FIU tops Rice in C-USA opener, 13-7

Sep 24, 2017, 05:48 pm

HOUSTON -- Jose Borregales kicked field goals from 37 and 44-yards out to help give Florida International a 13-7 win over Rice in its Conference USA opener Saturday night.

Rice drove to the FIU 9 in the final moments, but the Panthers got a fourth-down stop to put the game away.

FIU had its game at Indiana last Saturday cancelled because of Hurricane Irma and its 17-10 win over Alcorn State September 8 was moved to Birmingham, Alabama because of the storm.

Alex McGough got the Panthers on the board to start the second quarter, hitting Pharoah McKever with an 8-yard touchdown pass, but the Owls answered five minutes later when Jackson Tyner scored from 3 yards out.

Borregales hit from 44 yards out as time expired in the first half to give FIU (2-1, 1-0) the lead at intermission 10-7. He hit again three minutes into the third quarter, and FIU's defense held Rice (1-3, 1-1) scoreless the rest of the way.

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