Western Kentucky dressed for success. The Hilltoppers unveiled one of college football’s most unique alternate helmets prior to the game, depicting their iconic mascot Big Red performing the “Zombieland” celebration that originated and became a popular trend among WKU players.
With bowl eligibility on the line in a nationally televised Tuesday night Conference USA matchup, the Hilltoppers certainly looked good in their all-black getup. But the opportunities to perform the Zombieland celebration themselves
were limited, as FIU stunned WKU in a 25-6 defensive-driven upset.
The Panthers entered the matchup as 9.5-point underdogs, fresh off 38-16 and 51-10 defeats to Delaware and UConn, respectively. After nine entire days rested, the defense looked fresher than ever before, pummeling a WKU team that fielded the nation’s 14th-best passing offense prior to Tuesday night. Quarterback Maverick McIvor had been the model of efficiency with 284 passing yards per game, 12 touchdowns, and two interceptions across six contests. However, the FIU secondary forced him to a 20-of-31 outing with 159 yards, zero touchdowns, and three interceptions, and the Hilltoppers never entered the end zone once in their home stadium.
Cornerback Mister Clark was the star of the show for FIU. The sophomore flew to the ball every time McIvor targeted a receiver in his general vicinity. Clark recorded three pass breakups and logged the first of three FIU interceptions, setting the tone by snatching the ball at his own 2-yard line in the early first quarter. True freshman free safety Jessiah McGrew later got involved, securing interceptions in the second and fourth quarters and accruing 39 return yards off the takeaways. The Panthers commandingly won the turnover battle 3-0, and the defense produced three takeaways in both FBS wins this year — mirroring the Week 3 effort against Florida Atlantic.
The offense capitalized on the defense’s success as sixth-year running back Kejon Owens reset his career-high with 195 rushing yards. Immediately after Clark’s first interception, Owens flipped the field with an 84-yard sprint deep into WKU territory. That was his only explosive carry of the night, but the longtime FIU tailback consistently churned out 6-10 yard pickups, scoring what virtually was a game-sealing touchdown with 2:03 remaining in the third quarter — the final points of the night.
Quarterback Keyone Jenkins also enjoyed an efficient performance, completing 17-of-25 passes for 184 yards and delivering a second quarter touchdown strike to tight end Jackson Verdugo — the first of the freshman’s collegiate career. Jenkins was briefly knocked out of the game with an upper-body injury, thrusting Joe Pesansky into the lineup in the late second quarter. However, Jenkins returned to the contest after halftime to secure the wire-to-wire win for the Panthers.
All WKU managed was a pair of field goals — a 28-yarder from John Cannon and a 55-yarder by Jack Cassidy to conclude the first half. It marked the first time WKU failed to reach the end zone since the 2024 opener at Alabama, and in a conference game, since Nov. 7, 2020 at Florida Atlantic. The Hilltoppers were out-gained 453-341 as FIU prevented an FBS opponent from scoring a touchdown for the first time since 2019 vs. UMass.
WKU (5-2, 3-1 CUSA) drops its first conference matchup of the year, leaving Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State as the only undefeated teams in CUSA play at the conclusion of Tuesday night. The Hilltoppers look to rebound the following Tuesday, Oct. 21, on the road at longtime conference rival Louisiana Tech.
FIU (3-3, 1-1 CUSA) is back to .500 in the overall and conference standings after snapping a 2-game losing skid. The Panthers look for more Tuesday night magic next week as Kennesaw State travels to Pitbull Stadium for a matchup in the 305.
