FAU is 5-1 in the series, but this year FIU, under the leadership of second-year coach Mario Cristobal, has a good chance of reclaiming the trophy that goes to the winner and moving it from Boca Raton to Miami.

FIU (4-6, 3-3 Sun Belt) could reach the .500 mark and become bowl eligible for the first time in the program's brief history if it can beat FAU on Saturday and Western Kentucky the following week.

"He is doing a super job," FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger said of Cristobal, 38. "He is a bright young man with good Football background and strong competitive edge."

Preseason Sun Belt favorite FAU (5-6, 3-3) will also be trying to salvage something from its disappointing season by beating its rival.

While being 4-6 may not sound like a success story, put Cristobal's job in context.

When FIU went 0-12 in 2006 and became infamous for its involvement in the brawl with UM, Don Strock, who started the program in 2002, was fired.

Cristobal inherited a mess, as the Golden Panthers had also been hit with NCAA sanctions for academic and eligibility violations that cost the Football team six scholarships.

"We got here last year and inherited a team that needed complete reconstruction," Cristobal said.

FIU lost its first 11 games last year to run its losing streak to 23 games, before beating North Texas in the season finale.

This year, with a roster laden with underclassmen that made up Cristobal's first two recruiting classes, FIU started 0-3 but then went on a three-game win streak and suddenly the Golden Panthers were a team that couldn't be overlooked.

"He gets the team fired up with his enthusiasm and that motivates us," sophomore defensive back Anthony Gaitor said.

While Cristobal and Schnellenberger, 73, are at opposite points in their careers, Cristobal shares Schnellenberger's bravado, and both have claimed their intention is to build programs that can compete at the top level and build the Shula Bowl into a rivalry along the lines of Florida vs. Florida State.

"It is obvious what we are going to build here, and that is a championship program," said Cristobal, who said his team is ahead of schedule based on its success this season. "In a couple years it will be really hard to beat us."

The game is set for 4 p.m. Saturday at Dolphin Stadium.