Box Score

• Final Game Statistics | Photo Gallery

Photo by Geoff Anderson Free safety Nick Turnbull outruns Louisiana-Monroe tight end Joey Trappey for a 73-yard fumble return for a touchdown in FIU's 31-29 Sun Belt Conference win Saturday afternoon in Monroe, La.

Louisiana-Monroe’s Ragan Walters missed a 35-yard field goal attempts with 12 seconds remaining in regulation and FIU (2-5, 1-3 SBC) came away with a 31-29 Sun Belt Conference road victory, Saturday night in Monroe, La.

League leading ULM (3-5, 3-1 SBC) began the game's final drive at its own 31-yard line with 2:06 to play and drove the ball down to the FIU 18. On a third-and-two situation, ULM head coach Charlie Weatherbie sent Walter in to attempt the game-winning field goal.

But Walters kick sailed wide right, preserving FIU’s first ever conference win and first victory over a I-A program.

FIU quarterback Josh Padrick completed 21-of-35 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns to help secure the victory. The FIU offensive threw several new wrinkles at UL Monroe including Padrick running for 38 yards on seven carries and working from the shotgun formation in the second half.

"We changed things up a bit and it worked out pretty much the way we hoped it would," said head coach Don Strock. "In the first half we ran our base offense and they prepared against that and made halftime adjustments accordingly. But then in the second half, we went into the shotgun and spread it out with four wide receivers. That caused them some problems. We scored a couple of quick touchdowns and got ourselves really ahead in the game. And we had other opportunities, as well. But this was a great win. Anytime you win on the road, against a conference opponent, it’s a big win. "

Indians quarterback Steven Jyles throw the ball 49 times, completing 32 passes for 384 yards, but the Golden Panthers defense withstood the challenge.

ULM cracked the scoreboard on its initial drive, going 80 yards on 13 plays, with Calvin Dawson going in from three yards out. But the PAT failed when Keyonvis Bouie recorded the program’s first-ever blocked attempt. Bouie, who last time out against Troy established a personal best with 18 tackles, outdid himself this week with 19 stops.

The Golden Panthers quickly responded, however, with an 80-yard drive of their own, aided by a roughing the passer penalty on a third-and-long situation and followed by a 21-yard hook-up from Padrick to Julius Eppinger. FIU tied the score on a 22-yard TD completion to Cory McKinney—his 40th consecutive game with a catch—and took the lead on Adam Moss’ PAT conversion.

Back came Jyles and the Indians offense, moving the ball down to the FIU 11 on a first-and-10 situation. But on the next play from scrimmage, FIU’s Alexander Bostic III stripped Dawson of the ball and it was recovered by Matt Castillo at the one, stopping the drive and preserving the FIU lead after one quarter.

Midway through the second quarter, FIU moved up 14-6 on a defensive score. On a ULM run up the middle, Kinsmon Lancaster had the ball knocked out of his hands by Kevin Akinbiyi. It sailed straight up in the air where it was grabbed by an opportunistic Nick Turnbull who raced 73 yards for a score.

Louisiana-Monroe closed to within 14-9 with 24 seconds remaining in the half on a 34-yard Walters’ field goal.

FIU took the opening kickoff of the second half and moved the ball 59 yards over 12 plays. The drive stalled at the ULM 32, but Moss’ 39-yard field goal put the Golden Panthers up 17-9 with 9:55 to go.

The Golden Panthers then led 24-9 thanks to another ULM turnover. A Jyles pass bounced off the hands of tight end Jeremy Hammock and into the arms of safety Chris Smith who returned the interception to the Indians 26.

On FIU’s second play from the 22, Padrick saw Chandler Williams out in the flats and fired a pass in his direction. ULM defensive back Quintez Secka went for the interception, but missed. Williams caught the ball and, with no one near him, ran untouched into the end zone for a touchdown.

UL Monroe ended the third quarter with a touchdown drive that was capped by a one-yard sneak by Jyles. Dawson set up the score with a 23-yard run on a first-and-20 from the FIU 26 and Jyles scored two plays later, which made the score, 24-16.

FIU, which hadn’t had a turnover all game after committing 20 over its first three Sun Belt games, coughed up the ball for the only time of the afternoon when Eppinger lost the ball after a short gain on a pass play at the FIU 30. ULM took immediate advantage when Jyles found Drouzon Quillen in the right far corner of the end zone on their first offensive play.

The Indians went for the tie with a two point conversion and missed on a Jyles incomplete pass. FIU was whistled off-sides, thus giving ULM a second chance but again, the attempt was denied when Jyles was stopped on a run over tackle.

Up now by only two, 24-22, Padrick engineered another drive, set up by a 41-yard kickoff return by Eppinger. On a second-and-goal from the 11, Padrick found Eppinger all alone in the back of the end zone for a 31-22 lead, but an unsportsmanlike excessive celebration penalty on the play would come back to haunt the Golden Panthers.

Kicking from back at the 20, instead of the normal 35, Moss’ kickoff was fielded by Kevin Payne who returned it all the way back to the FIU 28. Three plays later from the eight, Jyles called his own number for a running touchdown. The PAT brought ULM to within, 31-29, with 10:19 remaining in the game.

"I’m happy for the players," Strock said. "They went through a tough week last week with Hurricane Wilma. Some of them still don’t have electric. I’m proud of the way we played, but I’m not proud of the fact that we had five personal fouls and jumped off sides seven times. [The personal fouls] could have been very harmful at the end, but we hung in there and made the plays when wehad to."

The Golden Panthers play their final road game of the season next Saturday night at Louisiana-Lafayette in a game that will be televised live on Comcast Sports Southeast. The team then plays its final three games of the year at home beginning with the rescheduled Homecoming game on Saturday, Nov. 19 against Western Kentucky. For tickets and information, call toll free at (866) FIU-GAME or (305) 348-4263 in Miami-Dade County.

Game Notes: FIU played the game without starting tight end Samuel Smith who was suspended for a violation of team rules...Sophomore Mike Alvarez made his first intercollegiage start at left tackle and true freshman A'mod Ned started at running back...The Golden Panthers gained their first I-A victory in game No. 40 of its existance, in comparison, UCF did it in 41 games and Florida Atlantic in 23.