Perry throws for 329 yards, 3 TDs; FAU rolls past FIU 58-21

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- — N'Kosi Perry passed for 329 yards and three touchdowns and Florida Atlantic rolled up 704 yards total offense in a 58-21 victory over Florida International in a Conference USA opener on Saturday.

Perry completed 18 of 21 passes without an interception, compiling a passer rating of 264.5. Johnny Ford had 102 yards on 16 carries and FAU finished with 296 yards on the ground. Je'Quan Burton caught seven passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. Eleven players caught passes for the Owls (3-2, 1-0).

After a 27-point second quarter led to a 34-21 halftime lead, the Owls shutout their in-state rival in the second half and Nick Tronti, Ford, and Kelvin Dean Jr. scored rushing touchdowns.

FIU's Max Bortenschlager completed 12 of 27 passes for 263 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Backup Grayson James completed 7 of 12 for 56 yards. EJ Wilson Jr. was the leading rusher for the Panthers (1-4, 0-1) with just 37 yards.

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