an away-home series with the Hokies that was to have included a visit to Blacksburg in 2020. But the cancellation of the 2020 non-conference season due to Covid led to the complete cancellation of the Tech series in 2021 leaving the 2025 date open until March 25, 2024 when FIU was added to the schedule. This was not the first failed attempt to get a home-away set with Virginia Tech. A 2-game series in 1992-93 was cancelled in the re-shuffling of the PSU schedule as it transitioned into the Big Ten.

    TV Information

  • BTN Gameday Announcers: Guy Haberman and Yogi Roth with Rhett Lewis on sidelines

  • First TV game on BTN since Nov. 30, 2024 vs. Maryland at Beaver Stadium (44-7 win). BTN’s Big Ten Tailgate pre-game show is live on location at Beaver Stadium (first on campus visit to PSU by this production since the 2024 Bowling Green game). The Tailgate show will be staged outside Gate B of the BJC from 10am to 11:30am.

  • First non-traditional network TV game of the 2025 season. PSU made 3 appearances on BTN in the 2024 season (wins over Bowling Green, Kent State and Maryland). 2024 PSU vs. Washington Whiteout Game was seen only on Peacock streaming and the 2024 PSU vs. SMU CFP 1st Round game was aired on TNT/MAX.

  • 2007 PSU vs. FIU game (the season & home opener in ‘07) was the first Nittany Lions game ever to be carried by the then brand new Big Ten Network.

Game Week Info

GAME TWO/THON Game

Penn State Nittany Lions, AP #2/Coaches #2, Big Ten (1-0) vs. Florida International Panthers, Conference USA (1-0), Noon EDT at Beaver Stadium on Big Ten Network

  • Season 139 at PSU (1887-present): PSU enters game with 944 wins all-time including 35 post-season wins (32 Bowl victories)

  • PSU 2024 (13-3 overall, 11-1 regular season, 8-1 Big Ten, 2-1 CFP)

  • James Franklin (12th season at PSU): 102-42 overall (126-57 including Vanderbilt), 7-7 in post-season, 5-6 in bowls, 4-3 in NY6 Bowls, 2-1 in CFP games, 1-1 in Big Ten Championship Games

  • Offensive Coordinator: Andy Kotelnicki (2nd season)

  • Defensive Coordinator: Jim Knowles (1st season)

  • 2025 Season Team Captains: Drew Allar QB, Nick Dawkins C, Dom DeLuca LB, Zane Durant DT, & Tyler Duzansky LS

  • Pre-game Notes: PSU remains #2 in AP Poll (new AP Top 5-Ohio State, PSU, LSU, Georgia, Miami), PSU up to #2 in Coaches Poll (new Coaches Top 5-Ohio State, PSU, Georgia, LSU, Oregon)/Zion Tracy DB & Zuriah Fisher DE practiced this week and are expected to play after missing opener with injuries—Fisher expected to see limited snaps (has not played since 2023 Peach Bowl), James Franklin reveals that Cam Wallace RB suffered broken bones in both legs in the 2024 Kent State game (the exact severity of his then-season ending injury had not been known)

  • Early Betting Line: PSU favored by 41.5 points (did not cover for second straight game)

  • Big Ten Availability Report Notes: OUT-Kaden Saunders WR, Josiah Brown WR, Max Granville DE (all with long-term injuries) along with 16 others notably new players on this list: Matthew Parker PK, Randy Adirika DT, and Donte Nastasi CB (whose father Joe was the game’s Honorary Captain)—QUESTIONABLE—None

  • PSU Uniforms: Traditional home blue jerseys/Special THON stickers worn on left rear of helmets below US Flag stickers

  • Game Ball: Traditional home Nike ball with blue swoosh logo

  • Gameday Captains: Kaytron Allen, Dani Dennis-Sutton, & Gabe Nwosu with Honorary Captain Joe Nastasi (father of current player Donte Nastasi)

  • Attendance: 103,818 announced

  • Weather: Rain in morning (largely ended by game time), overcast and warm with temps in high 60s through game

  • Final Score: PSU wins 34-0 (first shutout win since 2024 Kent State game, 56-0)

  • Game Flow: Click Link

  • Game Stats: Click Link

  • Post Game Notes/Injury concerns: Zuriah Fisher (34 snaps) & Zion Tracy (20 snaps) both started and made their 2025 season debuts (it was Fisher’s first career start), no new known injuries, work on finishing drives will need to be focus of Villanova game after 2 disappointing games in this department—PSU was only 3 of 12 on third downs & 2 of 4 on 4th downs vs. FIU, although the Lions are 11 for 11 in Red Zone scoring through 2 games