Although an interception, a blocked punt and a forced fumble were the catalysts for FIU's comeback win against North Texas on Saturday night at FIU Stadium, it was some defensive adjustments and nifty rushing that keyed the Golden Panthers (3-7, 3-4 Sun Belt) to the victory.

Defensive back Peter Riley's interception return for a touchdown started FIU's second-half run of 21 unanswered points in the 35-28 victory over the Mean Green.

Jonathan Faucher's blocked punt spurred the tying touchdown drive. And Anthony Gaitor's forced fumble and Jonathan Cyprien's recovery set up Wayne Younger's 23-yard, game-winning touchdown run with five minutes left in the game.

However, it was the Golden Panthers' ability to slow down the North Texas running game and some creative run play-calling on offense that were ultimately the decisive factors.

BEATEN EARLY

North Texas quarterback Riley Dodge and running back Lance Dunbar hit the Panthers for 142 yards rushing in the first 30 minutes of the game. They averaged 6.4 yards per carry and were responsible for three of the Mean Green's four touchdowns.

``They were going fast,'' FIU coach Mario Cristobal said of the North Texas offense. ``They were doing a good job trying to figure out how we were trying to disguise our coverages. The speed of their offense was effective.''

But when the third quarter started, a different FIU defense showed up. Suddenly, the running lanes Dodge and Dunbar waltzed into during the first half were closed in the second half.

Dunbar gained only 33 yards in the second half. Dodge got just 28 yards.

``We thought we were in position to make some plays [in the first half], and we missed a couple of plays that we didn't wrap up,'' Cristobal said. ``I think tightening that up and changing two coverages and adding a stunt at halftime made a big difference, because now the quarterback goes from running 20 to 25 yards to being 1 yard, 2 yards.

``Second-and-7 and second-and-9 are much better for our defense than first-and-10.''

DOUBLE THREAT

Offensively, FIU used both starting quarterback Paul McCall and backup Younger to tweak its running game.

McCall, who returned from a hyperextended elbow sustained Oct. 31, was efficient, completing 12 of 18 passes. Younger, known for more his running, gave FIU a different dimension, as shown by his decisive touchdown run on a triple-option play.

``The use of both quarterbacks was really effective,'' Cristobal said. ``Paul was a little dinged-up coming in, but that wasn't the reason for [using two quarterbacks]. There are some things that Wayne does for us offensively that we wanted to use and try to expose their defense with, and we did.''

FIU also got a boost from the WildPanther scheme, which made its debut last week at Middle Tennessee. Running back Kendall Berry scored on a 35-yard run after taking a direct snap.

Berry rushed for 82 yards, and running back Daunte Owens gained 79 yards on eight carries, averaging nearly 10 yards per carry. FIU ran for 173 yards as a team.