Play by play: Griffin kicks FIU to 34-32 Pizza Bowl victory

With only four seconds left on the clock, a field goal by kicker Jack Griffin gave FIU a 34-32 win in its first-ever bowl game in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Dec. 26 at Ford Field in Detroit.

Check out a slide show of the historic game:

When it looked like Toledo had tied the contest with 1:14 to play, the Rockets elected to go for two and were successful, giving them a 32-31. With less than a minute to go, FIU faced a fourth-and-17 situation and was able to pick it up with a hook-and-ladder play to T.Y. Hilton. Three plays later, sophomore kicker Jack Griffin sent the ball through the uprights as time expired to give FIU the victory.

Down 21-7 at halftime, the Panthers mounted a furious comeback, eventually taking a 31-24 lead, but the two point conversion by Toledo appeared to be too much to overcome for the Panthers. However, FIU’s offense was up to the task, setting up the game-winning kick.

For the Panthers, Darriet Perry carried 16 times for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Greg Ellingson led all receivers with seven catches for 67 yards. Quarterback Wesley Carroll completed 16-of-27 passes for 140 yards and one score.

After being backed up on their own eight-yard line, the FIU offense went three-and-out, and the ensuing punt was returned deep into FIU territory. The Rockets took full advantage of the good field position, driving 36 yards for a touchdown. The scoring play came on a four-yard run by Adonis Thomas, giving Toledo the early 7-0 lead with 5:40 to play in the first quarter.

After another punt by FIU, the Rockets looked poised to add to their lead as they drove into FIU territory. However, two outstanding plays by the FIU defense ended the threat. The first such play came when Anthony Gaitor broke up a deep pass that looked like a potential score. On the very next play, Chuck Grace forced a fumble and Gaitor jumped on the loose ball to give the ball back to the Panthers. The ensuing drive, however, ended in a punt, putting the Toledo offense back on the field.

Aided by a Jarvis Wilson sack FIU defense forced a punt on Toledo’s next drive, and the Panthers took over at the Rockets’ 43-yard line. The sack gave Wilson 8.5 sacks for the season, putting him one shy of Antwan Barnes’ single-season FIU record. Despite the great field position, FIU couldn’t muster any offense as they were forced into another three-and-out.

Toledo’s ensuing drive ended after just one play, but not in a good way for FIU as Toledo’s Adonis Thomas set a Little Caesars Pizza Bowl record with an 87-yard touchdown run on the first play of the drive. The score, his second of the day, put Toledo up 14-0 with 10:45 to go in the first half.

FIU’s offense came to life on the next drive, as Darriet Perry broke off a 74-yard run taking the ball all the way to the Toledo 13. Three plays later, Perry picked up a fourth-and-one to keep the FIU drive going. Perry would then seal the deal for the Panthers, scoring on a one-yard run to cut the Toledo lead in half at 14-7 with 6:25 to play in the first half. The score was Perry’s 15th of the year, adding to his FIU single-season record.

The Rockets came right back with a touchdown of their own. Driving 63 yards on eight plays and capping it off with a Terrance Owens to Danny Noble 10-yard touchdown strike. The touchdown made the score 21-7 with 2:56 remaining in the opening half.

Coming out of the halftime break, the Rockets received and drove down the field for a 29-yard field goal by Bill Clause that made the score 24-7 at the 9:44 mark of the third quarter.

After the field goal, T.Y. Hilton responded with the longest kickoff return in Pizza Bowl history, taking the kick 89-yards for his fourth-career kickoff return for touchdown. The score was Hilton’s second kick return for touchdown this season, and the fourth of his career, both FIU records.

Following the score, FIU got the ball right back when Kreg Brown came up with his first-career interception, returning it to the Toledo 23-yard line. FIU made the big defensive play count as Perry found the end zone yet again to bring the Panthers within a field goal at 24-21 with 6:45 to go in the third quarter.

After the teams traded punts on the next two possessions, Toledo’s next drive ended abruptly when heavy pressure on third-and-short forced UT quarterback Terrance Owens to throw off his back foot, and Junior Mertile stepped in front of the wobbly pass for his third interception of the season. The pick gave the Panthers the ball at mid-field.

An interception in the red zone gave Toledo the ball back with a little over 11 minutes to play. However, on third down, heavy pressure on the quarterback forced another bad thrown and Kreg Brown stepped in front of it for his second interception of the night.

On the first play of the ensuing drive, Perry broke away for 28 yards, taking the ball down to the Toledo nine-yard line. Two plays later, Wesley Carroll found Hilton who made a shoestring catch and out-ran the defender on his way to the end zone to give the Panthers a 28-24 lead with 7:34 remaining in the game.

Toledo’s next possession ended on an attempted punt that was blocked by Wayne Times, giving the Panthers the ball at the Toledo 19-yard line. Unable to pick up a first down, the Panthers elected to kick a field goal from 31-yards out, and Jack Griffin sent the ball through the uprights to give the Panthers a touchdown lead at 31-24 with just 3:18 to play.

With 1:14 left to play, the Rockets looked to have tied the game on a 14-yard touchdown run by Terrance Owens. However, Toledo went for the two-point conversion and was successful as Owens found Eric Paige to give the Rockets a 32-31 lead.

Trying to keep the ball out of Hilton’s hands, the Rockets went with a squib kick on the ensuing kickoff and Greg Ellingson returned it to the FIU 48. After a short completion, Carroll was sacked for a 10-yard loss at the FIU 40. An incompletion on third down set up a fourth-and-17 situation, and the Panthers ran a hook-and-ladder to Hilton who did a tight-rope act on the sidelines to pick up the first down by mere inches.

Carroll then found Ellingson for 20-yards, and a short run by Perry set up a 34-yard attempt for Griffin, who converted, giving FIU the 34-32 victory.

— Courtesy of FIUSports.com