LUBBOCK, Texas (September 18, 2021) – The FIU Panthers football team got off to a fast start claiming an early 7-0 advantage, before falling by a 54-21 margin at Texas Tech on Saturday night at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock.
The Panthers took the game's first lead at the 6:37 mark of the opening quarter on a three-yard touchdown run by
D'vonte Price, which capped a nine-play, 88-yard drive on FIU's second possession.
FIU got a big play from its special teams two possessions later when Texas Tech's Adrian Frye muffed a punt that was recovered by
Caleb Lynum at the Red Raiders' 38-yard line.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, they would not be able to capitalize on the opportunity as Texas Tech's Marquis Waters intercepted a pass by FIU quarterback
Max Bortenschlager just one play later and took it back 72 yards for a touchdown to deadlock the game at 7-7, at the 3:18 mark of the first quarter.
Quarterback Tyler Slough gave Texas Tech its first lead at 14-7 when he connected with Travis Koontz at 12:14 of the second quarter.
FIU knotted the score three plays later at 14-14, on a 68-yard scoring strike from Bortenschlager to
EJ Wilson Jr.
From there, Texas Tech went on to take control by scoring 24 consecutive points through the remainder of the second quarter and the opening six minutes of the third, to stretch its lead out to 38-14.
Following the loss, the Panthers move to 1-2 overall, while the Red Raiders remain undefeated at 3-0 this season. The defeat marked FIU's first in the state of Texas since a loss at North Texas in 2014.
FIU's Bortenschlager completed 12-of-27 passes for 190 yards, including a pair of touchdowns and an interception.
Price paced the ground game for the Panthers with 15 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively,
Daniel Jackson led the Panther squad with eight total tackles.
Pierce Withers notched a team-best seven solo stops.
The Panthers continue their current three-game road swing next Saturday, Sept. 25 with a clash at Mid-American Conference member Central Michigan. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET from Mount Pleasant, Mich., and will be aired on ESPN+ and the FIU Football Radio Network.
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