Box Score BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (Nov. 5, 2011) -- The FIU offense could never find traction against WKU, amassing just 180 yards of offense, as the Panthers fell to the Hilltoppers, 10-9, on Saturday afternoon in Bowling Green, Ky.
All of FIU's scoring came on three field goals by junior Jack Griffin, but it was a WKU field goal as time expired that made the difference as the Hilltoppers won on the final play of the game. With four seconds to go, and already having failed on three field goal attempts, WKU converted a 34-yarder to win the ballgame.
For the Panthers, redshirt senior Wesley Carroll completed 10-of-20 attempts for 128 yards. Sophomore Kedrick Rhodes finished with 42 yards on 15 carries as senior T.Y. Hilton was limited to just two catches for 32 yards.
Jordan Hunt led the way for the FIU defense with 11 tackles and one sack.
FIU got on the board first on a 40-yard field goal by Griffin with 11:36 to go in the first. The score was made possible by a 36-yard completion by Carroll to junior Wayne Times on third-and-10 early in the drive.
WKU's next drive ended abruptly after a fumble gave the Panthers the ball deep in WKU territory. However, FIU gave the ball right back on its second play as Kareem Peterson stepped in front of a Carroll throw for an interception and returned it to the WKU 30-yard-line. The turnover proved to be costly as WKU drove 71 yards to take a 7-3 lead with 5:08 to play,as the score came from two yards out on a Kadeem Jones touchdown run.
On the ensuing kickoff, Hilton did what he does best and returned the ball 58 yards to the WKU 38. With the 58-yard return, Hilton became the Sun Belt Conference's all-time leader in kickoff return yards, surpassing Arkansas State's Brandon Thompkins. However, FIU again had to settle for a field goal, this one a 34-yarder by Griffin that made the score 7-6 with 38 seconds to play in the first.
The Hilltoppers were poised to add to their lead, but a sack by Hunt and a delay of game penalty backed them up. After a scramble by Kawaun Jakes, WKU kicked a field goal but it was blocked by FIU and returned to the FIU 29.
Neither team put points on the board in the second quarter as the Hilltoppers took a 7-6 lead into the halftime break.
The third quarter saw much of the same as the second, with neither team able put up any points. WKU missed a field goal and FIU turned the ball over on downs in WKU territory, but that was as close as either team got to putting points on the board.
Just four seconds into the fourth, Griffin gave FIU the lead with a 43-yard field goal, his third of the afternoon, to put the Panthers up 9-7. With that kick, Griffin broke the FIU single-season field goal record as he has now connected on 18 attempts.
WKU's next drive ended at midfield when redshirt junior Winston Fraser sacked Jakes to force a punt. However, WKU's punt backed FIU down to its own three-yard line.
After an FIU punt, sophomore Sam Miller gave the ball back to the Panthers with under nine minutes to play when he picked off a WKU pass and returned it to the FIU 45. The Panthers were forced to punt on the ensuing possession, and redshirt junior Josh Brisk pinned WKU down at their own 4-yard-line with a picture-perfect punt.
The Hilltoppers then mounted a drive on the strength of Bobby Rainey's running, as WKU drove past midfield. However, WKU was forced to punt at the FIU 48.
After another FIU punt, WKU drove down to the FIU 17-yard-line and kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired to take the win.
FIU falls to 5-4 on the season and 2-3 in conference play. WKU is now 5-4 overall and 5-1 in Sun Belt games.
Up next for FIU is a home contest against rival Florida Atlantic in the Shula Bowl. Kickoff is set for Saturday, Nov. 12 is set for 6 p.m. at Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium.
FIU vs WKU Notes
No. 4 T.Y. Hilton, No. 7 Jonathan Cyprien, No. 13 Wesley Carroll and No. 28 Darriet Perry served as captains for FIU.
FIU won the toss and chose to receive.
Jack Griffin's two first-quarter field goals give him 17 for the season, tying his own FIU single-season record set in 2010. He then broke his own record with his 18th field goal, kicking a 43-yarder at the 14:56 mark of the fourth quarter.
With his 58-yard kickoff return in the first quarter, T.Y. Hilton became the Sun Belt Conference's all-time leader in kickoff return yards, surpassing Arkansas State's Brandon Thompkins. He now owns 2,698 kickoff return yards for his career.
Long snapper Brandon Taylor made his collegiate debut in the third quarter after Mitch MacClugage was forced to leave the game with an injury.
Sam Miller's fourth-quarter interception was the second of his career. He had one in FIU's victory over Troy last week.
Coming into this contest, FIU had defeated WKU in the previous three meetings between the two squads.
About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 17 different sports, and is a proud member of the Sun Belt Conference and an affiliate member of Conference USA (men's soccer). Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including U.S. Century Bank Arena and Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium.
About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelors, masters and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU is worlds ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission and enrolls 46,000 students in two campus and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. More than 140,000 alumni live and work in South Florida. FIU is a member of the Sun Belt Conference and has 400 student-athletes participating in 17 sports. In 2010 the Panthers won their first bowl game. For more information about FIU, visit www.fiu.edu.
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