The Shula Bowl between Florida Internationa University and Florida Atlantic returns this weekend. The teams did not face off last season, and there are mixed feelings.
One team is fresh off a rousing victory, the other off a deflating loss.
Regardless, both teams are thinking that there are huge stakes in the rivalry game that kicks off at 6 p.m. Saturday in Boca Raton.
Both coaches acknowledged how important this game is to their programs at their respective postgame press conferences last Saturday.
“It is a huge game, and Florida Atlantic has had their way with us around here for a while,” FIU coach Mike MacIntyre said after the Panthers’ 52-16 win over Central Michigan … and he’s right. The Owls lead the series, 16–4, and authored the largest point differential in the rivalry’s history in 2022, a 52-7 win at FIU.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do to hopefully just stay on the field with them,” MacIntyre added. “For a rivalry to be a rivalry, we need to play better and see what we can do.”
FAU has won the Shula Trophy the last six times it’s been up for grabs. The Owls are averaging more than 47 points per game during the streak. FIU, which is no longer league mates with FAU now that the Owls are in the American Athletic Conference, is only averaging 15 points per game in that run. MacIntyre has only been on the sidelines for one of those games.
FAU coach Tom Herman, on the other hand, has never been a part of this rivalry. He took over the Owls last season, just before they joined the AAC, and the former coach of the Texas Longhorns has his work cut out for him this week, especially after the Owls dropped a 24-7 decision to Army in Boca Raton last Saturday.
“We’ll wake up and the real guys will come to work excited to improve,” Herman said after the loss, “and excited to play FIU in a game that has a trophy at the end of it.”
History is on his side. Though the Owls are 0-2 this season, they are 6-point favorites this weekend, and across the rivalry, FAU owns a 10-1 record against the Panthers in Boca Raton.
All that said, the Owls’ last game was a mystery. After a season-opening loss at Michigan State, FAU was flat at home, resulting in a loss that saw the Black Knights compile 405 rushing yards, while keeping FAU to just 42 yards on the ground.
“The frustrating thing is there’s so much good that happened,” Herman said. “And even offensively, believe it or not, we have shown that, at our best, we are pretty good.”
One of those positives offensively was FAU quarterback Cam Fancher, who threw the Owls’ only touchdown of the game. He accumulated more than 200 all-purpose yards in the loss.
“You have to worry about his legs, worry about his arm, worry about him getting outside the pocket,” MacIntyre said. “And he puts a lot of pressure on a defense.”
Despite the trophy, proximity, and long history of the matchup, FIU quarterback Keyone Jenkins doesn’t believe this is a rivalry anymore.
“I don’t really see those guys as a rival, no disrespect,” he said. “That got nothing to do with me, I’m playing football.”
Jenkins comes into this matchup after scoring three total touchdowns against the Chippewas, and winning the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week award.
The Panthers offense scored six total touchdowns vs. Central Michigan, and their defense created six turnovers as they evened their record at 1-1. Those turnovers helped FIU defensive coordinator Jovan Dewitt earn the honor of Conference USA Coordinator of the Week.
