Late-night FIU football game features intriguing quarterback matchup

Crank out the café Cubano.

Take an afternoon nap.

Chug an energy drink if that’s your thing.

All of these may be appropriate bits of advice for FIU football fans on Wednesday when the Panthers (3-2 overall, 0-2 Conference USA) visit the New Mexico State Aggies (2-3, 0-1) for a 9 p.m. (EST) kickoff. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

FIU is one win away from matching last year’s victory total. Whether the Panthers get there this Wednesday or not will be interesting because the Aggies have a losing history but a winning coach and quarterback.

The Panthers are expected to get starting center John Bock II back on Wednesday. He has been out due to thumb surgery.

New Mexico State football dates all the way back to 1893, and even though they had a 109-year head start on FIU, the Panthers have played in one more bowl game than the Aggies (5-4).

The Aggies, who are coached by former University of Minnesota head man Jerry Kill, are in their sixth different league after playing in the Border; Missouri Valley; Big West; Sun Belt; Western Athletic; and, as of this year, Conference USA.

From 1968 to 2022, the Aggies had 10 coaches – and all of them compiled losing records while at New Mexico State. At least Doug Martin – the coach before Kill – accomplished a noteworthy feat, taking the Aggies to their first bowl game in 57 years.

Kill, who took Minnesota to three bowl games in his four full years at that school before resigning due to health issues, is off to a good start with the Aggies. He went 7-6 last year – just the Aggies’ sixth winning season since 1967. He also led the Aggies to a 24-19 bowl-game win over Bowling Green.

This year, the Aggies’ best win so far has been a 27-17 road victory over rival New Mexico. The Aggies lost 41-30 to Massachusetts; 33-17 at Liberty; and 20-17 at Hawaii.

The loss at Honolulu was particularly tough because the Aggies blew a 14-point, third-quarter lead. In fact, the only time the Aggies trailed was on the game’s final play – a 24-yard field goal as the clock expired.

As for the loss to Liberty, it is noteworthy that the Flames beat FIU by a wider margin, 38-6, earlier this season.

The Aggies’ biggest star is quarterback Diego Pavia, a New Mexico native. Pavia dominated in the junior-college ranks, leading New Mexico Military Institute to the 2021 national championship. It was NMMI’s first national title, and they beat top-ranked and previously unbeaten Iowa Western, 31-13, in the final.

Pavia passed for 31 TD passes and just four interceptions that season, and he led NMMI to a 12-1 record.

As for the New Mexico State defense, linebacker Keyshaun Elliot leads the Aggies in tackles and stops for losses. Nickel back Andre Seldon, who started his career at the University of Michigan, leads the Aggies’ secondary.

But the biggest concern for FIU has to be Pavia, a dual-threat QB who was named a preseason second-team All-Conference USA selection this year.

Pavia, who got no Division I scholarship offers out of high school and next-to-nothing even after winning the junior-college national championship, had a big debut season in 2022. He passed for three TDs and ran for three more in a huge 49-14 upset win over Liberty. Then, he was named the Quick Lane Bowl MVP after he helped the Aggies beat Bowling Green, 24-19.

“I want to surround myself with winners,” Kill said when asked about Pavia. “Winning is a habit, and Diego is used to winning.

“That’s important, and Diego finds a way to win.”

Pavia sounds a lot like FIU true freshman quarterback Keyone Jenkins, who has won 29 of his past 30 starts, including 3-1 at the college level.

Jenkins is listed at 5-11 and 190 pounds. Pavia is listed at 6-0 and 200 pounds.

Pavia leads the Aggies in yardage, both passing (1,073 yards, 11.1 per attempt) and rushing (268 yards, 5.5 per carry).

“He makes plays with his feet,” FIU coach Mike MacIntyre said of Pavia.

From last season to this year, Pavia’s completion rate us up (from 53.2 to 63.9). He has also improved his yards-per-attempt metrics.

“He’s got a little chip on his shoulders,” Kill said of Pavia. “He tells me, ‘Nobody thinks I can do this, but any quarterback you bring in, I’m going to beat him out anyway’.”

THIS AND THAT

▪ FIU wide receiver Kris Mitchell leads C-USA with 91.6 reception yards per game.

▪ Jenkins ranks second in C-USA in passing yards per game (250.0). Pavia ranks fifth (214.6).

▪ FIU middle linebacker Donovan Manuel ranks third in C-USA with 10.8 tackles per game. His 1.40 tackles for losses per game ranks second.

▪ FIU running back Shomari “Showtime” Lawrence ranks fifth in C-USA with 62.4 rushing yards per game.

▪ MacIntyre announced that former walk-on Ming Tjon has been placed on scholarship. Tjon is FIU’s backup center.