Dalton Tevlin/Sports Director
It was a heartbreaker in rainy West Virginia as the Panthers lost their last game of the regular season against the Marshall Thundering Herd.
It was a fairly quiet game for both teams for three quarters.
Marshall took an early 10-0 lead but the Panthers responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Napoleon Maxwell in the second quarter.
Marshall took a 17-7 lead in the third quarter with a 1-yard run by quarterback Isaiah Green.
It wasn’t looking good as the Panthers went into the 4th quarter.
A dirty hit on quarterback James Morgan knocked him out of the game for a few plays while backup Kaylan Wiggins marched the Panthers into the red zone.
Running back Anthony Jones stiff-armed his way to the endzone on the first play of what would be a wild fourth quarter.
On the very first snap for Marshall on the following drive, Green fumbled the snap and the Panthers recovered the ball in Marshall territory.
The next play receiver Tony Gaiter IV took a drag route 22-yards to the house after shaking defenders and making a spectacular dive to the endzone to make it 21-17 Panthers.
Marshall would respond with 2 minutes left with an 18-yard pass to Xavier Gaines to make it 24-21 Marshall.
The Panthers would put a drive together to get in kicker Jose Borregales’ range.
Borregales would nail a 41-yed field goal with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter to send it to overtime.
The Panthers began overtime with possession but couldn’t get into the endzone. Instead, they settled for a 35-yard field goal from Borregales, leaving it up to the defense to seal the deal.
A 24-yard run by Brenden Knox would put the Herd on the Panthers 1-yard line, a devastating blow to the Panthers.
Knox would then punch it in from the 1-yard line to end the game, 30-27 Marshall.
This is a gut-wrenching loss for the Panthers coming off their shocking win over the University of Miami in their last matchup.
The Panthers were riding a great wave of momentum and fan support but it came crashing down this week.
While FIU is bowl eligible with their 6-6 record, it isn’t a guarantee by far and at this point would be more of a formality.
A bowl win would only put a filter on what was a disappointing season for the Panthers.
The Panthers were early favorites to compete for the Conference USA crown coming off their record-setting 9-4 record last year.
This is not the ending the Panthers and their departing seniors hoped for. This could very well be the last game we see Morgan, Sage Lewis and many other players who are the core of this team.
Check back with PantherNOW.com for the latest news on the Panthers bowl eligibility and more.