ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (December 21, 2017) -- Temple had three rushing touchdowns and one passing score to get past FIU, 28-3, in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.
 
The Owls (7-6) got a 4-yard touchdown run by quarterback Frank Nutile in the second quarter and a 1-yard touchdown by David Hood near the end of the third quarter to build a 14-3 lead.
 
The Panthers' (8-5) fortunes took a turn for the worse on their third offensive play of the game.
 
Quarterback Alex McGough ran through the Owls defense for a 17-yard pick up but sustained an injury to his left shoulder when he landed on the turf. McGough did not return and watched the remainder of the game on the sideline with a sling on his left shoulder.
 
McGough, a senior, finished his career as FIU's all-time leader in touchdown passes (65) and single-season record holder in pass attempts, completions, passing yards, passing TDs and total offense.
 
Maurice Alexander replaced McGough and was 16 of 33 for 162 yards with two interceptions.
 
Jose Borregales hit a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter to cut the Temple lead to 7-3. It was Borregales' 15th made field goal of the season to tie former FIU kicker Austin Taylor for third in a single FIU season.
 
Anthony Wint led the FIU defense with 11 tackles. Wint finishes his FIU career with 336 tackles, which is second all-time in program history behind former FIU safety Johnathan Cyprien, who had 365 stops.
 
FIU finished the season tying the program record for wins with eight. The Panthers matched the 2011 FIU team that ironically also lost in a bowl game played at Tropicana Field. FIU lost to Marshall in the 2011 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl.