Florida International Panthers vs UTSA Roadrunners Preview & Picks - 12/26/2025
Updated July 9, 2026
The 2025 First Responder Bowl will take place on Friday night as the Florida International Panthers take on the UTSA Roadrunners in Dallas. FIU rides a four-game winning streak into its first bowl appearance in six years, while UTSA seeks to finish strong an up-and-down campaign and secure its third consecutive bowl victory. Here, I break down this matchup in college football and give you my FIU vs UTSA prediction for this matchup in the Metroplex.
Pick: | Over 60.5 |
Confidence: | 4/5 |
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UTSA’s quarterback Owen McCown has been the key for the Roadrunners’ offense, throwing for 2,700 yards, with a 27 to 7 touchdown to interception ratio this season. He provides leadership and efficiency through the air but will need protection against a physical FIU front. FIU’s offensive picture has been more balanced, relying heavily on its rushing attack led by standout running back Kejon Owens. Owens has amassed 1,298 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns this season. FIU’s quarterback situation is clouded by late-season injury concerns, but both Keyone Jenkins and Joe Pesansky are expected to play in some capacity.
Score Projection: FIU 28 – UTSA 35
Win Probability: FIU 33%, UTSA 67%
I think we are going to get a high-scoring game above everything else in the First Responder Bowl. UTSA has its offensive weapons on the field and should be able to put up plenty of points, but the Roadrunners are likely to struggle on defense with so many starters out. I'll play the over with the expectation of an entertaining game on Friday night.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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