To reach the First Responder Bowl, both FIU and UTSA had to finish the 2025 regular season strong.
Expectations weren’t incredibly high this offseason for FIU (7-5), which is in its first season with Willie Simmons as the Panthers’ head coach. And they started the year 2-3 overall with wins against Bethune-Cookman and FAU and lopsided losses to Penn State, Delaware, and UConn.
But the Panthers started to make some improvements.
They defeated Western Kentucky, one of the favorites to win Conference USA this year, and then lost to eventual CUSA champion Kennesaw State and Missouri State, which earned a bowl berth this year.
And FIU hasn’t lost since. The Panthers won four consecutive games, two by double digits on the road against Middle Tennessee and Sam Houston and two narrowly at home against Liberty and Jacksonville State.
That wasn’t enough for FIU to make the CUSA title game, but maybe a bowl win would help the Panthers build some energy going into 2026.
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But they’ll face a UTSA (6-6) team that has won three of its last five games.
The Roadrunners started out with a loss against Texas A&M, which appeared in the College Football Playoff, and a seven-point defeat against rival Texas State. But they bounced back with victories over Incarnate Word and Colorado State.
UTSA lost three of its next five contests against Temple, North Texas, and South Florida, effectively taking the team out of American Conference Championship contention. But the Roadrunners did show during that stretch that they intended on remaining competitive by beating Rice and then pulling off a shocking 48-26 upset over Tulane, which won the American and also appeared in the CFP.
Then UTSA defeated Charlotte and East Carolina before losing 27-24 against Army to conclude the regular season. And that was enough for the Roadrunners to earn bowl-eligibility.
FIU vs. UTSA Betting Odds
UTSA is a -6.5 college football betting odds favorite against FIU, with the Over/Under being 61.5 as of this writing. The moneyline for FIU is +200, while it’s -250 for UTSA.
FIU vs. UTSA On TV
The matchup between FIU and UTSA will be televised on ESPN.
The game will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 26. The contest is taking place at Gerald J Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
FIU vs. UTSA Prediction
I predict UTSA will win and cover the 6.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Over 61.5 total points.
The Roadrunners rank 21st in the country in scoring offense with 33.8 points per game scored. They also are 35th in total offense with 413.6 yards per game gained.
UTSA quarterback Owen McCown has thrown for 2,700 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions on a 68% completion rate. Robert Henry Jr. leads the Roadrunners with 1,045 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. Devin McCuin (59 receptions for 653 yards and seven touchdowns), AJ Wilson (28 catches for 504 yards and four touchdowns), and David Amador II (45 receptions for 443 yards and four TDs) are UTSA’s leading receivers.
You never know how opt-outs and injuries could impact a bowl game, but I still expect the Roadrunners will put up plenty of points. FIU also isn’t bad offensively, ranking 41st in the country for total offense with 408.8 YPG.
But I don’t think the Panthers will be capable of keeping up with UTSA’s offense.
