RUSTON, La. – FIU Football started fast before a Louisiana Tech touchdown with 61 ticks left in regulation allowed the Bulldogs to edge the Panthers 22-17 in the Conference USA opener for both teams on Saturday night in Ruston.
 
The Panthers jumped out to an early 17-3 lead, before the Bulldogs scored the final 19 points of the contest to escape with the win.
 
Louisiana Tech's (1-0, 1-0 CUSA) Jacob Fields scored on a 30-yard run to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the game with 1:01 left in regulation.  The Panthers had one final possession, but an interception ended the opportunity with 49 seconds remaining.
 
FIU was paced by sophomore running back Shomari Lawrence, who finished with 139 yards on 15 carries in his FIU debut.
 
The Panthers' defense bent but didn't break for the majority of the evening as it forced a pair of critical turnovers to keep FIU in control for the majority of the contest.
 
FIU (0-1, 0-1 CUSA) wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as Lawrence burst up the middle and raced away from the Louisiana Tech defense for a 67-yard touchdown run on the Panthers' third play from scrimmage, to put them ahead 7-0 just 1:54 into the contest.
 
The FIU defense helped extend the lead as freshman Antonio Patterson scored from six yards out to make the score 14-0 with 4:42 left in the opening quarter, to cap a five-play, 56-yard drive that was set up following an interception by senior Dverick Daniel at the Bulldogs' 44-yard line.
 
Louisiana Tech finally broke through on a 41-yard field goal at 14:04 of the second quarter by Buchanan to trim the Panthers' lead to 14-3.
 
Junior placekicker Chase Gabriel got the points right back for the Panthers on the following possession with a 45-yard field goal, to finish off an eight-play, 49-yard drive and up the FIU lead to 17-3 with 10:06 left in the second quarter.
 
The Panther defense stayed stiff on the following possession and forced a missed 37-yard field goal by the Bulldogs' to hold them scoreless following an 11-play, 55-yard push, with just over five minutes before halftime.
 
The Bulldogs connected on a big play at the 3:48 mark of the second when Smoke Harris caught a pass from Bachmeier and raced 64 yards for a score to make the score 17-10 FIU.
 
Buchanan added a 32-field goal on the final play of the first half to trim the margin to 17-13 at halftime.
 
FIU forced its second turnover of the game when junior Jamal Potts laid a hit on La Tech's Nate Jones and caused a fumble that was recovered by sophomore Keegan Davis at the FIU 41 just 2:24 into the third quarter.
 
Neither team scored on their opening three possessions of the second half before the Bulldogs got within a point at 17-16 with 12:34 left in regulation on a 46-yard field goal by Buchanan – his third of the contest.
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers will host Maine for their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 2 in a 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff from FIU Stadium in Miami.  The game is slated to be aired live in ESPN+.
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Saturday's game marked the earliest date (Aug. 26) for a season opener in the 22-year history of the FIU Football program.
• Sophomore Shomari Lawrence's 67-yard touchdown run in the first quarter is the longest rush for the Panthers since D'vonte Price scored on a 68-yard run vs. Long Island on Sept. 2, 2021.
• The 67-yard scoring run was also the second rush of Lawrence's career at FIU and marked the longest run of his collegiate career including last season when he played at South Dakota.
• FIU sophomore Larry Preston was ejected from the game for targeting at the 8:06 mark of the opening quarter.
• Senior Dverick Daniel made the first interception of his FIU career at the 7:14 mark of the opening quarter.
• Freshman Antonio Patterson scored the first touchdown of his collegiate career on a six-yard rush with 4:42 left in the first quarter.
• Louisiana Tech missed a 37-yard field goal with 4:21 left in the opening half.
• FIU's 158 rushing yards were its highest total since posting the same 158 against Long Island on Sept. 2, 2021.
• Junior Jamal Potts forced a fumble at the 12:36 mark of the third quarter – the second of his career and first of the 2023 campaign.

 
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