In a contest featuring the two teams projected to finish — and currently sitting in the bottom of Conference USA’s East division, it was clear from the opening kickoff that despite the similar records, these are two teams heading in vastly opposite directions. Old Dominion (3-6, 2-3) outplayed FIU (1-8, 0-5) from the start, sending the Panthers to 1-8 with a 47-24 victory. Three of the six losses for Ricky Rahne’s club had come by one score or less, unlike the 22-point average margin of defeat for FIU in its seven defeats prior.
“There’s things that we do well at times and one of the things I have an appreciation for is they have guts and haven’t quit,” said FIU head coach Butch Davis.