FAU Football vs FIU, Nov 29, 2013, 3 PM, FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL

FAU 21, beats rival FIU 6. FAU becomes bowl-eligible for first time since 2008. A month ago, FAU was a two-win team whose head coach had resigned. What a difference a few weeks of Hard Work makes, as on Friday, the Owls dumped Gatorade on interim head coach Brian Wright after FAU won its fourth-straight game to become bowl-eligible for the first time in five years. FAU’s on-field celebration after beating rival FIU 21-6 in the 12th edition of the annual Shula Bowl was equal parts cathartic and reserved, because while the Owls’ ugly, but effective, win was arguably the program’s most memorable victory in its 13-year history, but it might mean little come Dec. 8, when the bowl game selections are finalized. What’s the point of being bowl eligible if you don’t go to a bowl? That’s the question the FAU players and staff will have to ponder for the next nine days. FAU became the 73rd team to earn bowl eligibly on Friday, but with only 70 bowl-game slots available, and a handful of teams poised to join the Owls in the six-win club on Saturday, the Owls’ postseason fate will be determined by politics.

To view High Definition Videos of the Three Featured Programs click onto the Link below:

FAU vs FIU November Match Nov 29 2013, the SHULA BOWL event, National Anthem, Coin Toss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pk9goIuLbk

FAU vs FIU November Match Nov 29 2013, the SHULA BOWL event, Senior Recognitions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V87ke58VNqw

FAU vs FIU November Match Nov 29 2013, the SHULA BOWL event, Commercial & FAU Recognitions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxRtPlKi9jA

In the meantime, FAU can at least take pride in the fact it took care of its end of the bowl-game bargain. The Owls (6-6, 4-4) broke FIU’s two-game Shula Bowl winning streak and won the rivalry game for the first time at FAU Stadium Friday, by holding FIU (1-11, 1-7) to 132 yards of total offense. Jaquez Johnson threw for three touchdowns to pace the FAU offense, which jumped out to a 21-3 lead and to push the game out of question in the early goings of the third quarter.

The FAU defense registered eight sacks in the game, and senior defensive end Martin Wright set a new FAU single-game sack record by getting to FIU quarterback Jake Metlock five times to register 4.5 sacks in the contest. Wright broke the single-game record, which was 3 sacks, after only 16 minutes of play. In all, FAU has outscored its opponents 151-40 in four games under Wright, but now the Owls can only wait to learn their bowl game fate.

“A lot of waiting and seeing,” Wright said after the game. “We took care of what we needed to take care of these last four weeks…We’re one of the top 70 teams in this country right now. Hopefully a committee will agree with that.” But more than postseason play was left in limbo following Friday’s game. FAU’s seniors don’t know if Friday will prove to be their last collegiate football game, so they did their best to push out the questions of “what now?” and celebrate the Shula Bowl victory as if it was. “It was pure joy,” center Mustafa Johnson said. “We’ve been through a little bit this season. For us to come together through all of it and give ourselves an opportunity to have one more [game], it’s something special.” Regardless of if the Owls reach a bowl game, the Shula Bowl might have been Wright’s final game in charge of FAU’s football program. FAU athletic director Pat Chun is poised to hire the team’s next football coach on the week of Dec. 8, and while Wright is a candidate, he’s no lock to earn the full-time job. If Friday was indeed Wright’s final game as FAU’s head coach, he’ll finish with a perfect 4-0 record.

Wright said after the game that he felt he made a strong case to be retained as the team’s head coach. “I’m not sure who else would have been put in this situation other than me and this coaching staff who could have done what we did,” Wright said. FAU’s players have given vocal support to Wright as well. “Coach Wright would be a perfect guy for the job,” said senior tight end Nexon Dorvilus, who scored FAU’s first touchdown Friday with a highlight-reel worthy one-handed catch. “He’s building something, he’s successful, and he’s 4-0. What else do you want?” But until he’s relieved of his duties, Wright is still in charge, and he said following the win, his team will operate as if there is a bowl game on the horizon. “I told them that we were going to write a positive FAU success story when this thing was over,” Wright said.

The Shula Bowl is an annual college football rivalry game between the Florida Atlantic University Owls and the Florida International University Panthers. The game's winner receives a traveling trophy, the "Don Shula Award," for one year. The current winner is FAU, winning 21-6 on 29 November 2013. Florida Atlantic leads the all-time series nine games to three. The game and trophy are named after former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula. Don Shula was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 1970 to 1995. Each school's first head coach has previous ties to Don Shula. Florida Atlantic's first head coach Howard Schnellenberger was an assistant of Shula in the 1970s, and FIU's first head coach Don Strock, was a player under Shula in the 1970s and 1980s.[2] Don Shula set numerous records as head coach of the Miami Dolphins and his legacy is seen throughout the Miami area. The Shula Bowl pays homage to Shula, to south Florida football and the ties and history of both universities.