UNIVERSITY PARK, Fla. – (Nov. 13, 2020) – Florida Atlantic University football made it four Shula Bowl victories in a row over FIU, taking the 19th annual event between the two schools, 38-19, on Friday night at Riccardo Silva Stadium.
The Owls (4-1, 4-1 Conference USA) rushed for 381 yards, the program’s most in a game since the Shula Bowl two years ago, against FIU in 2018 (439 yards), and accumulated 461 yards of total offense. Javion Posey set a new FAU single-game rushing record by a quarterback with 182 yards on 18 carries.
Quotable
Head coach Willie Taggart:
“It felt great to see our guys go out and put a game together as a football team. It was really good to see our offense put some things together. We’ve been trying to establish an identity, something we haven’t done all year, it was good to see those guys go out and play the way that they did. The way they started the game, to go out and score on the opening drive, it was really good.”
The Turning Point
The Owls scored the first 10 points of the game, but the Panthers (0-4, 0-2 C-USA) threatened after a one-play scoring drive and then recovering a fumble in FAU territory. The FAU defense buckled down to give up just four yards and a field goal that tied things up, and quickly scored on their next possession (four plays, 75 yards), the first seven of 14 points unanswered.
The Finish
FIU turned to their second quarterback and were driving at the end of the third and into the fourth quarter, to 1st-and-goal at the FAU eight-yard line. But a completion for no gain, a rush for four yards and an incomplete pass preceded just another field goal. Once more, the Owls immediately responded, with James Charles bouncing off multiple defenders for a 32-yard rushing score.
Quick Hits
- Posey drew his first collegiate start at quarterback. His first rush a week ago against WKU went for 17 yards; tonight, his first carry was a 15-yard gain
- Similarly, though the redshirt freshman’s only pass last Saturday was unsuccessful, tonight his first attempt was finding TJ Chase for 28 yards to convert a long 3rd down
- The next play, LeJohntay Wester ran for 18 yards to take it into the red zone; two plays after, Posey and Wester hooked up for an 11-yard touchdown (Posey’s first passing touchdown and Wester’s first collegiate score)
- Korel Smith recorded the Owls’ first sack of the night, a loss of eight to force a Panther punt midway through the first quarter
- The very next drive, and again on third down, Evan Anderson and Leighton McCarthy combined for a nine-yard sack ahead of another punt
- Vladimir Rivas extended the lead to 10-0 with a 43-yard field goal early in the second
- FIU responded immediately with a long run for a score, then recovered a fumble to take over in FAU territory, tying the game on a field goal
- Posey took it across midfield on the first play of the ensuing drive, 28 yards up the right sideline (a new career long rush)
- Three plays later, Malcolm Davidson – on his birthday – took it to the end zone from 37 yards out
- The third FAU sack of the game was the third FAU sack on third down, this time McCarthy all alone
- Posey went over the century mark in rushing before halftime, eclipsing his previously-set long run with a 36-yarder and taking it into the FIU red zone
- After a 14-yard connection from Posey to Jordan Merrell took it down to the 11, Posey then found Brandon Robinson three plays after that for a five-yard score
- Jalen Joyner came up with FAU’s fourth sack of the first half with just seconds left, and the Owls took a 24-10 lead into the locker room
- After an FIU field goal, Wester returned the kickoff 32 yards, and five rushes took it into the end zone (Posey for five, Davidson for 10 and 21, and Charles’ 32-yard score)
- FIU once more moved inside the 10, this time Caliph Brice posted a 3rd down sack, and a 4th down pass into the end zone fell incomplete
- Posey equaled his longest run, a 36-yard rush late in the fourth, and capped the drive with a leaping rushing score on 4th down
Stats and Records
- In holding FIU to a scoreless first quarter, the Owls set a school record with 10 straight periods not allowing a touchdown
- Additionally, the Panthers ran 11 plays in the 1st, and were held to only 11 total yards (on nine carries and 0-for-2 passing)
- Posey became the first FAU quarterback – and only the second QB ever – with a 100-yard rushing game. The last was Jaquez Johnson, nearly seven years ago to the day (111 yards on Nov. 16, 2013 against Southern Miss)
- Three times in 2013, Johnson went over 100, and his high was 115. That mark was surpassed by Posey before the halftime break, 117 on 12 carries (for an average of 9.8 per)
- He ended the night with 182 on 18 carries, over 10 yards per. Davidson was just shy of triple digits at 88, for an average of 9.8, while Charles added 58 on seven totes (8.3 a carry)
- Moreover, Posey was 10-of-16 passing for 80 yards
- The Owls had more yards rushing – 217 – than the Panthers had total, 164, in the first half. FAU added 73 more yards through the air for 290 total at the break
- Smith picked up his first sack since 2018; Anderson’s half-sack was the first of his young career
- McCarthy’s 1 1/2 sacks now gives him six on the season; Joyner has five
- With five on the night, the team is up to 19 sacks this year; the defense had eight TFL on Friday as well
- Brice led the defense with eight tackles, with Teja Young and Jordan Helm each garnering six
What’s Next
Next week, FAU will suit up for the second straight time under the Friday night lights, at home on Nov. 20 hosting UMass at 8 p.m. Just like tonight, the game will air on CBS Sports Network. For tickets, visit FAU’s football tickets website or call 1-866-FAU-OWLS.
– FAUSports.com –
Florida Atlantic University Athletics:
FAU Athletics is comprised of 21 intercollegiate teams involving 450 student-athletes that compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, beach volleyball, cheer and dance. The Owls are a NCAA Division I-A (FBS) institution and compete in Conference USA and the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) (beach volleyball, men’s swimming). The Owls have been playing football since 2001 and are a perfect 4-0 in bowl games, the most recent being a 52-28 victory over SMU in the 2019 Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl. The dance team finished its 2014 season No. 8, nationally. FAU cheer won a national championship in 2016.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.
