FAU routs FIU in football to win the Shula Bowl for the sixth consecutive season
It was likely quarterback N’Kosi Perry’s final collegiate game in Miami, and he walked off the field a winner.
Perry, a 24-year-old who started his career by playing three seasons with the Miami Hurricanes, led the Florida Atlantic University Owls to a 52-7 win over the host FIU Panthers on Saturday night.
In his second season with FAU, Perry completed 14-of-22 passes for 104 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for 16 yards and two TDs in a highly efficient effort.
Perry played just three quarters as he was rested for the fourth period with FAU leading by 38 points.
The annual FIU-FAU rivalry game — known as The Shula Bowl — went to the Owls for a sixth consecutive year. FAU has outscored FIU 284-82 during that span.
Overall, FAU leads the series 16-4.
FIU (4-6 overall, 2-4 Conference USA) needs to win its final two games of the regular season — at Texas-El Paso and then home for Middle Tennessee — to become bowl eligible.
The Owls (5-5, 4-2) are one win away from bowl eligibility. They close their regular season at Middle Tennessee and then home for Western Kentucky.
FIU, which is 1-4 this season in games against quarterbacks — such as Perry — who are in at least their fourth collegiate season, was never in Saturday’s contest.
The Owls led 21-0 after the first quarter, holding FIU to 9 yards and zero first downs in the opening 15 minutes.
While FIU was punting three times in that first quarter, the Owls got a Perry 1-yard TD run, a Perry 5-yard TD pass to Je’Quan Burton and a 3-yard Perry TD run.
The Panthers never recovered.
FIU quarterback Grayson James missed his first eight passes. He finished the game completing 9-of-26 passes for 56 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for 47 yards and one touchdown.
The Panthers lost starting right guard Jacob Peace to an unspecified injury in the second quarter.
FAU led 31-7 at halftime and 45-7 after three quarters.
Earlier this week, Perry told the Miami Herald that “it’s always fun to compete against those guys down south.”
It certainly was fun on Saturday — for the Owls, not the Panthers.