The FIU Panthers and UConn Huskies clash Saturday in a week 6 college football contest from FIU Stadium. UConn just finished up against Fresno State. In that matchup the Huskies took a five-point victory. As for FIU, they took on New Mexico State in their last outing. The Panthers won that game by 14 points. Check back all season long for free college football picks at Sports Chat Place.
UConn’s year started off with a 31-20 loss to Utah State, then a 28-3 blowout win over Central CT State. The Huskies would then hit a string of tough matchups. UConn lost to Syracuse 48-14, Michigan 59-0 and NC State 41-10 over the next three.
In the Fresno State game, the Huskies scored points in every quarter on the way to a tight 19-14 win. QB Zion Turner finished with 130 yards and a touchdown, and Devontae Houston put up 105 yards and a score on 23 carries.
Over on the Panthers’ side, they played a tight opener versus Bryant and emerged victorious 38-37 in overtime. FIU took their first loss of the year 41-12 to Texas State, then fell again to Western Kentucky in a rough 73-0 result.
Matched up against New Mexico State, the Panthers scored all their points in the first half and hung on for the 21-7 win. QB Grayson James logged 175 yards and three touchdowns, while Lexington Joseph rushed for 80 yards on 14 carries.
PICK: I’m probably staying FIU. You could make a good case either way in this one, though. FIU managed 334 yards of offense and 20 first downs in the win over New Mexico State. The Panthers took good care of the ball with zero turnovers and did a nice job on defense with just 221 yards allowed.
As for UConn, they played pretty well against Fresno state themselves with 313 yards and 20 first downs on offense. The Huskies benefitted from a trio of turnovers and an inept Fresno State offense, though (0-for-9 on third and fourth downs); this should be a slightly tougher matchup.