Box Score

• Final Game Statistics

  photo by Geoff Anderson FIU quarterback Josh Padrick, receiving supurb protection from his offensive line, completed 24-of-48 passes for a school record 370 yards against the No. 13-ranked team in the country, Georgia Southern.

 

In a game that featured 1,005 combined offensive yards, Georgia Southern quarterback Trey Hunter hit wide receiver Teddy Craft with a 33-yard pass with 2:33 remaining giving the No. 13-ranked Eagles (3-2) a 37-35 come-from-behind victory over FIU, Saturday afternoon in Statesboro, Ga.

The Golden Panthers (0-5), who have never won on the road and entered the game 0-4 against ranked opponents, trailed 28-7 with two minutes remaining in the first half before rallying to tie it 28-28 with 4:12 left in the third quarter on an Adam Gorman 1-yard run, his second touchdown of the game.

After Georgia Southern regained the lead, 31-28, on a 26-yard field goal, FIU grabbed its first lead of the 2003 season with 4:39 to play when Harold Leath hauled in Josh Padrick's perfectly thrown ball on the 35-yard line and waltzed untouched into the end zone completing a 60-yard play for a 35-31 lead.

Leath had eight catches for 192 yards—the most yards ever for an FIU receiver, surpassing his own record of 141 yards set last season at Elon.

Padrick completed 24 of 48 passes for 370 yards (another FIU game record) and three touchdowns, and FIU had 461 yards total offense including 39 rushing by tailback Rashod Smith, which enabled him to become the first Golden Panther to rush for 1,000 yards in a career. He now has 1,008.

The Eagles led the nation in rushing last year, and they ran for season-best 394 against the Golden Panthers, but Hunter completed 5 of 8 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns to key the victory.

Fullback Jermaine Austin led Georgia Southern as he carried the ball 33 times for a career-high 207 yards and pushed his career total to 2,133.

Georgia Southern scored in its first two possessions with Kevin Davis scoring on a 39-yard pass from Hunter and Craft running 15 yards on a reverse.

After Cory McKinney scored on a three-yard pass from David Tabor for FIU’s first score, Georgia Southern got touchdowns from Hunter and Austin on three-yard runs. Then, FIU, going to a “four-minute offense,” gained some momentum when they went 76 yards in only five plays with 46 seconds remaining the half. Gorman got the touchdown on an 11-yard pass from Padrick.

Chandler Williams scored on a 30-yard reception and Gorman ran in from the one to tie the game before Sean Holland kicked a 26 yard field goal to break the scoring drought for the Eagles with 5:36 left in the game

The Golden Panthers, who had a chance to go ahead earlier only to have a field goal blocked after a bad snap, rallied one last time to go up on Leath's catch. The Eagles, however, rallied behind the play of Hunter who was making his first college start, playing in place of starter Chaz Williams who had knee surgery this week.

Southern went 65 yards on five plays. Austin had a 17-yard run before Hunter hit Craft at the 10 where he split two defenders to score untouched.

“We played hard. Some of the guys played nicked up and hurt, but we’re playing an away game in somebody else’s stadium. I tip my hat to them. I’m proud of them,” said FIU head coach Don Strock. “We played hard in a hostile situation against a team that has played for a lot of national championships and we had a legitimate chance at winning the football game. But we’re not sound enough in all areas.

“Tonight was bittersweet,” he said. “We feel we should have won this football game. I know everybody in that locker room does, including me. We let it get away and we’re just letting too many get away.”

The Golden Panther must now regroup in a hurry as FIU hosts Stephen F. Austin next Thursday, Oct. 9 in a game that will be televised live around the states of Florida and Texas on Sunshine Network and FoxSports Southwest.

“I don’t think we’ll have much of a problem getting up for that game,” said Strock. “They know it’s getting closer. I think they’ll be itching to go Thursday night.”

For tickets and information, call (305) 348-4263 in Miami-Dade, (866) FIU-GAME toll free or visit www.fiusports.com.