MIAMI – The FIU football team committed three first-half turnovers that opened up an early deficit in an eventual 52-7 loss to Florida Atlantic in the 21^st edition of the 'Shula Bowl' on Saturday night at FIU Stadium.
 
All three of the Panthers' turnovers came in the opening half, which saw Florida Atlantic score 24 unanswered points over the initial 15:53 of action.  Florida Atlantic also benefited from a season-high nine penalties against FIU – which cost the Panthers a total of 87 yards.
 
Florida Atlantic (5-5, 4-2 C-USA) finished with 385 yards of total offense and was led by quarterback N'Koshi Perry, who was responsible for a total of four touchdowns.  Perry completed 14-of-22 passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing three times for 16 yards and a pair of scores.
 
Larry McCammon paced a Florida Atlantic rushing attack that finished with 281 total yards with a team-best 104.  LaJohntay Wester provided a number of big gains as he garnered a total of 67 yards on just three attempts – one of which resulted in a touchdown.
 
The FIU offense finished with 277 total yards as quarterback Grayson James posted 56 yards and two interceptions while completing 9-of-26 of his attempts.  The sophomore notched 47 rushing yards – including a 28-yard TD run.
 
Sophomore Lexington Joseph guided the Panthers on the ground with 11 rushes for 87 yards – an average of 7.9 per attempt.  Defensively, sophomore linebacker Reggie Peterson led FIU with a career-high 11 stops.
 
The Owls capitalized on an interception by FIU's James on the Panthers' opening play of the game to take an early 7-0 edge.  FAU's Jaylen Wester picked off a pass at the FIU 27-yard line, setting up the Owls' inside the FIU 5-yard line.  Perry ran for a one-yard score two plays later, giving Florida Atlantic the lead just 44 ticks into regulation.
 
Florida Atlantic increased to margin to 14-0 on a five-yard TD pass from Perry to Je'Quan Burton to cap a 13-play, 60-yard march that saw the Owls convert twice on fourth down – including a 4th and 11 attempt.
 
Perry posted his second rushing score on the Owl's next possession to push the lead to 21-0 with 1:18 remaining in the first.  Perry scored from three yards out to finish off a 14-play, 83-yard drive that saw the Owls post 58 yards on the ground.
 
The Owls put points up for the fourth straight possession on a 30-yard field goal by Morgan Suarez 53 seconds into the second quarter.  The drive was keyed by a 54-yard run on a reverse by Johantay Wester.
 
FIU (4-6, 2-4 C-USA) broke through on its opening possession of the second on a 28-yard touchdown run by James to trim the margin to 24-7 with 10:47 left before halftime.  The drive went for 75 yards – 64 of which came on the ground.
 
Special teams and a pair of FIU penalties led to Florida Atlantic's final touchdown of the half – a four-yard run by Johnny Ford with 2:29 left before the break.  The score was set up by a 31-yard punt return by LaJohntay Wester and a facemask penalty on the tackle by FIU – which set up the Owls at the FIU 20. 
 
The Panthers were also called for offsides on a fourth down field goal attempt – giving FAU a first down and setting up Ford's score, which moved the Owls' lead to 31-7.
 
Florida Atlantic increased its lead to 38-7 with 8:15 remaining in the third after a failed fake punt by FIU and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty set up the Owls at the FIU 23.  Five plays later, LaJohntay Wester scooted in from nine-yards out for his first rushing TD of the season – and his ninth score overall.
 
Perry tossed his second touchdown pass of the game to up the score to 45-7 with 3:48 left in the third quarter when he connected with Tony Johnson from 17-yards out.
 
FAU increased the lead to 52-7 on a 12-yard run by Willie Taggart II with 14:50 left in the fourth quarter.
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers head to El Paso, Texas, for their final road game of the season in a match up against UTEP at the Sun Bowl.
 
Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. ET for the ESPN+ broadcast.
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Saturday's game marked the 21^st edition of the 'Shula Bowl' between FIU and Florida Atlantic.
• Florida Atlantic scored on its first four possessions and did not punt until 9:39 of the second quarter.
• With Florida Atlantic departing for the American Athletic Conference next season, the 'Shula Bowl" will pause for one season before resuming in 2024 at FAU – in what will be the first of four straight seasons that the programs face each other.
• FIU's nine penalties marked the most it has been called for in a single game this season and the 87 total yards lost also marked the most for FIU this season.
• The Panthers committed three turnovers in the opening half of a game for the second time this season in the loss to Florida Atlantic.  FIU also had three first-half turnovers in its loss vs. Connecticut on Oct. 8.
• Sophomore linebacker Reggie Peterson finished with a career-high 11 tackles.
• Sophomore defensive lineman Jeramy Passmore seven tackles tied a career-best.

 
TICKETS
For more information on FIU Football season and individual tickets, including student ticketing, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit the FIU Athletics Online Ticket Office
 
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