SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 12, 2013
Alabama-Birmingham 27, Florida International 24: Ty Long hit a 28-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in regulation to stun the host Panthers.
Darrin Reaves had a pair of rushing touchdowns and Austin Brown threw for 188 yards and a score for Alabama-Birmingham (2-4, 1-1 Conference USA). Jamari Staples caught six passes for 67 yards and Jordan Howard added 159 yards rushing as the Blazers picked up their first C-USA win of the season.
Jake Medlock threw for 302 yards and two scores, including a game-tying touchdown pass in the fourth quarter for Florida International (1-5, 1-1). Lamarq Caldwell and Ya'Keen Griner each had receiving touchdowns, and Silas Spearman III rushed for 45 yards on 22 carries for a score.
Reaves scored twice in the first half with rushes of 1 and 2 yards, and Brown hit Kennard Backman on a 7-yard score to give the Blazers a 21-7 lead six minutes before halftime. The Panthers scored 10 points in the final three minutes of the second quarter, including a 1-yard score by Spearman in the closing seconds.
Long made a 48-yard field goal in the third quarter to extend the Blazers' lead to 24-17. Medlock tied the game at 24 when he found Lamarq Caldwell for a 13-yard touchdown with 2:41 remaining in the game, but the Blazers drove 70 yards in 10 plays to set up Long's game-winning kick.