Randomized yet calculated thoughts on FIU's last-second win over Toledo:
• Hoped for a close game, and HOT DAMN did we receive it. Although it was more of a double-lopsided game for the first 55 minutes. Then it got fun with some TD swaps. It's bowl season — I won't complain.
• Quality start for the Rockets to set the tone with Adonis Thomas, who had 100+ yards in the first half and two scores, including a big 87-yard footrace. Basically with a two-touchdown halftime lead, at worst you're still in it at the end.
• And the comeback fracas began with T.Y. Hilton and that kickoff return following the UT field goal that made it 24-7. Once that happened, FIU started playing much, much better. Funny how that works.
• Terrance Owens regressed to your typical backup redshirt freshman quarterback in the second half. When he wasn't being picked off, he was simply missing his open receivers. Throwing above their head, past their bodies ... it was just a geeked out kid trying to make plays above his current ability.
• Yet somehow on that final drive, he had some gutsy first down runs, including the TD scramble on the zone read, some composed passes, and finally the two-point toss to Epic Eric Page. Which brings us to the next item for debate: will Owens or Austin Dantin start next year? You really can't go wrong either way, but somebody's gonna be the No. 1 guy.
• He didn't match Hilton with any KORTDs, but Page did control the opening line of scrimmage with some big returns on punts and kickoffs all night. That can't be overlooked.
• What the flood is up with MAC teams trying to hold on 4th and umpteen and failing? We saw it in the Miami-NIU game. That was a 4th and 20, thanks to a tipped ball. FIU's madness was more premeditated, calling a hook-and-lateral which went under intense review. You could certainly argue that Hilton's foot was partially OOB before the first down line, and "partially" qualifies as entirely out of bounds. But in the end, that play will be yet another maggot that shall burrow into the hardened memories of Rockets fans. The "17" they'll remember is not the lead they once had, but the yardage needed by the other guys on a fourth down.
• When you're a fan of a Mid-American Conference team, you want everybody to do well in their bowls, so you saw Northern Illinois, BG, Miami fans try to hum along with the Rockets fight song. But still ... the emotion shown by FIU who just won their first bowl game after going winless four years ago? Even the stoniest of hearts isn't averse to that. Good on them. And this doesn't mean Toledo will fall apart next year.
• In fact, because of this loss, no school's going to hire Tim Beckman away. Just yet. Maybe next year.
• I equally wonder where Mario Cristobal's going to coach in 2012. Perhaps ... Toledo?
• The attendance: meh. You knew it wasn't going to remotely resemble a sellout, but whether it was 10,000 or 80,000, everyone who showed up got to witness one dynamite finish.
• And now for the scoreboard update: Sun Belt 2, MAC 0. No need to wait for Miami-MTSU — the best-of-three series goes our Southern Hustle Cousins.