On Saturday, September 6, Penn State will take on Florida International at Beaver Stadium, kicking off at noon.
Which means—it’s time to dive into what could be expected from this matchup.

Florida International Offense vs. Penn State Defense

Penn State’s defense will be facing off against a talented and experienced quarterback in Keyone Jenkins, who returns for his third year as a starter. He made major improvements in his sophomore season in 2024, completing 62% of his passes with 22 touchdowns to eight interceptions. Jenkins is mobile in the pocket but not necessarily someone who runs the ball regularly.

The Panthers will use a committee-style rushing attack, with three experienced backs splitting carries. Kejon Owens, Devonte Lyons, and Anthony Carrie each had at least 49 rushing yards and a touchdown in their Week One victory. Carrie also contributed three receptions, just one shy of his total for all of 2024.

Jenkins does a nice job spreading the ball around among his pass catchers rather than locking onto one target—he completed passes to 13 different players in Week One, with no receiver recording more than three catches. This could be a solid early test for the Penn State secondary, which didn’t face much of a passing threat in Week One against Nevada.

Penn State’s defense showed a physical, attacking style in the opener, as the starters allowed just three points. Dani Dennis-Sutton was the clear MVP of the day, forcing two fumbles, registering 2.5 tackles for loss, and recording a sack. Amare Campbell, who joined the Nittany Lions in the spring after transferring from UNC, led the team with six tackles. He had consecutive tackles near the line of scrimmage that helped force a punt, which led to a touchdown just before halftime, as Drew Allar found Kyron Hudson in the end zone.

Penn State will continue to break in several new defensive linemen who are stepping into larger roles in 2025. Among those players, Ty Blanding recorded a tackle for loss, while true freshman Chaz Coleman had two quarterback pressures. Coleman will be looking to secure his first sack in a Penn State uniform on Saturday.

Penn State Offense vs. Florida International Defense

The clear storyline for Penn State’s offense in Week One was the productivity from the wide receiver position—an area that had been lacking over the previous two seasons. Allar showed strong chemistry with Trebor Pena and Kyron Hudson and connected with Devonte Ross to convert a fourth down on Ross’s only catch of the game. Ross missed time over the summer with an injury and could see more targets on Saturday as he works his way back into the lineup.

Allar didn’t look to the tight ends much before exiting the game, though that seemed by design, as the Nittany Lions prioritized getting the ball to their three new starting receivers who joined during the offseason.

Penn State did not generate any explosive running plays against a Nevada defense that succeeded in slowing down the ground game. Kaytron Allen led the way with 43 yards on eight carries and a touchdown, while Nicholas Singleton finished with just 19 yards on eight carries. However, Singleton did add two rushing touchdowns and caught four passes for 37 yards.

Florida International used the transfer portal to revamp a defensive line that struggled to get pressure and stop the run in 2024. Dante Anderson and Lamont Green, both transfers from Florida State, should be upgrades in the trenches. Keegan Davis, who has NFL potential as an edge rusher, is looking to build on his 3.5 sacks from last season.

FIU ranked 16th nationally in pass defense in 2024 and returns a strong secondary. The Panthers bring back Brian Blades II and have added cornerback Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine from Arizona and safety Demetrius Hill from Illinois.

What to Expect for Penn State vs. FIU

With this matchup, expect a lot.

It definitely feels safe to anticipate a similar outcome to Week One for the Nittany Lions. Florida International should be about the same caliber as Nevada—just with a much better offense but a much worse defense.

Expect a similar offensive game plan from Penn State this week, allowing Allar to continue building chemistry with his new receiving corps. Week Two could be more about getting the ball to Devonte Ross, assuming he’s fully healthy and not on a limited snap count.

On defense, expect to see a continued rotation along the defensive line, giving players like Jaylen Harvey, Chaz Coleman, and Xavier Gilliam valuable experience—experience that will be crucial once the conference schedule kicks in.

Also expect the Nittany Lions to have another efficient outing—reaching the end zone six times and settling for just one field goal. Dom DeLuca once again showcases his big-play ability with a pick-six, sealing a 52–14 win for the Nittany Lions and moving them to 2–0 on the season.

You can catch the matchup on Big Ten Network, starting at noon