FAU Comes From Behind to Take Arkansas St., 34-31

Saturday, November 10

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

4:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

5-4 , 4-1

Arkansas State

4-6 , 2-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Arkansas State

Florida Atlantic

11/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

Nov. 10, 2007

Final Stats | Photo Gallery

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -Willie Rose caught two touchdowns passes and also a 2-point conversion pass as Florida Atlantic came from behind win to beat Arkansas State 34-31.

Trailing 31-20, a screen pass from quarterback Rusty Smith to Rose went 56 yards for a touchdown to close the gap to 31-26 with 9:57 left in the fourth.

The Owls took the lead on Smith's 6-yard touchdown pass from Smith to DiIvory Edgecomb with 2:49 left. Smith tossed a pass to Rose for a successful two-point conversion to make it 34-31. It was Smith's third touchdown pass of the game.

The win keeps Florida Atlantic (5-4, 4-1) in contention for the Sun Belt Conference title. They must defeat Florida International and Troy in their final two games to clinch it.

Smith finished 22-of-44 for 268 yards with two interceptions and three touchdowns.

Reggie Arnold scored three touchdowns for Arkansas State (4-6, 2-4). Corey Leonard was 19-of-33 for 131 yards and a touchdown. Leonard also rushed for a touchdown.

After Warley Leroy kicked a career-long 46-yard field goal for the Owls to cut the deficit to 24-20, the Indians converted Florida Atlantic's third turnover of the game into points. Tyrell Johnson intercepted a badly overthrown pass by Smith and returned it 38 yards to the Florida Atlantic 5-yard line. Arnold's 4-yard touchdown run, his third score of the game, gave Arkansas State a 31-20 lead with 13:06 left in the fourth.

Trailing 17-10, Arkansas State scored two touchdowns in the third quarter. Arnold's 2-yard touchdown run tied the score at 17 and a 6-yard touchdown run by Leonard made it 24-17.

The Owls took a 14-7 lead on a 2-yard pass from Smith to Rose in the second. Arkansas State closed to 14-10 on a 20-yard field goal by Josh Arauco. The kick followed a fumble recovery by Javon McKinnon at the Owls' 5-yard line.

Florida Atlantic answered with a 33-yard field goal by Leroy to stretch its lead to 17-10.

The Indians scored less than two minutes into the game. McKinnon intercepted a Smith pass on the Owl's 20-yard line. Three plays later, Arnold caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Leonard to make the score 7-0.

Florida Atlantic tied the score on its ensuing possession on a 1-yard run by Smith.