Florida International: 2026 Week 12 recap

Florida International sits at 4–5 after edging Missouri State 23–20 at home in Week 10, a win that temporarily steadied the ship but hasn't reversed the downward trend. The Panthers' rating dropped another point to −8.9 this week, pushing them to 104th nationally—a reflection of a red-zone TD rate of only 16% that captures their offensive inefficiency in scoring positions. With a third-down conversion rate of 33%, FIU is struggling to sustain drives when they matter most. GIE projects 5.6 expected wins for the season and assigns zero probability to either a conference title or playoff berth, signaling the mathematical elimination from contention. Next up is a road test at Delaware in Week 11—a chance to arrest the slide, though the Panthers will need sharper execution in the clutch.