Box Score

Photo by Geoff Anderson Adam Gorman crosses the goal line for his team-leading sixth touchdown of the season. The Golden Panthers would remain winless on the road, falling to Louisiana-Lafayette, 43-10.

• Final Game Statistics

Louisiana-Lafayette put up 36 first-half points then cruised to a 43-10 home victory that put an end to FIU’s modest two-game winning streak.

The Golden Panthers (2-8), still winless on the road, got 99 rushing yards from Adam Gorman who just missed becoming the first FIU runner ever to put up three consecutive 100-yard performances. Quarterback Josh Padrick completed 19-of-41 passes for 211 yards, six of those to wide receiver Cory McKinney, who also ran for 28 yards on a pair of end around.

Louisiana (3-8) won its third straight home game, accomplishing the feat for the first time since 1995, and the 43 points were the most scored in two seasons under the reign of head coach Rickey Bustle.

ULL took the opening kickoff 79 yards on 16 plays for a 7-0 advantage, 5:46 seconds into the game. The drive appeared over early when, on a third and 10 from the ULL 32, FIU defensive end Damian Haye knocked down a Jerry Babb pass at the line of scrimmage. But FIU was whistled offsides and Louisiana kept possession. Twelve plays later, it was Chester Johnson running for a touchdown from eight years out--the longest rush for a touchdown this season for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Louisiana made it 13-0 on another sustained drive. Starting on their own 46, the Cajuns took 10 plays and scored when Babb called his own number on an eight-yard run. On that drive, ULL wide receiver Fred Stamps caught a 20-yard pass, marking 43 consecutive games with at least one reception and just four games shy of the NCAA mark.

Louisiana-Lafayette kept the Golden Panthers bottled up for the entire first quarter. It wasn’t until a Gorman 19-yard run on the first drive of the second quarter that FIU recorded a first down. The Golden Panthers then moved the ball down to the ULL 17 yard line. On a fourth and seven from that point, Adam Moss’ 34-yard field sailed wide right ending that threat.

But FIU got back into the contest when Nick Turnbull intercepted a Babb pass and returned it 33 yards to the Louisiana 37-yard line. After a pair of incomplete passes, Gorman rambled for 11 yards to the 26, then broke tackles around the right side and raced untouched into the end zone, bringing FIU to within 13-7.

Photo by Geoff Anderson FIU quarterback Josh Padrick is sacked by the Louisiana-Lafayette defense during Saturday's 43-10 loss.

But the good feeling quickly vanished. After holding ULL on downs and forcing a punt, FIU fumbled the handoff on its first play from scrimmage, which was recovered by the Cajuns at the 17-yard line. Babb found Bill Sampy for a 15-yard pickup to the two, and then Dwight Lincoln punched it in on his second attempt. A two-point conversation made it 21-7 with 4:20 remaining in the half, and Louisiana wasn’t finished.

After holding FIU to three-and-out, ULL took over at its own six. Babb completed four straight passes to the Louisiana 43 before Sampy dropped what would have been a fifth-consecutive completion. But the wide receiver more than made up for it on the next play, catching a Babb pass over his shoulder in full stride for a 40-yard gain. Josh Harrison scored from one yard out with 34 seconds remaining for a 28-7 lead.

FIU tried one last time to score before the half after a Padrick-to-Gorman pass gave the Golden Panthers a first down at the ULL 36. With less than a second to play, Moss attempted a 53-yard field goal that was blocked, picked up by Antwain Spann and returned 44 yards for a touchdown.

Louisiana punctuated the half by succeeding on a two-point conversion and took a 36-7 lead into the intermission.

Moss accounted for the only scoring of the third quarter when he hit on a 37-yard field goal. The sophomore kicker ended the game converting one-of-four field goal attempts.

ULL concluded the scoring in the fourth quarter when Harrison culminated a seven-play, 46-yard drive with a 23-yard touchdown run.

Babb proved to be the main offensive weapon for Louisiana. The redshirt freshman, who is now 3-1 since taking over the starting chores last month, completed 21-of-36 passes for 207 yards and rushed for another 47 yards on seven carries.

"The guys played hard," FIU head coach Don Strock said after the game. "They play hard every game; they don't play smart all the time, and they don't play with discipline." On the game, the Golden Panthers were whistled for 13 penalties amounting to 96 yards.

Injuries also played a role in the story for FIU as offensive guard Ed Wenger suffered a right ankle sprain and defensive tackle Brandon Higdon left the game with a left hamstring strain. Even more damaging was that running back Diamos Demerritt, who enjoyed his first 100-yard rushing game as a Golden Panther last week versus Jacksonville, failed to make the trip to Lafayette after suffering what team doctors described as a sinus infection.

The Golden Panthers play one last road game next weekend at Gardner-Webb before returning to FIU Stadium for the season finale against No. 15 Florida Atlantic on Saturday, Nov. 22. Call the FIU Ticket Office at (305) FIU-GAME in Miami-Dade, toll free at (866) 348-4263 or on the Internet at fiusports.com.