HUNTINGTON, West Virginia (Nov. 30, 2019) – FIU fell 30-27 on the road in overtime to Marshall, as the Panthers closed out the regular season with a valiant effort.
With the loss, FIU falls to 6-6 on the year and 3-5 in C-USA. Marshall improves to 8-4 on the year and 6-2 in the league. The Herd now awaits the result of the FAU-Southern Miss game to determine the C-USA East Division crown.
James Morgan threw for 236 yards and a score, with Tony Gaiter IV being his favorite target after hauling in nine catches for 107 yards and a touchdown. Jose Borregales nailed two field goals on the day, including a 41-yarder to send the game into overtime.
On defense, Sage Lewis finished the game with 17 tackles on the afternoon as he led a feisty Panther defense that got to the quarterback three times.
A 59-yard strike from Morgan to Austin Maloney set up FIU's first score of the day, as Napoleon Maxwell capped off the second-quarter drive with a one-yard score for his eighth rushing touchdown of the season. With the Panthers leading 7-3, the Herd bounced back after using the "Statue of Liberty" play to score from 19 yards out and go up 10-7 before the break.
Trailing 17-7 and Morgan leaving the game following a helmet-to-helmet hit, Kaylan Wiggins rushed for 27 yards on three carries to set up the Panthers with a golden opportunity from the nine-yard line to start the fourth quarter. Anthony Jones punched it in from nine yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter, as the running back earned his ninth rushing score of the season.
The Panthers forced a turnover on the ensuing drive, as Alexy Jean-Baptiste pounced on a fumble to give FIU the ball at the 22-yard line. Morgan connected with Gaiter on the next play as the Panthers hushed the crowd to go up 21-17.
The Herd capped an eight-play, 75-yard drive to retake the lead with 2:16 remaining in the game after Isaiah Green found Xavier Gaines for the 18-yard score. The Panthers marched 48 yards on 12 plays the next drive, as the offense set up Borregales for a pressure-filled, 41-yard field goal to tie the game and send it into overtime.
Borregales scored on FIU's first possession in overtime, with the kicker knocking through a 35-yard field goal to put the Panthers up 27-24. Brenden Knox scored the game-winning touchdown on Marshall's first possession of overtime however, as the running back punched it in from a yard out after his 24-yard run the previous play.
UP NEXT
With the conclusion of the regular season, the Panthers will now await their fate for a postseason bowl game.
GAME NOTES
- With his three PATs and two field goals on Saturday, Jose Borregales now holds FIU's all-time scoring record with 267 total points.
- Sage Lewis earned a season-high 17 tackles on the day.
- James Morgan is now three touchdown passes shy of tying FIU's career mark for total touchdowns thrown for a career.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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