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MIAMI - It was déjà vu all over again as FIU and FAU headed into the fourth quarter of the Shula Bowl tied after 45 minutes of play. However, unlike last season, FIU could not match FAU's offensive output in the fourth quarter, and the Golden Panthers fell short, 28-21, on Saturday night.

The game proved to be just as eventful as last season's storied overtime battle. FIU (3-9, 3-5) faked a punt in the third quarter on fourth down to tie the score at 14. The Golden Panthers scored with 57 seconds remaining to trail by seven points but after two penalties forced FIU to re-kick twice, the Owls (4-7, 4-3) recovered FIU's onside kick attempt, sealing the game.

FIU linebacker Scott Bryant broke the record for most career tackles in school history at 7:25 to go in the third quarter in a memorable way. He sacked quarterback Jeff Van Camp at the FAU 47-yard line, recording his 300th tackle to jump Keyonvis Bovie in the record books.

Senior Paul McCall finished his career by throwing 20-32 for 240 yards and one touchdown. Senior running back Daunte Owens finished the night as FIU's leading rusher with 21 carries for 86 yards and two touchdowns.

"This program has taken huge steps (since McCall arrived)," McCall said. "The fact that guys expect to win. And it doesn't show in the results as often as we'd like but if you get caught up looking at end results you're missing the big picture."

In the first quarter, the Owls moved into the red zone when Van Camp connected with Jason Harmon for a 25 yard gain to FIU's 13 yard line. The duo paired up again for a 9-yard touchdown with 5:30 remaining in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead.

FAU drove downfield and closed out the first quarter with an Alfred Morris 5-yard rush, bringing up a second and goal situation. Eight seconds into the second quarter, Van Camp found Morris for an 8-yard touchdown, 14-0.

On FIU's next drive, Owens put together a pair of rushes for 28 yards and Jonathan Faucher caught a 15-yard reception that brought the Panthers to the FAU 27 yard line.

McCall then hit T.Y. Hilton with a 14-yard pass before defensive lineman Dino Cox was flagged for a roughing the passer penalty, bumping FIU to the four-yard line. Owens rushed it into the end zone with 11:21 remaining, 14-7.

The Owls moved into FIU territory when Willie Rose rushed 14 yards to the 42 yard line, but the Golden Panthers appeared to come up with a huge play when freshman Tourek Williams sacked Van Camp for a loss of 10 and forced the quarterback to fumble.

The play immediately went under review, and the officials deemed that Van Camp threw an incomplete pass, giving the ball back to the Owls, who continued their drive to the 34 yard line. On fourth and 12, Ross Gornall attempted a 50-yard field goal, but Williams blocked the kick for the second time this season.  With the defensive stop, the score remained 14-7 at halftime.

Bryant's record-breaking tackle with 7:25 to go in the third brought up 3rd and 18 for FAU. The Owls failed to earn a first down and FIU regained the ball at their own six yard line.

McCall hit Greg Ellingson for a couple of first downs, but soon the Panthers faced fourth and eight on their own 45. Dustin Rivest faked the punt and handed it off to John Ellis, who gained a first down and then some, churning 25 yards to the FAU 20 yard line.

Hilton rushed 16 yards, and the Panthers tied the score at 14 thanks to an Owens 4-yard run with 1:14 to go in the third.

The Owls responded with a five-play, 56-yard drive that was capped by a Morris nine-yard touchdown run with less than 10 minutes to go in the game. The Owls added to their lead with 2:23 to go in the game with Morris' second touchdown of the night off a 20-yard run.

FIU moved the ball 70 yards down field off six plays as Wayne Times capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown reception with 57 seconds left on the clock, but the Golden Panthers ran out of time to take one last stab at the end zone.

"We need to run the football better for the whole season and not just the second half," head coach Mario Cristobal said. "We need to learn how to be much more physical up front. We got some great young players who have a good senior class to follow and we'll continue to work to be better."

FAU's Morris and FIU's Owens were selected as the game's MVPs.