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The FIU Panthers go on the road to play the Liberty Flames on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be shown on CBSSN. FIU (2-3, 1-0 CUSA) is coming off a 17-10 win over Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on September 28 to snap their two-game losing streak, while Liberty (4-0, 2-0 CUSA) is coming off a 35-24 home win over East Carolina.
FIU vs Liberty: Preview
FIU is a 17-point road underdog while the over/under is set at 55.5 points.
The Panthers have struggled this season, but they managed to return to the win column in their last game. Wuarterback Keyone Jenkins led the team, throwing for 208 yards and a touchdown. Although Jenkins did get hurt after taking a hit, coach Mike MacIntyre assured that his quarterback is fine.
Running back Lexington Joseph contributed 73 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown. Notably, FIU's defense shone, shutting out LA Tech in the first half.
"They played really well," MacIntyre said of his defense, via SI. "We worked on some things we messed up on last week. We changed up a few things we were doing defensively to help us a little bit in that area and to disguise a little bit better pre-snap. The kids did an excellent job and the defensive coaching staff did a great job with them on that for sure."
This season, Jenkins has thrown for 1,104 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions. Eric Rivers is the Panthers' top receiver as he has recorded 19 receptions for 353 yards and three touchdowns.
On defense, the Panthers have been led by Travion Barnes who has 54 tackles, one interception and a sack. Keegan Davis leads the team with two sacks.
Liberty, meanwhile, is off to a 4-0 start and is coming off a canceled game against Appalachian State on September 28. The Flames haven't played since September 21, despite the time off, Liberty coach Jamey Chadwell says his team is ready for anything.
“Right now, because we haven’t played in forever, we’ll be ready for anything. We’ll play anytime. Because we went through it (last year), there’s obviously some new guys that haven’t, but it’s way easier this year than it was. Last year, we went from a Thursday to Tuesday. At least this year, it’s a week or more in between. So, it’s like a normal deal,” said Chadwell, via Yahoo.
Liberty has been led by quarterback Kaidon Salter who has thrown for 949 yards, seven touchdowns and an interception. Quinton Cooley has rushed for 371 yards and four touchdowns.
On defense, TJ Bush Jr. leads the team with 4.5 sacks, Dexter Ricks Jr. has two interceptions and Joseph Carter leads the team with 26 sacks.
Despite the layoff, Liberty should be able to cruise to a lopsided win here. The Flames defense is legit while FIU's offense has struggled at times this season.
Prediction: Liberty 37, FIU 14
FIU vs Liberty: Betting Tips
Tip 1: Liberty -17 (-108)
Tip 2: Under 55.5 (-112)
Tip 3: Lexington Joseph over 36 rushing yards (-120)
Tip 4: Eric Rivers over 60 receiving yards (-125)
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