Upcoming Event: Football at FIU on September 13, 2025 at 6 p.m.
6 p.m.
Football
at FIU
Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Saturday, November 29
Miami, Fla.
4:00 PM
Florida Atlantic
6-6 , 4-3
57
vs
50
FIU (Shula Bowl)
4-7 , 3-4
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
OT
F
FIU
7
9
6
28
0
50
FAU
14
0
8
28
7
57
FAU Wins 57-50 OT Thriller
11/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 29, 2008
Shula Bowl Action Photo Gallery
MIAMI (AP) -Rusty Smith threw five touchdown passes, including the game-winner in overtime, to lead Florida Atlantic to a 57-50 victory over Florida International on Saturday.
After the teams scored a combined 56 points in the fourth quarter, Florida International (4-7, 3-4 Sun Belt) won the coin toss in overtime but elected to play defense first. Florida Atlantic (6-6, 4-3) scored on Smith's 9-yard pass to Cortez Gent on its first possession.
The Golden Panthers followed that by throwing three incomplete passes during their possession, and a sack of Paul McCall by the Owls' Daniel Joseph on fourth down sealed the win for Florida Atlantic.
Smith finished 25-for-50 for 389 yards with one interception for the Owls. Gent caught seven passes for 108 yards with three touchdowns, and Jamari Grant had seven receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns.
McCall was 27-for-47 for a school-record 400 yards with four touchdowns and one interception for Florida International.
T.Y. Hilton had 99 yards on four receptions, scoring three touchdowns for the Golden Panthers - two of them through the air. Greg Ellingson had 138 yards and a score on seven receptions, and Darriet Perry carried the ball 16 times for a game-high 115 yards and two scores.
Trailing 36-22 in the fourth, Florida Atlantic scored two touchdowns in a span of 56 seconds.
The first came on a fourth-and-10 from the Florida International 20-yard line when Smith threw a pass that was tipped by several players and then caught in the back of the end zone by Gent with 6:49 to go.
On Florida International's ensuing possession, Corey Small intercepted McCall and returned it 25 yards to tie the score at 36 with 5:53 left.
The Golden Panthers answered on McCall's fourth touchdown pass, a 29-yard toss to Ellingson that made it 43-36 with 3:49 left. Following an interception by Florida International, Perry's second touchdown of the game made the score 50-36 at 3:09.
Florida Atlantic scored its next two touchdowns in less than three minutes to send the game into overtime.
Smith threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Gent with 2:08 left. After a successful onside kick, Smith's 11-yard touchdown pass to Grant tied it at 50 with 18 seconds left.
Fans who take the Shula Bowl ticket to the FAU women's basketball game scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday versus the University of Texas at FAU Arena will get in for one dollar.
Team Stats
FIU
FAU
Total Yards
512
524
Pass Yards
400
389
Rushing Yards
112
135
Penalty Yards
51
105
1st Downs
25
28
3rd Downs
9
8
4th Downs
0
1
TOP
30:20
29:40
1st Quarter
FIU 0, FAU 7
FAU - Pierre, Charles 2 yd run (Leroy, Warley kick), 7 plays, 48 yards, TOP 2:58
FIU 7, FAU 7
FIU - Hilton, T.Y. 60 yd pass from McCall, Paul (Rivest, Dustin kick) 6 plays, 79 yards, TOP 1:34
FIU 7, FAU 14
FAU - Grant, Jamari 2 yd pass from Smith, Rusty (Leroy, Warley kick) 3 plays, 5 yards, TOP 1:20
2nd Quarter
FIU 13, FAU 14
FIU - Hilton, T.Y. 6 yd run (Rivest, Dustin kickfailed), 7 plays, 60 yards, TOP 3:15
FIU 16, FAU 14
FIU - Rivest, Dustin 22 yd field goal 7 plays, 37 yards, TOP 1:53
3rd Quarter
FIU 22, FAU 14
FIU - Perry, Darriet 4 yd run (Rivest, Dustin rushfumbled), 6 plays, 48 yards, TOP 2:34
FIU 22, FAU 22
FAU - Edgecomb, D. 10 yd run (Housler, Rob pass), 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:49
4th Quarter
FIU 29, FAU 22
FIU - Hilton, T.Y. 34 yd pass from McCall, Paul (Rivest, Dustin kick) 5 plays, 78 yards, TOP 1:17
FIU 36, FAU 22
FIU - Frierson, Jason 28 yd pass from McCall, Paul (Rivest, Dustin kick) 2 plays, 28 yards, TOP 0:11
FIU 36, FAU 29
FAU - Gent, Cortez 20 yd pass from Smith, Rusty (Leroy, Warley kick) 10 plays, 94 yards, TOP 2:27
FIU 36, FAU 36
FAU - Small, Corey 25 yd interception (Leroy, Warley kick)
FIU 43, FAU 36
FIU - Ellingson, Greg 29 yd pass from McCall, Paul (Rivest, Dustin kick) 7 plays, 76 yards, TOP 2:04
FIU 50, FAU 36
FIU - Perry, Darriet 18 yd run (Rivest, Dustin kick), 2 plays, 19 yards, TOP 0:14
FIU 50, FAU 43
FAU - Gent, Cortez 8 yd pass from Smith, Rusty (Leroy, Warley kick) 5 plays, 95 yards, TOP 1:01
FIU 50, FAU 50
FAU - Grant, Jamari 11 yd pass from Smith, Rusty (Leroy, Warley kick) 9 plays, 51 yards, TOP 1:50
OT Quarter
FIU 50, FAU 57
FAU - Gent, Cortez 9 yd pass from Smith, Rusty (Leroy, Warley kick) 8 plays, 0 yards, TOP 0:18
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
25
TD
5
YDS
389
INT
1
Players Mentioned
WR
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TE
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DL
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CB
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