New Orleans, LA -- (Sports Network) - Rusty Smith threw for 336 yards and five touchdowns as Florida Atlantic downed Memphis, 44-27, in the seventh annual New Orleans Bowl at the Superdome.

The game marked the bowl debut for the Owls (8-5), who are the fastest start- up program in NCAA history to reach a bowl. This is just the third year Florida Atlantic has competed in the FBS Division. FAU was 2-9 in its first season in the top division, followed by a 5-7 mark a season ago.

Howard Schnellenberger, in his seventh season at the helm of the Owls, continued his amazing run by moving to 5-0 all-time as a head coach in bowl games. Schnellenberger, who won a national title with Miami-Florida in 1983, helped build the FAU football program from scratch. In January of 1999 the Board of Regents approved FAU adding football, and two years later Schnellenberger led the Owls on the field for their first game. Friday night marked another successful chapter in the 73-year-old's coaching history.

Smith completed 25-of-32 passes for Florida Atlantic while Jason Harmon had seven receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown. Charles Pierre added 52 rushing yards on 11 carries.

Martin Hankins connected on 25-of-39 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns before leaving the game with a right leg injury late in the third quarter for the Tigers (7-6), who are now 4-2 in bowl games.

Joseph Doss ran for 91 yards on 20 carries and Carlos Singleton had four receptions for 63 yards and a TD.

Down 30-13 and seemingly dead, Memphis got back in the game late in the first half. Hankins hit Earnest Williams for a 19-yard TD with just 52 ticks left before intermission to make it a 30-20 game.

The Tigers then got the opening kickoff in the second half and went on a methodical 14-play drive to draw them within a field goal, 30-27. A Hankins screen pass was tipped at line of scrimmage but Singleton still hauled it in and bulled into the end zone for the TD.

The Owls responded with a big play on special teams to stem the Memphis momentum. Wilfred Rivera came off the left edge to block a Brent Sutherland punt. Two plays later, Smith threw a perfect over-the-shoulder pass off his back foot for a 16-yard TD to Harmon with 1:39 left in the third quarter.

Hankins was injured after taking a sack on the Tigers next possession and things went downhill for the Tigers. Memphis couldn't move the ball offensively and FAU put the game way on its next possession. After converting a fourth-and-three from the Memphis 31 by finding Lester Jean, Smith went right back to the receiver on a bubble screen and Jean took it all the way to the Tigers four-yard line. DiIvory Edgecomb then took a sweep off the right side in for a TD to make it 44-27 with just 9:12 left in the game.

The Owls took the opening kickoff and moved methodically down the field to take an early 7-0 lead. Smith was 4-for-4 on the drive and capped it by finding Pierre out of the backfield for a five-yard score with 12:03 left in the first quarter.

Memphis answered quickly and evened things less than three minutes later. Hankins rolled right and zipped a eight-yard strike to Brett Russell for the TD.

The fireworks continued from there. Edgecomb returned the ensuing kickoff 60 yards to the Tigers 28-yard line. The Owls couldn't find the end zone this time, however, and settled for a Warley Leroy 22-yard field goal to go back on top, 10-7.

After the first defensive stop of the game, Florida Atlantic went back to work on the offensive end. Smith finished a quick four-play, 74-yard scoring drive by hooking up with Edgecomb on a slip-screen to the right side. The dynamic running back did the rest, taking it 29 yards to paydirt for a 17-7 Owls edge with five minutes left in the opening frame.

Things finally slowed a bit from there until Memphis made it a one-possession game when Joey Mack drilled a 38-yard field goal with 12:15 remaining until halftime.

Smith and Florida Atlantic had the answer again. The quarterback found Christopher Bonner for a 16-yard score to give the Owls a two-touchdown lead, 24-10, with about 10 1/2 minutes left until intermission.

Mack's second field goal of the game, a 35-yarder with 5:56 remaining in the quarter, made it a 24-13 game but the Tigers defense just couldn't do anything with Smith.

Florida Atlantic moved the ball with ease en route to another TD. This time, Smith hit fullback William Rose on a four-yard flare pass for his fourth TD pass of the opening half. Leroy botched the extra point, however, and the Owls led 30-13.

Game Notes

Memphis beat North Texas in the 2003 New Orleans Bowl...This was the first head-to-head meeting between the Tigers and Owls...Memphis wide receiver Maurice Jones was carted off the field with an apparent leg injury during the second quarter.