GAME 10 – SHULA BOWL
FIU (4-5, 2-3 C-USA) vs. Florida Atlantic (4-5, 3-2 C-USA)
DATE
Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022
KICKOFF
7 p.m. ET
STADIUM
FIU Stadium (20,000)/Miami, Fla.
HEAD COACH INFO
FIU
Head Coach: Mike MacIntyre (Georgia Tech '89)
Overall Record: 50-70 (10th season)
Record at FIU: 4-5 (1st season)
FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Head Coach: Willie Taggart
Overall Record: 70-78 (13th season)
Record at FAU: 14-16 (3rd season)
QUICK HITS
- The Panthers have won two of their last three games overall entering Saturday's 'Shula Bowl'.
- Saturday marks the 21st edition of the Shula Bowl - which began in 2002.
- FIU trails the all-time series with FAU 15-4* and last defeated the Owls in 2016.
PANTHERS PLAY HOST TO FAU FOR 21ST 'SHULA BOWL'
FIU is back at "The Cage" this Saturday night when it battles rival Florida Atlantic in the 21st edition of the 'Shula Bowl' in a 7 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday night in Miami.
The game will be aired on the Stadium Network with Ari Wolfe (pxp) and Sherdrick Bonner (analyst) on the call.
The game can also be heard on Miami's WQBA 1140 AM with the voice of the Panthers AJ Ricketts (pxp) and Corey Brooks (analyst) calling the action.
FIU will be looking for its fifth win of the 2022 campaign and its third in its last four games when it takes on the Owls on Saturday. The Panthers are two wins shy of being bowl eligible with three games left to play. The remaining two games will see FIU travel to UTEP (Nov. 19) and host Middle Tennessee in the regular-season finale on Nov. 26.
The Panthers (4-5, 2-3 C-USA) will be looking to claim the Shula Bowl Trophy for the first time since 2016 - when they defeated the Owls 33-31. FIU trails the all-time series with Florida Atlantic 15-4 (FIU's 2005 win was officially vacated)*.
Florida Atlantic is currently 4-5 overall and 3-2 in C-USA action entering Saturday's clash. The Owls defeated Charlotte, Southeastern Louisiana, Rice and UAB, while dropping games against Ohio, UCF, Purdue, North Texas and UTEP.
THE SHULA BOWL
The Shula Bowl began in 2002 as the annual rivalry game between FIU and Florida Atlantic. The game's winner receives a traveling trophy, the "Don Shula Award".
The game and trophy are named after former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula.
Shula was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 1970 to 1995. Each school's first head coach has previous ties to Shula.
Florida Atlantic's first head coach Howard Schnellenberger was an assistant of Shula in the 1970s, and FIU's first head coach Don Strock was a player under Shula in the 1970s and 1980s.
Don Shula set numerous records as head coach of the Miami Dolphins and his legacy is seen throughout the Miami area. The Shula Bowl pays homage to Shula, to South Florida football and the ties and history of both universities.
SCOUTING FLORIDA ATLANTIC
The Owls enter Saturday's meeting with FIU winners of two of three games - following a stretch of three straight losses
FAU is 0-4 on the road this season with a loss against at Ohio, Purdue, North Texas and UTEP.
The Owls are averaging 28.1 points per game, while allowing 25.7 over their initial nine contests.
Florida Atlantic is averaging 191.6 rushing yards per game and is paced by Larry McCammon III, who boasts 732 yards and an average of 5.3 per carry.
Through the air, FAU is posting an average of 223.6 passing yards per contest - led by quarterback N'Kosi Perry, who has completed 155-of-274 pass attempts for 1,999 yards and 20 touchdowns.
The Owls boast a total of three receivers with over 350 yards this season - led by LaJohntay Wester with 572 and a team-best eight TD catches. Eight different FAU players have caught at least one touchdown pass.
Defensively, Florida Atlantic is allowing 179.7 rushing yards and 224.1 passing yards per game - and an average of 25.6 points.
LAST TIME vs. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
FIU dropped a 58-21 decision against Florida Atlantic in the 20th edition of the annual Shula Bowl, which was played at FAU Stadium on Oct. 2, 2021.
The two teams were locked up in a tight battle for the opening quarter and a half as neither side led by more than seven points until FAU opened a 14-point edge with just over seven minutes left until halftime.
Senior quarterback
Max Bortenschlager finished the game 12-of-28 passing for 263 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. His top targets were
Tyrese Chambers, who made a pair of grabs for 79 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown catch.
Kris Mitchell caught three passes for 68 yards.
Defensively,
Josh Valentine-Turner led the charge with a team-best 11 tackles, including six solo stops. Freshman
Joe Perkins added nine stops, two of which were of the solo variety.
FAU was paced by quarterback N'Koshi Perry, who finished with 329 yards and three touchdowns while completing 18-21 pass attempts. Overall, Perry connected with 11 different receivers, led by Je'Quan Burton, who nabbed seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown.
SHULA BOWL WILL CONTINUE...
FIU will play Florida Atlantic University in a four-game non-conference series beginning in 2024.
The Panthers and Owls will open the four-game set during the 2024 season on the campus of Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, before playing on FIU's Miami campus in 2025. The final two games will take place at FAU (2026) and FIU (2027).
The rivalry, which dates back to the 2002 season, is known as 'The Shula Bowl'. The game's annual winner receives the Don Shula Award, which is named after former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula.
Shula, who led the Miami Dolphins for 26 seasons and is the NFL's all-time winningest coach with 347 career victories, was connected to both FIU's and FAU's first head coach.
Florida Atlantic's first head coach Howard Schnellenberger was an assistant of Shula in the 1970s, while FIU's initial head coach Don Strock, was a quarterback under Shula in the 1970s and 1980s.
'The Shula Bowl' pays homage to Shula, South Florida football and the ties and history of both FIU and Florida Atlantic universities.
PANTHERS MOVING FAST
The FIU offense has moved quickly through the initial nine games under offensive coordinator David Yost - averaging 2.52 plays per minute - which is the 19th-most nationally, according to 247 Sports' analysis.
PANTHERS CONTINUE TO GRADE HIGH
Through nine games, the following FIU players graded out high according to Pro Football Focus (PFF):
Week 10 PFF Notables
REGGIE PETERSON LOGS 6TH-LONGEST INT RETURN
During the game at North Texas ion Nov. 5, Sophomore
Reggie Peterson snagged his first career interception at the 3:44 mark of the second quarter and returned it 75 yards to the UNT four-yard line.
Peterson's 75-yard return marked the sixth-longest interception return in FIU program history and the longest since 2019 – when
Rishard Dames took one back 80 yards vs. Western Kentucky (9/7/19).
NORTH TEXAS TAKEAWAYS
- Sophomore defensive back Adrian Cole recorded his first career interception at the 13:10 mark of the opening quarter.
- Cole also recovered a fumble following an interception by teammate Reggie Peterson and ran it in for a touchdown – also the first of his career.
- Sophomore EJ Wilson Jr.'s second quarter rushing TD marked his second of the season and third score overall (2 rush/1 receiving).
- North Texas' 45 points in the first half are the second-most that FIU has ever allowed in a half in program history.
- FIU converted on a 4th and two attempt from its own 33-yard line with just under 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
- Senior Kyan Brumfield recovered a fumble at the 6:00 mark of the fourth quarter.
- FIU freshman running back Antonio Patterson saw the first action of his collegiate career and finished with seven carries for 33 yards.
- FIU played the game without the services of starting outside linebacker Shaun Peterson Jr.
BACK-TO-BACK WINS FOR PANTHERS
With the win vs. Louisiana Tech on Oct. 28, FIU recorded back-to-back wins for the first time since the 2019 campaign, when it won three straight over UMass, Charlotte and UTEP.
The victory also snapped a nine-game skid at home vs. FBS foes – dating back to a 30-24 win over Miami (Fla.) on Nov. 23, 2019 (game was played at Marlins Park/now Loan Depot Park).
It also marked the Panthers' first home win against a Conference USA opponent since a 24-17 win vs. Old Dominion on Nov. 21, 2019.
50 WINS FOR COACH MAC
FIU head coach Mike MacIntyre secured the 50th win of his career with the Panthers' 42-34 double overtime win over Louisiana Tech on Oct. 28.
PANTHERS IN NCAA RANKINGS
MONTIEL NAMED TO RAY GUY WATCH LIST
Sophomore punter
Daton Montiel has been selected to the watch list for the Ray Guy Award, which is presented annually to college football's most outstanding punter by the Augusta Sports Council.
Montiel currently ranks 45th national among NCAA FBS leaders with an average of 42.7 yards over 49 punts this season.
The Pompano Beach, Fla., native has boomed 11 kicks over 50 yards this season, including a 64-yarder and has placed a total of 17 punts inside the 20-yard line.
He has totaled 49 punts this season over the initial nine games – totaling 2,095 yards and forcing 25 fair catches.
Montiel is the third player in FIU history to earn mention to the prestigious list – joining former Panthers Stone Wilson and
Tommy Heatherly.
The award is named after punter Ray Guy, an All-American for Southern Mississippi and an All-Pro in the National Football League for the Oakland Raiders.
The Ray Guy Award winner is selected by a voting body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, national media and former Ray Guy Award winners.
UP NEXT
The Panthers hit the road for their final road game of the regular season when they trek to take on UTEP in El Paso, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 4 p.m.
