MIAMI – FIU is enjoying perhaps its best season in school history.

Less than two weeks ago, the Golden Panthers (6-3) earned bowl eligibility status in a landmark 14-7 home win over UTSA. It’s now FIU’s third season in which it gets to play in the postseason, with the other two such seasons coming in 2010 and 2011.

Now they have a chance to keep the Shula Bowl and prevent surging FAU (7-3) from winning the Conference USA East Title outright. The home team has won this all-important conference game for the past two years, which makes it enticing for FIU to create a different streak of its own.

More than likely, it will be either FIU or FAU in the Conference USA title game against C-USA West champion North Texas (7-3). But the Vegas oddsmaker are in favor of FAU winning this game at their home (FAU Stadium; Boca Raton, Fla.), making the Owls a 15-point favorite over the Golden Panthers.

Regardless of how this game turns out, first-year head coach Butch Davis will most likely be proud of his players and how they love to battle for one another. He has been saying that all season long about them.

Meanwhile, FIU senior quarterback Alex McGough has been having arguably his best season at the helm, as he passed for 2,051 yards and 11 touchdowns. The dual-threat signal-caller has also added 252 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

McGough has a bevy of good talent around him, including senior wide receiver and Biletnikoff Award Watch List honoree Thomas Owens, who has recorded 59 catches for 887 yards and six touchdowns (all team-highs at wideout). The Delray Beach native and future NFL draft prospect scored one of FIU’s two touchdowns in its most recent win of the season.

In addition to Owens, FIU has another Delray Beach native in sophomore running back Shawndarrius Phillips, who is coming into his own as a potential standout for the team. He scored the game’s second touchdown in the win against UTSA (two touchdowns in nine games played) and now has 387 combined yards (rushing and receiving) for the season.

FIU has other weapons as well, including the likes of senior starting running back Alex Gardner (team-high 591 rushing yards, three touchdowns) and junior running back Napoleon Maxwell (319 rush yards, three touchdowns). The Golden Panthers like to keep everyone fresh, as they typically employ a by-committee system to stay conditioned throughout each game.

This committee approach can work wonders against FAU, which uses it as well, depending on the opponent.

For the most part, FIU’s defense and special teams has been pretty good on multiple fronts. In some games, it’s one of these two units that have decided the outcome, not the offense.

In the end, it’s about a year’s worth of bragging rights and a spot in the Conference USA title game in two weeks.

Can FIU spoil the party and make its own push for division glory? Or will FAU first-year head coach Lane Kiffin lead his team to an expected Shula Bowl win in Boca Raton?

We’ll find out on Saturday night (Nov. 18), as the kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at FAU Stadium.

PHOTO CREDITS: Gustavo Chacon/Lemon City Live