MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 2: FIUs mascot, Roary, prepares to lead the team onto the field prior to the game as the FIU Golden Panthers faced the Old Dominion University Monarchs on November 2, 2019, at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Jakobe Thomas returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to give Middle Tennessee a 33-28 victory over Florida International on Saturday night.
Thomas stepped in front of Rivaldo Fairweather, who had caught three touchdown passes, and ran untouched for the go-ahead score with 2:50 remaining. FIU drove to the Middle Tennessee 22-yard line on its final drive, but Haden Carlson threw his fourth interception on fourth-and-10 with 27 seconds left.
Chase Cunningham completed 29 of 42 passes for 279 yards and added 32 yards rushing with a pair of touchdown runs for Middle Tennessee (7-5, 4-4 Conference USA).
Carlson was 29-of-52 passing for 414 yards and threw four touchdown passes to go with his four picks for FIU (4-8, 2-6). Trailing 27-7 midway through the third quarter, Carlson and Fairweather connected on a 75-yard touchdown to pull to 27-14, and again for a 3-yard score that gave the Panthers a 28-27 lead with 10:51 remaining.
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