Lafayette, LA – Minutes after the Owls escaped from the bayou with a dramatic 39-32 overtime victory, coach Howard Schnellenberger reflected on what FAU nearly lost: a chance at a Sun Belt title.

“I guess when something is about to be taken away from you it becomes much more valuable,” he said.

Down 32-25 with 56 seconds left in the game, Rusty Smith took the helm from the Cajuns’ 36-yard line and led the Owls down the field to tie the score. Smith found Cortez Gent for a 17-yard TD pass with 6.6 seconds to spare to send the Owls into overtime for the first time this season.

“That is something that Snoop (Gent) and I have been working on since freshman year on the scout team,” Smith said. “It couldn’t have come in a better spot.”

The Owls got the ball first in OT and Charles Pierre ran for a two-yard touchdown to put FAU ahead for good. From there the defense, including a patchwork line, held the Cajuns out of the end zone to secure the victory and remain in first place in the ‘Belt.

“As long as we have another chance, we never think the game is over,” Gent said.

The final moments of this game were reminiscent of last year, when Smith needed a last second TD to beat the Cajuns at Lockhart and threw and incompletion as time ran out.

“Last year we lost,” Smith said. “This year was a little bit different.”

The Owls will try to continue their undefeated Sun Belt run next Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe at Lockhart Stadium.