FIU vs. Penn State Picks and Prediction, Saturday, September 6, 2025
In this FIU at Penn State prediction, the Panthers head into Happy Valley to take on the Nittany Lions in this week 2 non-conference matchup. FIU, out of Conference USA, comes into this matchup with a 1-0 record. The 2nd-ranked Nittany Lions, from the Big Ten Conference, are also 1-0 after an easy win over Nevada in week one. The opening kick is scheduled for 12:00 pm EST. Don’t get sacked this football season! Try our College Football Picks!
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Fast start for FIU
The FIU Panthers got their season off on the right foot with a 42-9 home win over Bethune-Cookman in week one on Friday night. The Panthers jumped out to a 28-6 lead at the half and cruised to an opening night win. The win was the first for new head coach Willie Simmons as an FBS head coach.
"You look at the stat sheet, a lot of guys touched the ball and they've earned the right to do that, to get in the game and make plays," said Simmons. "We have a couple of plays on our call sheet where we can directly get the ball to somebody, but for the most part, we're just calling plays and whoever is open, it's nice job to find an open guy."
The Panthers dominated on the ground, rushing for six touchdowns in the contest. Kejon Owens led the way with 71 yards and two touchdowns. Devonte Lyons added 54 yards and a score, and Anthony Carrie chipped in with 49 yards rushing and a touchdown of his own. Quarterback Keyone Jenkins finished 18-of-30 for 187 yards passing, and receiver Eric Nelson finished with 47 yards receiving. Overall, the team had 456 yards of total offense.
Defensively, the Panthers held Bethune-Cookman to 346 total yards, including just 105 yards rushing. They had two sacks in the game, including the first career sack for Kenton Simmons. FIU did not force any turnovers in the contest and denied two of five red zone scoring attempts by Bethune-Cookman. The win was the team’s first opening game victory since 2022.
Key Injuries: WR Juju Lewis is questionable
Penn State looks for two straight
The Penn State Nittany Lions took care of business in week one, rolling over visiting Nevada in a 46-11 blowout win. The 2nd-ranked Nittany Lions continue a light non-conference schedule this week, welcoming in FIU to Happy Valley in their second of three non-conference tilts before conference play.
"Overall, I was pleased. I thought we came out and played the way we were supposed to play. Obviously, we got a ton of things that we still need to get cleaned up. The reps that we were able to get late in the game for our twos and threes, I think are really valuable. It obviously was not perfect, but it'll serve us well as this season goes on and allow those guys to get coached off the two. But overall, I thought we played the way we were supposed to play.” head coach James Franklin said after the win.
The Nittany Lions racked up 438 yards of total offense in the one-sided victory. Quarterback Drew Allar, back for his final season, threw for 217 yards and a touchdown before coming out of the game. Wideouts Trebor Pena and Kyron Hudson finished with a combined 217 yards receiving. That included a 31-yard touchdown catch to Hudson. The Penn State star running back duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen were relatively quiet, but did combine for three rushing touchdowns. Penn State went a perfect seven-for-seven in the red zone offensively.
The Nittany Lions’ defense held Nevada to 203 yards of total offense, including just 78 yards on the ground. Edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton forced two fumbles and had a sack. Zane Durant had his first career interception, and linebacker Amare Campbell led the team with six tackles in the game. The Wolf Pack also threw for just 125 yards against Penn State. Overall, Penn State finished with a +1 in the turnover department.
Key Injuries: WR Peter Gonzalez and QB Bekkem Kritza are out. WR Josiah Brown and WR Kaden Saunders are out.
FIU vs. Penn State Pick
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Earle Sports Bets | +2,298.00 |
| 2 |  Ross Benjamin | +1,840.00 |
| 3 |  Rob Vincilleti | +1,757.00 |
| 4 |  David Hess | +1,745.00 |
| 5 |  Dan Kaiser | +987.00 |
Spread Pick for FIU vs. Penn State
- Penn State -41.5 (4 units)
The Nittany Lions warmed up with a 35-point win over Nevada in week one. This week, they face an FIU team that just picked apart a vastly inferior Bethune-Cookman team. The Nittany Lions will unveil their vaunted ground attack this week after a light workload in week one. They ran for just 135 yards in the win over Nevada, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. Don’t expect that to repeat itself in week two. Once the Penn State ground game is established, the play-action possibilities will be limitless for Aller and company. FIU has to be moderately concerned after allowing Bethune-Cookman to throw for 241 yards in week one. Don’t fear the spread in this game. Penn State has firepower on both sides of the line of scrimmage. They’ll post big numbers offensively and limit FIU on the offensive end.
Take the Nittany Lions -41.5
Over/Under Pick for FIU vs. Penn State
- Under 54.5 (4 units)
Don’t be shocked if the Lions pitch a shutout in week two against FIU. They allowed just two scores to Nevada in week one, shutting out the Wolf Pack in two of the four quarters. Penn State can dominate time of possession thanks to its dynamic duo at running back, and I expect to see more of its ground game this week. It is one thing for FIU to pound the ball to the tune of 223 yards against Bethune-Cookman, but it is completely another thing to expect them to even remotely get near that number against Penn State.
Take the under.
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