MIAMI (Nov. 1, 2014) – Coming off the bye, FIU (3-6, 2-3) fell to the Rice Owls (5-3, 3-1) on Saturday afternoon at Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium, 31-17. The Panthers trailed by one touchdown at halftime, but were outscored 7-0 in the second half.

Redshirt senior Glenn Coleman recorded his third career 100-yard receiving game and his second this season, tallying two receptions for 101 yards. True freshman running back Napoleon Maxwell gained a career-best 88 yards on the ground and scored his first collegiate touchdown, as he averaged 5.5 yards per carry.

The Owls took a quick 7-0 lead after forcing a fumble during FIU's first possession of the game. On third and 10, Zach Patt broke past the line to get to freshman quarterback Alex McGough and forced a fumble. Rice ran it in for a 19-yard score. The Panthers' defense settled in and held the Owls to just three points on its following drive. Following a key pass break-up by sophomore Wilkenson Myrtil on second down, Rive couldn't convert on third and 10. Jame Farrimond hit a 40-yard field goal to cap the 39-yard drive, as Rice pulled ahead, 10-0 midway through the first quarter.

Following a 63-yard pass by Driphus Jackcon to Jordan Taylor for an Owls' touchdown, McGough kept the ball on the Panthers' first play of the ensuing drive and rushed for 13 yards. On third and long, McGough found Coleman down field for the team's first score. A 52-yard pass down the right hash, Coleman was alone in man coverage and caught the 52-yarder off his defender in highlight-reel fashion.

The Owls were forced to go three-and-out on its next drive. Senior Demarkus Perkins sacked Jackson for a loss of six yards on second and eight. FIU took over at its own 27, as Maxwell carried for 15 yards over three plays, with a long of 11 on second down. McGough connected with Coleman again on third and six for 49 yards, setting up a first and goal from the nine. After a two-yard setback on second and goal, Maxwell rushed for 11 yards for his first career touchdown, making it a three-point game, 17-14.

After a Rice touchdown, 10-yard passes to junior Richard Burrows and sophomore Jonnu Smith moved the Panthers down the field, eventually setting sophomore Austin Taylor up for a 22-yard chip shot. The game entered halftime with Rice leading, 24-17.

Both teams traded empty first-series drives to open the second half. With Rice driving down the field on its second possession of the third quarter, sophomore Imarjaye Albury and redshirt freshman Jordan Guest combined for a key tackle on fourth and one from the Panthers own 22-yard line. Both Rice and FIU were held scoreless for the entirety of the third. The Owls pulled ahead 31-17 on a one-yard punch in by Luke Turner with 11:25 to play in the game.

FIU is back on the road next Saturday, facing Old Dominion at 3:30 p.m. on the American Sports Network.

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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including FIU Arena and Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium.
 
About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelor¹s, master¹s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida¹s 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. FIU has awarded 200,000 degrees and enrolls 54,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu.