MIAMI (Sept. 16, 2018) - It wasn't another record-breaking game for FIU against UMass. But instead a record-tying one as the Panthers rolled past the Minutemen 63-24 Saturday night at Riccardo Silva Stadium.

For game notes from tonight's win, click here.

A year after breaking the program record for most points scored in a game in a 63-45 win against UMass, FIU tied the mark with 63 points again.

FIU scored a program record-tying 42 points in the first half en route to the blowout. The Panthers amassed 360 yards in the first 30 minutes and cruised from there with a total of 536 yards.

Shawndarrius Phillips led the Panthers on the ground with a career-high 117 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Phillips set a previous career-high last week with 92 rushing yards at Old Dominion.

Napoleon Maxwell had 101 yards and two rushing scores. Combined with Phillips once again FIU had a pair of 100-yard rushers against UMass. Former Panthers Alex Gardner and Alex McGough each rushed for 108 yards against the Minutemen last year.

FIU didn't take long to get on the board Saturday. Needing just 2:37 and Phillips, who tallied 56 of the 59 yards on the Panthers' initial drive. Phillips rushed for 35 of the 59 yards on the drive and culminated the series with a 4-yard touchdown plunge.

Phillips's 35-yard reception helped set up the next FIU score. The pass from quarterback James Morgan put FIU at the UMass 23. Three plays later Maxwell rushed in from three yards out and FIU was up 14-0.

Phillips matched his jersey number on the next score. The junior running back scored from 22 yards out for his second rushing touchdown.

Freshman tight end Sterling Palmer scored his first collegiate touchdown on an 8-yard pass from Morgan with 4:36 left in the second quarter.

Morgan then connected with Maurice Alexander on a 38-yard touchdown pass to make it 35-10 FIU. Morgan was 16 of 23 for 207 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

When D'Vonte Price scored on a 3-yard run one minute before halftime the Panthers equaled the program record for points in the first half of 42. FIU scored 42 points in the first half against UTEP in 2015.

In the third quarter, Maurice Alexander accomplished something no FIU player ever had. Alexander returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown making him the first Panther in program history to score a receiving touchdown and a punt return touchdown in the same game. FIU led 49-17.

FIU's all-time leading receiver T.Y. Hilton scored a receiving touchdown and kickoff return touchdown in the same game before. However, Hilton never did it with a punt return touchdown.

Freshman linebacker Rocky Jacques-Louis scored his first collegiate touchdown on a pick six. Jacques-Louis intercepted Michael Curtis and returned it 59 yards for a touchdown to make it 56-17.

FIU's final touchdown of the night came on a 17-yard run by Maxwell early in the fourth quarter.

Safety Olin Cushion led the Panthers defense with nine tackles, which was a career-high for the junior. Sage Lewis, who led FIU with 28 tackles coming into the game, had eight stops.

Redshirt junior defensive lineman Teair Tart had a pair of sacks.

FIU ventures up the Florida Turnpike next Saturday to take on Miami at Hard Rock Stadium. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. and the game can be seen on ESPN2.
 
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