College football is back, but more importantly, FIU football is back. Year 2 of the Willie Simmons era gets underway on Saturday, up the road in Tampa, when the Panthers take on first-year coach Brian Hartline and the South Florida Bulls.
These two teams matched up back in 2008, but that was an FIU home game. FIU last traveled to Tampa back in 2006. The Panthers dropped both of these contests. A win against the Bulls would be not only the first in program history, but for Simmons, he would move to 3-0 against Florida schools since arriving at FIU.
“A lot of competition throughout training camp, a lot of physicality, and now, it’s up to us to channel that the right way as we take on a tough opponent this week in South Florida, taking a trip up to Tampa,” Simmons said Tuesday. “Obviously, we’re underdogs, it’s going to be a great challenge for this football team to really establish our identity, who we are, and go give ourselves a chance to win a football game against a quality opponent.”
AT A GLANCE
FIU Panthers (0-0, 0-0 Conference USA) vs. South Florida Bulls (0-0, 0-0 American Conference)
Day: Saturday.
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa.
TV: ESPN+ (AJ Ricketts, play by play, Patrick Murray, analyst).
Radio: fiusports.com/watch (Corey Brooks, play by play, Jermon Bushrod, analyst).
Betting line: Bulls -13.5.
NEW COACH ON THE BLOCK
Former Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline was hired to take over for former Bulls coach Alex Golesh, who is now the coach at Auburn. Most football fans know Hartline for his six seasons with the Miami Dolphins, but his post-playing career has been highlighted by being one of the best recruiters and developers of wide receivers in the country.
Part of the preparation that goes into facing a first-year coach is not being able to watch film from last year’s USF team. The Bulls have 41% returning production headed into 2026, which is 119th in the country. Aside from the special teams coordinator returning, the Bulls also have a new offensive and defensive coordinator in 2026.
“Seeing what they’ll be offensively will be interesting,” Simmons said. “I know [defensive coordinator Jovan] Dewitt and his staff have a plan. On the defensive side, you have a guy that’s been a play caller, but has worked for play callers in the past. He’s bringing knowledge from his time as a play caller, his time at Auburn with DJ Durkin, one of the top play callers in the country. He spent some time in East Carolina, and they’ve had a very stout defense the last few years. … It’ll take the first few series for us to get a feel for who they are schematically. But hopefully, by then, we can figure them out pretty quickly.”
TAMPA’S ANTHONY CARRIE MAKES HIS HOMETOWN RETURN
Of the three players who are Tampa natives, FIU running back Anthony Carrie is expecting to have about 40-50 family and friends in the stands. Carrie attended Carrollwood Day High School, where, in his four prep seasons, he ran for 3,818 yards and 55 touchdowns.
“It definitely means something,” Carrie said. “That’s where I was born and raised. Everyone kind of knows me there. Made a name for myself all the way from Little League to high school, and then going to college. A lot of people will be excited to come and see me.”
Carrie will go into the season as the starting running back, but he will also be splitting reps with redshirt sophomore Devonte Lyons and redshirt freshman Sterling Joseph. The Georgia Tech transfer finished the 2025 season rushing for 469 yards and five touchdowns.
Departing the running back room from 2025 is Kejon Owens, who ran for more than 1,000 yards, and was the focal point of the offense. But Simmons says that “the KJ Owens chapter has officially closed.”
Carrie doesn’t think the added role and reps change how he has prepared.
“When I was the [backup] last year, playing reps with KJ, my preparation was still the same. My work ethic, intensity and daily attack to how I wake up and hit the ground running every single morning-that has always been the same,” he said. “There is no change in me being a starter now.”
INJURY UPDATES
Injury-wise, the Panthers are in a good spot. Tight end Kevin Schaffer and safety Demetrius Hill are the two primary names who will be out on Saturday. Outside of that, any players who had offseason surgery, like offensive lineman Miguel Cedeno, will also be out to begin the season.
SCOUTING THE BULLS
The Bulls are coming off a 9-4 season, where at the end of the campaign, Golesh departed for the SEC. Hartline, less than two years removed from helping to lead the Buckeyes to the national championship, was quickly hired to take over.
LSU transfer Michael Van Buren will start at quarterback for the Bulls. In seven games with the Tigers in 2025, he completed 94 passes for 1,010 yards and eight touchdowns. In 17 career appearances, with 12 starts, he has thrown for 2,896 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Hartline, well known for developing wide receivers, brought in eight transfers at that position. Of those, seven of them came from power conference schools. The lone Group of Six transfer is UTEP’s Kenny Odom, who was named 2025 All-Conference USA Second Team. Ohio State transfer Bryson Rodgers also comes to South Florida with Hartline.
Defensively, safety Ayden Jackson is a transfer from Georgia Southern who played in 13 games and started nine. Asani Redwood, a defensive line transfer from West Virginia, is another name to keep an eye out for. Ohio State transfer C.J. Hicks comes to South Florida with plenty of experience, playing in 44 career games for the Buckeyes. He posted 42 total tackles, with 21 solo, four tackles for loss and two sacks.
