FIU: (4-4, 2-2 C-USA) (1-4 away)
Florida Atlantic: (1-6, 1-3 C-USA) (0-4 home)
 
Date: Oct. 31, 2015
 
Location: FAU Stadium (Natural Grass) (29,495) in Boca Raton, Fla.
 
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET
 
Press Box Phone: 561.251.5588
 
Television: The American Sports Network (ASN) - Jeff McCarragher (play-by-play), Michael Young (color analyst) and Monica McNutt (sideline) will call the action.
 
Radio: 1210 ESPN Deportes (WMNA 1210 AM) - Mike Levine (play-by-play) and Wes Carroll (color analyst) on the call. Fans can listen by tuning into 1210 on their AM dial or by logging onto either www.FIUSports.com or www.1210ESPNdeportes.com
 
Live Stats: www.FAUSports.com
 
Live Video Streaming: N/A
 
Tickets: 305.FIU.GAME (348.4263) -or- www.FIUSports.com
 
Records: FIU enters Saturday's game with a 4-4, 2-2 C-USA record following a 41-12 win over Old Dominion on Saturday, Oct. 24. Florida Atlantic enters Saturday's action with a 1-6, 1-3 C-USA record following a 27-17 loss at UTEP on Saturday, Oct. 24.
 
FIU Head Coach Ron Turner: Turner (Pacific, 1977) is in his third season at FIU (9-23, .281) and 12th season overall as a head coach (51-84, .378). Turner is 1-1 all-time versus the Owls.
 
FAU Head Coach Charlie Partridge: Partridge (Drake, 1995) is in his second season at Florida Atlantic (4-15, .211). Partridge is 0-1 all-time versus the Panthers.
 
Series History: Saturday will mark the 14th meeting all-time between the two programs with FAU holding a 9-4 edge in the series history. The last meeting between the two schools resulted in a 38-10 win for the Panthers on Oct. 2, 2014, in Miami.
 
Game Nine – FIU and Florida Atlantic Square Off in Shula Bowl XIV this Saturday
The FIU football team (4-4, 2-2 C-USA) travels to Boca Raton, Fla., for its annual meeting with intra-state rival Florida Atlantic (1-6, 1-3 C-USA) this Saturday for Shula Bowl XIV. The contest is set to kick off at 3:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on the American Sports Network (ASN) from FAU Stadium.  Jeff McCarragher (play-by-play), Michael Young (color analyst) and Monica McNutt (sideline) will call the action.  Fans can also listen to the game on 1210AM ESPN Deportes with Mike Levine (play-by-play) and Wes Carroll (color analyst) on the call.
 
The Panthers are coming off a 41-12 win over Old Dominion on Homecoming last Saturday. The victory was the most-lopsided Homecoming win during the program's history. Sophomore Alex McGough tossed three touchdown passes and ran for another to claim this week's C-USA Offensive Player of the Week honors. McGough had a career night on Saturday, throwing for 390 yards on 31-of-39 passing. The Tampa, Fla., native completed a school-record 79.5 percent of his passes as the 390 yards through the air were the second-most in school history. McGough connected with tight end Jonnu Smith for a pair of scores and found wide out Clinton Taylor for a 38-yard strike.
 
Smith had a career night as well, tying a career-high in receptions with 10 for a career-best 183 yards receiving and two touchdowns. The 183 yards receiving were the fourth-most in school history. Running back Alex Gardner rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown versus the Monarchs. It marked the fourth-straight game in which the Jacksonville, Fla., native reached the endzone on the ground.
 
Defensively, the Panthers forced three ODU turnovers, including a 43-yard fumble recovery by junior defensive lineman Leonard Washington. Following a sack fumble by defensive end Michael Wakefield, Washington returned the fumble 43 yards for the seventh-longest fumble return in school history. Senior Jeremiah McKinnon notched his team-leading third interception of the season, while junior Madison Kubat recorded his first-collegiate forced fumble, jarring the ball loose on a kick return midway through the third quarter.
 
On the year, FIU is averaging 29.3 points-per-game (No. 67 in the nation) and 386.9 total yards of offense-per-game (No. 78 in the nation). McGough leads a Panther offense that has put up 127 points in its last three games (42.3 points-per-game), completing 195-of-296 (65.9 percent) for 2,049 yards as 17 touchdowns. He currently ranks No. 15 in TD passes, No. 20 in passing yards and No. 30 in passing yards-per-game (265.1), nationally.
 
In the backfield, Gardner enters Saturday's game 514 yards on 129 carries and six touchdowns. His six rushing touchdowns are good for No. 55, nationally, and are tied for No. 7 in the FIU record books for a single season. Gardner also holds the school record for receptions (42) and receiving yards (381) by a running back in a single season.
 
Sophomore Thomas Owens leads FIU's receiving corps with 44 catches for 547 yards and seven touchdowns His seven touchdown catches are one shy of the school record held by Smith. Smith comes into this week's action having caught a pass in 32-straight games (second-longest streak in FIU history). The Ocala, Fla., native is in the top five among all tight ends, nationally, in receptions (36 – No. 2), receiving yards (397 – No. 6) and receiving touchdowns (4 – tied for No. 5).
 
On the defensive side of the ball, FIU is allowing 22.8 points-per-game (No. 41 in the nation) and 392.6 yards of total offense-per-game (No. 65 in the nation). The Panthers have forced 12 turnovers and own a turnover margin of +0.50 (No. 31 in the nation). Sophomore Anthony Wint leads FIU with 58 total tackles followed senior Richard Leonard, who has posted 42. Wakefield has recorded a team-high 8.5 tackles for loss in 2015 with 3.5 of those coming by way of the sack. Wakefield forced his fourth fumble of the season last week and ranks No. 4 nationally in that category. Senior Denzell Perine leads FIU in sacks with 4.0.
 
On special teams, Leonard entered the FAU game averaging 27.1 yards-per-kickoff return (No. 16 in the nation) and 11.1 yards-per-punt return (No. 26 in the nation).
 
FIU has won three of the last four games versus the Owls and will be looking its second win at FAU Stadium.
 
Game Notables
-  Saturday will mark FIU's sixth road game of the season.
-  Saturday will mark Shula Bowl XIV.
-  FIU will look to improve to 5-4.
-  FIU will look to improve to 3-2 in C-USA action this season.
-  Saturday will mark the 33rd game for Head Coach Ron Turner at FIU.
-  Saturday will mark Turner's 136th game as a college head coach.
-  Saturday will mark the 14th meeting all-time between FIU and FAU.
-  The Owls hold a 9-4 edge in the series history.
-  FIU won the last meeting between the two teams, 38-10 (Oct. 2, 2015).
-  FIU has won three of the last four with FAU.
-  FIU will be looking to record its 19th road victory all-time on Saturday.
-  Saturday will mark the 163rd game in FIU history.
-  Coach Turner is 1-1 all-time versus Florida Atlantic.
-  Junior Jonnu Smith enters Saturday having caught a pass in 32-straight games.
-  Sophomore Alex Gardner enters Saturday having scored a rushing touchdown in four-straight games.
-  Sophomore Alex McGough has thrown a touchdown pass in eight-straight games.
 
A Quick Look at Florida Atlantic
In a game in which the two teams were separated by just one yard of total offense, the UTEP Miners came away with a 27-17 victory over the Florida Atlantic University football team on Saturday, Oct. 24.
 
UTEP accounted for 410 total yards to FAU's 409, but three turnovers proved to be the demise of the Owls as the Miners capitalized for ten points off turnovers.
 
Jaquez Johnson went 14-of-22 for 263 yards and an interception while Jenson Stoshak grabbed six catches for 130 yards. Freshman Trey Rodriguez tallied seven carries for 114 yards and a score while Greg Howell picked up a touchdown on one of four carries. Junior Dalton Schomp set a new FAU program record with a 76-yard punt, the longest in school history.
 
Record Watch - Richard Leonard
Senior Richard Leonard enters this Saturday's game ranked No. 2 in career kick returns (72), No. 2 in career kick return yards (1,938) and No. 2 in total return yards (2,902) in the FIU record books.
 
A Look Back at the Old Dominion Game
If certain FIU football alumni attended Saturday's homecoming game between FIU and Old Dominion they were welcomed with a resounding 41-12 win by the Panthers and discovered some of their records were broken in the process.
 
Quarterback Alex McGough threw for 390 yards and three touchdown passes. McGough's three touchdowns moved him ahead of former FIU quarterback Wesley Carroll, who held the FIU single-season record with 16. Carroll was in attendance as the color analyst on the FIU football radio broadcast. McGough finished the game with 17 touchdown passes on the season and now with four and possibly five games to add to the mark.
 
McGough's 390 passing yards topped former FIU quarterback Jake Medlock for the second-most passing yards in a game in FIU football history. Medlock threw for 380 yards against Middle Tennessee in 2012. Only former FIU quarterback and now Dr. Paul McCall has thrown for more in an FIU game. McCall threw for 400 yards against Florida Atlantic in Don Shula Bowl VII in 2008. It is the only 400-yard passing game by an FIU quarterback in FIU's 13+ year history.
 
The Panthers jumped out to a 14-0 lead and never looked back. McGough connected with tight end Jonnu Smith on a four-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring. McGough followed with a one-yard quarterback sneak to make it a two-touchdown advantage.
 
Smith just about re-wrote the FIU tight ends record book Saturday night. Smith had 10 receptions, 183 yards and two touchdowns. Smith's 183 yards helped him surpass former FIU tight end Sam Smith as the career receiving yardage leader among tight ends. Jonnu Smith currently has 1,495 career receiving yards. Sam Smith finished his career with 1,383 receiving yards.
 
Jonnu Smith also passed Sam Smith as FIU's career receptions leader among tight ends. The 10 catches by Jonnu Smith gave him 141 for his career. Sam Smith had 133 career receptions. Jonnu Smith also surpassed his own FIU single-game yardage record by a tight end. Jonnu Smith's 183 yards Saturday topped the 140 receiving yards he had against Middle Tennessee last season.
 
After Old Dominion's Zach Pascal ran 75 yards for a touchdown on the opening play of the third quarter, the Panthers responded with 24 unanswered points to finish off the Monarchs.
 
Clinton Taylor caught his second career touchdown pass – a 38-yard strike from McGough to make it 27-12 midway through the third quarter. Alex Gardner, who led FIU with 96 yards rushing, plunged in from one-yard out for another touchdown. Gardner's score was the first play of the fourth quarter. Smith finished the scoring with a 13-yard touchdown catch on a pass from McGough later in the final period.
 
McGough Named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week
Sophomore quarterback Alex McGough was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 25 the league announced on Monday, Oct. 26.
 
McGough had a career night on Saturday, throwing for 390 yards on 31-of-39 passing and three touchdowns as the Panthers defeated Old Dominion, 41-12, on Homecoming. The Tampa, Fla., native completed a school-record 79.5 percent of his passes as the 390 yards through the air were the second-most in school history. McGough connected with tight end Jonnu Smith for a pair of scores and found wide out Clinton Taylor for a 38-yard strike. The 6-foot-3 quarterback also rushed for a score; his second rushing TD of the season.
 
His performance helped FIU to its most-lopsided victory on Homecoming in school history.
 
Make That Four-in-a-Row
Sophomore Alex Gardner has recorded a rushing touchdown in four-straight games. The Jacksonville, Fla., native has registered six rushing TDs this season - tied for No. 7 all-time at FIU for rushing touchdowns in a single season.
 
390 Through the Air
On Saturday, Oct. 24, sophomore Alex McGough set a career-high in yards passing with 390 - second most in school history behind Paul McCall, who threw for 400 yards against Florida Atlantic in Don Shula Bowl VII in 2008.
 
Home (Ocean Bank) Field Advantage
Through the eight games FIU has played this season, the Panthers have totaled 3,095 yards of total offense (396.9 yards-per-game). In the team's three home games, FIU has recorded 1,456 yards of total offense (485.3 yards-per-game). On the year, FIU is averaging 29.2 points-per-game, while allowing 22.6 points-per-contest. In the Panthers three home games this season, FIU is averaging 43.7 points-per-game, while allowing just 12.7 points-per-contest.
 
Playing the Percentages
Sophomore Alex McGough completed a school-record 79.5 percent of his passes for 390 yards versus Old Dominion on Saturday, Oct. 24. The completion percentage bested the previous high set by Wes Carroll versus Arkansas State (21-of-27) on Nov. 27, 2010.
 
3-0 at Home
With the team's 41-12 win over Old Dominion on Saturday, Oct. 24, FIU improved to 3-0 at home this season. It marks the first time since the 2002 season (the program's first year) that the Panthers have opened its home slate with three-straight wins.
 
32 and Counting
Junior Jonnu Smith enters Saturday's game having caught a pass in 32-straight games. That currently ranks tied for No. 9 among all active players, nationally.
 
Next Man Up
The injury bug is no stranger to this year's FIU football team as to date the Panthers have lost a total of 99 games from starters and key reserves due to injury, including Jordan Budwig (12 games), Davison Colimon (11 games) and Napoleon Maxwell (12 games), who are each out for the season. Despite the total number of lost games, the Panthers have been resilient as teammates have stepped in a filled the voids left due to injury as FIU sits at 4-4 this season and 2-2 in league action. 
 
He Doesn't Just Run the Ball
Sophomore Alex Gardner enters Saturday's game with 42 catches for 381 yards and one touchdown. The Jacksonville, Fla., native has already set the FIU single-season record for receptions and receiving yards for a running back. The previous records were held by Kedrick Rhodes, who posted 27 catches for 252 yards in 2011.
 
200+
Sophomore Alex McGough enters Saturday's game with 2,049 yards on 195-of-296 passing (65.9 percent) and 17 touchdowns. The Tampa native has thrown for over 200 yards in seven of the Panthers' seven contests this season.