Panthers seek back-to-back wins vs. FAU in Shula Bowl

The FIU Panthers will make the short trip north to Boca Raton on Saturday to take on the FAU Owls in the 24th Shula Bowl. At stake is the Don Shula Trophy, a piece of South Florida football history that FIU has no intention of giving back.

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The Panthers enter this year’s matchup as the defending Shula Bowl champions after defeating the Owls 38-28 last season in head coach Willie Simmons’ first year with the program. The win gave FIU its first victory in the series since 2016.

Now, in Year 2 of the Simmons era, the Panthers have a chance to do something they haven’t done since 2011 and 2012: beat FAU in back-to-back meetings.

For FIU, the rivalry means more than just a trophy. Wide receiver Maguire Anderson and linebacker Percy Courtney made it clear that this week is circled on the team’s calendar, with both players focused on defending their title and making history.

“The rivalry game is always one that we have circled on our calendar for a long time. We’re really excited for this one, and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure we keep this trophy,” Anderson said.

Percy Courtney echoed that same mind-set, pointing to Simmons’ message about the importance of winning rivalry games.

“Coach Simmons always says, if you’re a good player, and you don’t win your rivalry games, they won’t consider you one of the greats. That’s on all of our minds right now, because we all want to be the best FIU team this year, we want to make history this year. What better way to do it than to defend our title” Courtney said.

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For a program building a new identity under Simmons, this is the time to prove it.

With the over/under total score of 62.5 points, this matchup projects to be a high-scoring affair. That should not be a problem for FIU’s offense, led by star quarterback JJ Kohl.

Through two games, Kohl has thrown for 668 yards, which ranks ninth in the nation, along with five total touchdowns.

FAU has a star quarterback of its own in Caden Veltkamp, a Western Kentucky transfer with a strong arm similar to Kohl’s. Veltkamp has put up similar numbers, throwing for 662 yards and seven total touchdowns through two games.

With both 1-1 teams still struggling to establish running games, expect plenty of action through the air. Kohl and Veltkamp have the talent to turn this rivalry into a shootout, but in a game where every possession matters, one big play could decide who takes home the Don Shula Trophy.

For FIU, this game is about more than defending last year’s title. It is an opportunity to show that last season’s win was the start of a new chapter in the rivalry, not an anomaly.

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