Box Score

Photo by Geoff Anderson Tight end Samuel Smith makes one of his six receptions on the day against Louisiana-Monroe in front of a Homecoming crowd. The Indians erased a 17-point defecit with 21 unanswered points in a 28-20 victory over FIU.

Quarterback Steven Jyles completed 25 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another 45 yards and a score, as Louisiana-Monroe (2-4) erased a 17-point deficit and posted a 28-20 Homecoming victory over FIU (2-2), Saturday afternoon in Monroe, Louisiana.

The Indians won their second-straight game for only the first time since the 1999 season and it was their seventh Homecoming decision over the last nine years.

FIU signal-caller Josh Padrick finished the contest completing 25-of-48 pass attempts, but only 4-of-11 in the final period as the Golden Panthers lost their second game of the season to a Sun Belt Conference, Division I-A program.

Rashod Smith was the leading ground gainer for the Golden Panthers with 60 yards on 17 carries while Samuel Smith, Harold Leath and Cory McKinney each had six receptions to lead FIU.

"We made some plays in the first half, but obviously, we didn't make any in the second," said FIU head coach Don Strock. "Hats off to them. They played very well in the second half and won the football game. We had opportunities, but we're not taking care of the little things right now and those were the things that really hurt us."

FIU led 17-0 late in the second quarter before Jyles began to take advantage of an FIU secondary that had been thinned by injuries. Starting corner back Greg Moss did not play due to a right hamstring pull and his understudy, senior Kevin Timothee was slowed by a knee injury. That meant that true freshmen backs like Marshall McDuffie, Barry Pinder and Lionell Singleton got extended playing time.

With ULM clinging to a 21-20 advantage with less than five minutes to play in the game, the Indians' Chaz Williams sacked Padrick at the FIU 15-yard line. Padrick fumbled and Williams scooped up the ball and raced into the end zone for a 28-20 lead and the final margin of victory.

The Golden Panthers defense scored the first points of the game. On ULM's first offensive possession, FIU stuffed three-straight runs and the Indians were forced to punt from their own 11. But John Haritan blocked Joel Stelly's punt at the one-yard line and recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown--the first block of a punt for a score in FIU football history.

"The hole opened up and I ran up the middle and just laid out for it and blocked it. When I opened my eyes, there was the ball right there in front of me. I just grabbed it for the score," said Haritan.

The ULM offense sputtered again but on a fourth and one play, Stelly faked the punt and picked up 24 yards for a first down, but on the play, Julius Eppinger tackled him hard. But once again, the Indians offense was shut down. Stelly, who ranked fourth in the nation in punting average coming in, apparently still felt the ill effects of the previous hit a squibbed a 15-yard kick.

FIU started again from its own 25-yard line and jumped out to a 14-0 lead on a scoring drive that went 75 yards in six plays, set up by a 32-yard over-the-shoulder pass reception from Padrick to Leath that gave the Golden Panthers a first-and-goal from the seven. Three plays later, Padrick found Adam Gorman on a one-yard pass for the touchdown.

FIU expanded the lead to 17-0 with 6:14 to play in the second quarter on a 44-yard field goal by Adam Moss.

ULM cracked the scoreboard with 1:08 remaining in the half when Jyles engineered a 14-play, 80-yard drive that ate up 5:09 of the clock, calling his own number on a 16-yard scoring run. FIU led at the intermission, 17-7.

The Indians didn't take long to make the score 17-14 when Jyles hit Drouzon Quillen for a 76-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second half.

"That was a pass completion that should never have happened," said Strock. "We were in a coverage where that pass should have been covered. But we don't make the play and they did. That's how you win football games."

ULM had a chance to score again when a Padrick pass was picked off by safety Travin Moore and returned to the FIU 22-yard line. But the Golden Panthers defense held as a 41-yard field goal attempt by Ragan Walters sailed wide left.

But the Indians kept the pressure on Padrick and the FIU offense sputtered. ULM got the ball back and took its first lead of the afternoon on a seven-play, 64-yard drive that included a 30-yard completion by Jyles to Jason Demi for 30 yards and an 18-yard pass-and-catch from Jyles to Floyd Smith. With 21 unanswered points, ULM took a 21-17 lead with 5:10 to play in the third quarter.

The Golden Panthers finally snapped their scoring drought on another Moss field goal, this one from 42 yards--his fifth consecutive conversion of the season. After a pair of incomplete pass began the drive, Padrick moved the team down to the ULM 20. But a false start penalty against the offensive line on a third-and-three play helped stall the drive before Moss' successful kick. FIU trailed by one, 21-20, at the end of three quarters.

"We didn't see anything from their defense that was unexpected," said Padrick. "They did a few unconventional things here and there but they played just basic defense and they made plays when they needed them and we didn't."

The Golden Panthers return to FIU Stadium next Saturday for a date against McNeese State (2-4), a 47-17 loser at Northwestern State.

Following next Saturday's game will be the rescheduled postgame concert featuring Method Man and Redman. For tickets, call the Pharmed Arena Ticket Office toll free at (866) FIU-GAME or order online at www.fiusports.com.