BOCA RATON, Fla. — FIU's football program battled to the end against Florida Atlantic in Saturday evening's Shula Bowl rivalry in Boca Raton, but ultimately fell late, 16-10.
Pinned at its own 1-yard line with less than two minutes to go, FIU (1-2) drove 80 yards down the field and had three end zone shots to down Florida Atlantic (2-1) in walk-off fashion, but could not complete a final game-winning pass. The Panther defense starred in defeat, allowing just 258 yards of total offense on 67 offensive plays for the prolific Owls attack.
FIU had three sacks on the evening as Elisha Baldridge, Kenton Simmons and DeeJay Holmes Jr. each had one. DeAndre Boykins led the tackling effort with eight total tackles and the Panther secondary had five total pass breakups.
Offensively, Maguire Anderson led the way with a career-high 139 yards and eight catches. Tyson Carter chipped in four catches for 35 yards in support. JJ Kohl posted 262 passing yards and one rushing touchdown, but had three interceptions, all of which came in the first quarter. Anthony Carrie had 44 yards rushing to lead the backfield.
FAU scored 10 first quarter points to gain control early as it capitalized on two turnovers via Kohl interceptions with advantageous field positions. The Owls' scoring drives were nine yards and 22 yards in total, taking a 10-0 lead after one.
With time waning down in the second quarter, Kohl led an impressive drive that was capped by a three-yard QB keeper to get FIU within 10-7 at the half. The Owls tacked on two field goals in the third quarter, taking a two-score lead into the fourth. Robert Czeremcha booted through a 36-yard field with 13:28 to go to make it 16-10, setting the stage for a back-and-forth finish to the game.
Quick Notes
- Anderson's 138 yards receiving mark his third-consecutive week notching a career-high in receiving yards to start the 2026 season.
- Anderson also matched his career-high of eight receptions, which he set on Sept. 5 at South Florida.
- Carter's four catches and 35 yards are both career-highs for the sophomore receiver.
- FIU's defense has now allowed 60 yards rushing or less in back-to-back weeks.
- Holmes Jr. now has three sacks on the season and has three-straight games with a sack.
- Baldridge now has three sacks overall after a two-sack performance last week against Buffalo.
- Simmons' sack was his first of the season.
25th Season Celebration, Presented by Miccosukee Casino and Resort
The 2026 season for the Panthers officially marks FIU's 25th season of football competition, dating back to the Panthers' first-ever season in 2002. Over that time period, FIU has qualified for six bowl games, secured six Shula Bowl victories and produced countless NFL players, including Pro Bowlers T.Y Hilton and Jonnu Smith. The program has also seen many legendary coaches and outstanding players pass through the Panther facilities throughout its history, creating a litany of incredible moments experienced by Panther Nation.
Fans can be expected to be taken on a journey back to the inception of the program all the way up to the present day, recognizing the standard set by the first teams and acknowledging how many past Panthers have helped to build on that legacy. All of this will lead up and continue through the 25th official season in 2026, the second under head coach Willie Simmons, following one of the most historic seasons on record in his first year on the sidelines.
As the campaign begins with a variety of content in the coming weeks, visit our one-stop shop for the 25th Season Celebration. In conjunction with this, fans are encouraged to follow along with the many highly-engaging pieces of content recognizing the past that will be released on FIU Football's social media channels, listed below.
Social Media
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIU.Football on Instagram and @FIUFootball on Twitter and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.
