MIAMI (Sept. 6, 2014) – Capped off by 377 total yards of offense and six forced turnovers on the defensive side of the ball, the FIU football team (1-1) handed the Wagner Seahawks a 34-3 loss on Saturday evening.

Freshman Alex Gardner set a freshman single-game record for yards by a running back, as the Jacksonville, Fla., native finished with 138 yards on the ground. He's the fourth true freshman in Panther football history to rush for over 100 yards in a game.

Also etching his name in the FIU record book was sophomore Jonnu Smith, whose 127 receiving yards tonight moved him to second all-time for receiving yards by a tight end. A 20-yard catch from junior E.J. Hilliard in the third quarter gave the Ocala, Fla., native his first 100-plus yard game.

After junior Denzell Perine forced the Seahawks to go three-and-out on their opening driving, collecting his third and a half sack of the season, freshman quarterback Alex McGough led the Panthers down the field for a touchdown in 1:08. Covering 52 yards, McGough connected with sophomore Jonnu Smith for 41 yards, the longest reception of the tight end's career.

On Wagner's ensuing drive, reigning Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week Richard Leonard ran back an interception untouched, putting the Panthers ahead, 14-0, with 9:58 to play. The 60-yard return is the sixth longest interception for a score in FIU history.

After the Seahawks responded with a 21-yard field goal, cutting their deficit to 14-3, a fumble recovery from junior Michael Wakefield set up sophomore Austin Taylor for a 34-yard field goal.

A 61-yard rush from freshman Alex Gardner then placed the Panthers at the 1-yard line. Redshirt senior Cory White grabbed his first career touchdown pass on McGough's second touchdown pass of the night. Entering halftime, FIU held a commanding, 27-3, lead.

Following a scoreless third stanza, Wakefield picked up his second fumble recovery of the night midway through the fourth quarter. Two drives later, the Panthers' defense forced a key turnover deep in its own zone. In all, Wagner committed six turnovers during the game, tying the FIU record for turnovers by an opponent (6, Florida A&M, 2004).

One final Panther scoring drive took FIU 57 yards on eight plays. A four-yard rush by redshirt junior Anthon Samuel capped of a series lasting just under three and a half minutes.

Splitting time under center, McGough finished the night 9-of-18 and threw for 60 yards. Hilliard went an impressive 14-of-15 for 169 yards in the win. Both quarterbacks had longs of 35-plus yards.

FIU returns to actions on Saturday, as the team plays host to the Pittsburgh Panthers. Kickoff is slated for noon from Ocean Bank at FIU Stadium.

For FIU football ticket information, log onto www.FIUSports.com or contact the University Credit Union Box Office at 305-FIU-GAME (348-4263).

For the latest information on Panthers football, follow us on Twitter, @FIUFootball, and check out Pete Pelegrin's in-depth coverage of FIU Athletics on his official blog, The Prowl, at www.FIUSports.com.

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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