The Florida International Golden Panthers head to Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium to square off against the Massachusetts Minutemen this week. The game kicks off Saturday, Oct 3 at 3:00 p.m. ET and will be shown on ESP3.
In last week’s matchup, Massachusetts got blown out by Notre Dame 62-27. Marquis Young had a huge game running the ball in the loss, rushing five times for 103 yards and one TD. Shakur Nesmith had a great game as well, adding 88 receiving yards and a TD on three catches. FIU fell to Louisiana Tech 27-17 in its matchup. Alex McGough had a great game through the air for the Golden Panthers, connecting on 29 of 44 pass attempts for 263 yards and two TDs.
The odds between the Minutemen and the Golden Panthers are even this week, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available.
Sitting at 0-3 Straight Up (SU) and 1-2 Against The Spread (ATS), the Minutemen will look to improve heading into Week 5. A focal point of Massachusetts’s offense is its passing game, which ranks 21st in the country with 315 passing yards per game. In the second quarter, Massachusetts is a tough test, putting up 12.7 points during the second frame. Massachusetts’s special teams squad is a force to be reckoned with. They average 120.7 return yards per game, 25th in Division I.
In the other locker room, the Golden Panthers head into Week 5 with records of 3-1 ATS and 2-2 SU. Passing the ball is important for the Golden Panthers. They attempt 41.2 throwing plays per game. Moving on to the FIU defense, there are certain areas where it measures up well against the Minutemen. The front seven for the Golden Panthers will be looking to shut down the weak rushing attack of the Minutemen, which ranks 113th in the nation with an average of 113.3 rushing yards per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Florida International, ATS Winner – Florida International
Notes
Massachusetts is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
Massachusetts is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Massachusetts’s last 14 games.
FIU is 1-1 SU when leading at the half this season.
Nationally, the Massachusetts passing attack is ranked 21st, while the FIU pass defense is only ranked 71st. The Golden Panthers passing game is ranked 40th, compared to the 95th-ranked pass defense of the Minutemen.