MIAMI (Oct. 5, 2019) – The FIU football team posted its best performance of the season as the Panthers shutout the UMass Minutemen by the final margin of 44-0 on Saturday night.
With the win, FIU improves to 2-3 on the year and UMass drops to 1-5. FIU will return to C-USA play next Saturday as the Panthers host Charlotte for Homecoming.
FIU outgained UMass 541-115 on the night, as the Panthers earned their largest margin of victory of the season.
James Morgan led the Panthers with 263 yards passing and two touchdowns. Morgan's favorite target on the night was Tony Gaiter IV, who caught a career-high seven passes for 103 yards and a score.
Defensively, FIU was led by Jamal Gates who earned six tackles. Sage Lewis picked off his second pass of the season, while also earning three tackles and a QB hurry.
On special teams, Jose Borregales was 3-for-3 on field goals as he connected from 22, 29 and 45. Maurice Alexander had another electric night in the return game as he raced past the Minutemen for a 90-yard punt return for a score.
After jumping ahead 17-0, Maurice Alexander turned on the jets and returned a punt 90 yards to put FIU out front 24-0 early in the second quarter. The Panthers continued the onslaught midway through as Borregales tacked on his second field goal of the game, before Morgan floated a pass to Austin Maloney for a 30-yard score right before halftime.
Coming out of the break and leading 34-0, FIU turned to the ground game as Napoleon Maxwell smashed his way across the goal line for a one-yard score, before Borregales booted a 45-yard field goal to push the lead to 44-0. The Panthers held the Minutemen scoreless from there on out, as FIU earned the 44-0 victory.
UP NEXT
FIU will continue its home stretch next Saturday as the Panthers host Charlotte for Homecoming at 7:00 p.m. ET. For more information, or to order your tickets by phone, please call (305) FIU-GAME or click here.
GAME NOTES
- The shutout was just FIU's second in program history, with the only other coming in a 42-0 victory over Butler in 2002.
- The 115 yards allowed on defensive set a program record, beating the previous low of 154 yards allowed against FAMU in 2005.
- Maurice Alexander's 90-yard punt return is the second-longest in school history, behind T.Y. Hilton's 97-yard return against FAU on Nov. 12, 2011.
- Sage Lewis now has two interceptions for his career, with both coming in 2019.
- The seven catches and 103 yards receiving for Tony Gaiter IV were both career highs for the senior.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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