HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS –FIU freshman quarterback Keyone Jenkins connected with junior wide receiver Kris Jenkins for a 25-yard scoring pass on the opening play in the second round of overtime to lift the Panthers to a 33-27 victory over Sam Houston on Wednesday night in a Conference USA clash.
 
The Panthers defense held up their end on the following Sam Houston possession – as they pushed the Bearkats backwards with back-to-back sacks and kept them off the scoreboard to seal the victory.
 
The teams traded touchdowns on their opening possessions of overtime – with Sam Houston scoring on a 25-yard run by Noah Smith on its first play in the extra session before the Panthers answered with a one-yard quarterback sneak by Jenkins to push it to a second round of overtime.
 
Trailing 20-17 with under 90 seconds remaining, Jenkins picked up a key first down with a 23-yard run on a fourth and 18 to keep FIU's final drive in regulation alive and set up junior placekicker Chase Gabriel for a clutch 36-yard field goal that tied the game at 20-20 and sent the contest into overtime.
 
With the game tied at 17-17, FIU had possession deep in its own territory following a pooch punt by Sam Houston, that backed the Panthers up to their own three-yard line.  Jenkins had the ball slip out of his hands on a pass attempt which was then recovered by Sam Houston's Jevon Leon at the FIU 17.
 
The Bearkats capitalized with a 32-yard field goal by Colby Sessums to claim a three-point edge with 1:24 on the clock to set up the FIU rally.
 
Sam Houston quarterback Keegan Showmaker finished 31-of-47 passing for 306 yards and two touchdowns.  Smith caught nine passes for 91 yards in the defeat.
 
Jenkins completed 26-of-38 through the air for 190 yards and a touchdown.  Mitchell snagged eight catches for 81 yards and a touchdown.  Sophomore running back Kejon Owens paced the Panthers on the ground with 60 yards and a score.  Three different Panthers, including Owens, Jenkins and Shomari Lawrence.
 
Defensively, the Panthers were paced by junior linebacker Reggie Peterson, who posted a team-high 10 tackles and snagged his second career interception.
 
Peterson made the first big play of the contest with an interception on Sam Houston's first possession – which he returned 61 yards to set up FIU at the Bearkats' nine-yard line.  The Panthers were unable to capitalize as they set up for a field goal try, before running a fake that saw place kicker Gabriel pushed out of bounds at the SHSU 2.
 
The FIU defense kept the field position in the Panthers' favor on the next Sam Houston possession by forcing the three and out and setting up the offense at the Sam Houston 35.  Gabriel connected on a 29-yard field goal with just under two minutes left in the opening quarter to put FIU ahead 3-0.
 
Following a block of a Sam Houston second quarter field goal attempt, the Panthers put together a 10-play, 70-yard drive that saw Lawrence cap it off with a four-yard scoring rush to up the lead to 10-0 with 5:57 remaining in the opening half.
 
Sam Houston (0-7, 0-4 CUSA) answered on its next possession by trimming the deficit to 10-7 on a 10-yard scoring toss from Shoemaker to Elijah Sohn with 1:57 before the break.
 
The Bearkats added three more points on their final possession before halftime as Colby Sessums knocked in a 30-yard field goal on the final play of the half deadlock the score at 10-10.
 
FIU (4-4, 1-4 CUSA) reclaimed the lead on their opening drive of the second half, which was keyed by a total of 38 rushing yards by Owens, who capped off the march with a 13-yard touchdown run to put the Panthers back in front by a 17-10 margin with just over two minutes left in the third quarter. 
 
The drive went for a total of 80 yards in 15 plays and took 8:03 off the clock.
 
Sam Houston answered on its next possession as Shoemaker connected with Noah Smith from 20-yard out for his second TD pass of the contest to tie up the score once again at 17-17 with 12:44 left in regulation.
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers return home on Wednesday, Oct. 25 when they host Jacksonville State in the final of a four-week stretch of Wednesday night kickoffs in a 7 p.m. start from The Cage in Miami - which will air nationally on CBS Sports Network.
 
Following the showdown with the Gamecocks, FIU will be idle for 16 days until facing Middle Tennessee State on the road on Saturday, Nov. 11 in Mufreesboro, Tenn.
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Junior linebacker Reggie Peterson recorded his first interception of the season and second of his career in the first quarter – he returned it 61 yards to the Sam Houston nine-yard line.
• Sophomore defensive back Brian Blades blocked a Sam Houston field goal attempt in the second quarter – FIU's first since Jeramy Passmore blocked one against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 26, 2022.
• Senior linebacker Elijah Anderson-Taylor forced a fumble in the second quarter.
• Sam Houston scored 10 points in the final 1:57 of the first half after trailing 10-0.
• FIU quarterback Keyone Jenkins lost a fumble with 1:52 left in regulation at the FIU 17.
• Tonight's game marked FIU's first game in overtime this season and its first since defeating Louisiana Tech in double overtime on Oct. 28, 2022 (42-34).
• FIU is now 8-6 all-time in overtime contests following tonight's 33-27 win in double overtime.
• Freshman Keyone Jenkins scored a rushing touchdown for the fifth-straight game which ties the program record for most consecutive games with a rushing TD by a quarterback - previously set by Alex McGough in 2017.
   

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