MIAMI – The FIU football team dropped its final home game of the 2021 season by a 49-7 margin on Saturday night against the University of North Texas at FIU Stadium.
 
The game also marked the final home contest for the 2021 FIU Senior Class.  The group had a 100-percent graduation rate, became the first class to appear in three consecutive bowl games and also posted back-to-back winning seasons.
 
FIU quarterback Max Bortenschlager finished 15-of-32 through the air for 167 yards with a touchdown and an interception. 
 
He enters the final week of the season 95 yards shy of breaking the FIU single season record for passing yards.  He currently ranks fourth on the all-time list with his current total of 2,704.
 
Sophomore Tyrese Chambers led the Panthers in the loss with three catches for 79 yards and a touchdown – his eighth of the season.
 
Senior Richard Dames led the FIU defense with a career-high 13 stops.  Freshman Jamal Potts added 12 tackles.
 
North Texas was led by running back DeAndre Toney who tabbed 109 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.  He averaged 6,1 yards per attempt and was one of six different Mean Green players to score a touchdown.
 
UNT quarterback Austin Aune completed 6-of-12 passes for 219 yards and a pair of TDs.  He also ran for a score. 
 
UNT had nine different receivers catch a pass – led by Roderick Burns, who snagged three catches for 106 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown catch
 
The Panthers were outscored 28-0 in the second quarter and gave up touchdowns on six straight possessions stretching from the second to the third.  FIU put together a solid opening drive that saw it get down to the North Texas five-yard line before a turnover changed the momentum.
 
FIU took advantage of solid field position on its opening possession following a UNT punt that started the drive at its own 45.  The Panthers pushed down to the Mean Green five-yard line before an interception of Bortenschlager, by North Texas' Kevin Wood, at the goal line stymied the threat. 
 
On the ensuing drive, North Texas needed just four plays before Aune scored on a five-yard run to make the score 7-0 with 8:03 left in the opening period. The possession started at the Mean Texas 40, due to a personal foul penalty that pushed back Wood's 95-yard interception return.
 
North Texas extended the lead to 14-0 at the 13:39 mark of the second on a 55-yard TD reception by Burns to finish off a quick 80-yard drive that took just 56 seconds.
 
Following a punt by FIU, Torrey broke loose for a 50-yard scoring jaunt down the sideline to extend the margin to 21-0 at 10:09 of the second.
 
The Mean Green scored on their third straight possession of the second quarter thanks to a pair of big pass plays to increase their lead to 28-0.  Burns snagged a 37-yard reception and Khatib Lyles followed two plays later with a 35-yard scoring grab with 4:45 left before the break.
 
Bryson Jackson got in on the second quarter offense for North Texas with a 54-yard catch on third down that set up the Mean Green at the FIU 5-yard line.  Torrey punched it in from one yard out three plays later for his second touchdown of the game and a 35-0 UNT halftime lead.
 
FIU started the second half with some offensive firepower of its own as it took the Panthers just two plays and 1:24 for Bortenschlager to connect with Chambers for a 60-yard TD and a 35-7 score.
 
Ikaika Ragsdale stretched the lead back to 42-7 run with a 5-yard TD jaunt with 10:06 left in the third period to finish off a 10-play, 75-yard march for the Mean Green.
 
Ayo Adeyi became the fourth UNT player to score a rushing touchdown at the 7:36 mark of the third on a 28-yard jaunt – increasing the margin to 49-7.
 
NOTABLES

• Saturday's game marked the final home contest for the 2021 FIU Senior Class, which became the first in program history to appear in three consecutive bowl games.
• The Panthers successfully executed a fake punt at the end of the first quarter.  Senior punter Tommy Heatherly completed a 20-yard pass to freshman linebacker Reggie Peterson for a FIU first down.
• Senior punter Tommy Heatherly pinned five punts inside the 20-yard line and hit six kicks at least 50 yards vs. North Texas.

 
UP NEXT
The Panthers travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., to close out the 2021 schedule against Southern Mississippi in a 3 p.m. ET kickoff from M.M. Roberts Stadium.
 
The game will be televised on ESPN+ and will also air on the FIU Radio Network (WQBA 1140 AM).
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.