This is the Depth Dossier: the Florida International Panthers, Week 9.

This one was decided before halftime. FIU fell 49 to 10 at Liberty, and it was actually worse than the score suggests, trailing 42 to 0 before a garbage time field goal and touchdown kept it off the shutout list.

Liberty built a 28 to 0 lead by the break and never let up, finishing with six rushing touchdowns. FIU's offense, meanwhile, managed just 34 net rushing yards on 23 carries. Quarterback JJ Kohl threw for 164 yards and a touchdown to wide receiver JoJo Stone late, but he spent the whole afternoon running for his life, taking four sacks for a loss of 40 yards and throwing an interception. Running back Devonte Lyons was the one bright spot on the ground, picking up 52 yards on 10 carries. FIU converted just two of ten third downs, and Liberty's defense controlled the game from the opening snap.

Here's how bad it really got up front. At halftime, FIU's rushing total was actually negative, minus-3 yards. For the whole game, the Panthers averaged just a yard and a half per carry. That's not bad luck, that's a line getting physically pushed around. With the run game dead, Kohl kept getting dropped into obvious passing downs against a pass rush that made him pay for it, four sacks, repeated hits, and a sideline evaluation in the second half that he ultimately played through.

Liberty's offense was close to perfect when it mattered, scoring on all seven of its trips into the red zone. Combine that with FIU converting only a fifth of its third downs and punting five times, and you get a field position and time of possession disaster that the late scores couldn't hide.

A few details help explain how it snowballed. Liberty's second quarter touchdown drive went 14 plays and 81 yards, long enough to wear down FIU's front seven, several of whom were rotating off the field afterward with fatigue and minor bumps and bruises. FIU's only takeaway came from defensive back Shamir Sterlin, who intercepted quarterback Deshawn Purdie and added seven tackles, a lone bright spot on a defense that otherwise had no answers. And kicker Robert Czeremcha's 38-yard field goal, capping a 14-play, 54-yard drive, was the only thing keeping FIU off the shutout list.

The loss also extends some ugly history. FIU is now zero and three all time at Liberty's stadium, and this was a third straight conference loss.

Now, let's get into what this means for the depth chart going forward. No one's been ruled out, but Kohl taking that pounding is the headline. Four sacks and constant pressure led to that second-half sideline look, and if the hits keep piling up, backup quarterback Zach Marker's role in designed rollout packages could become more than just a change of pace. It might become protection for Kohl himself.

The front seven's fatigue after that grinding Liberty touchdown drive is also worth watching, with Kyrie Samuel getting an increased rotation up front to keep legs fresher.

On offense, Lyons' workload is only going to grow. He was the only back doing anything against a stacked box, and he's now clearly the lead guy, with Anthony Carrie and Sterling Joseph reduced to rotational third-down duty behind him. Wide receiver McNeal remains Kohl's safety valve, racking up catches underneath even in a game where nothing else worked, and he's locked in as a perimeter starter alongside Maguire Anderson.

Up front, the offensive line is the real problem now. Thirty-four rushing yards and four sacks allowed demand a hard look at tackle depth and protection schemes before FIU can trust the run game again. On defense, Boykins and Floyd keep absorbing a heavy tackling load on the perimeter, a sign the back end is covering for a front seven that isn't getting it done on its own.

With three straight conference losses now, how that offensive line responds may matter more than any change at the skill positions going forward.

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