Opponent Preview - Florida Atlantic
Florida Atlantic Facts:
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Stadium: FAU Stadium
Field Type: Grass
Capacity: 29,571
Enrollment: 24,569
2024 Record: 4-8 (3-5 AAC)
Last Bowl: 2020 Montgomery Bowl (25-10 L Memphis)
All-Time Bowl Record: 4-1
2023 Attendance: 18,425 (101st nationally)
All-Time Series: 1-0
Last Meeting: 61-14 W 2002
Returning Starters: 4 Off, 8 Def
Lettermen: 30 Returning, 39 Lost
Schedule:
8/31- at Michigan State
9/7- Army
9/14- FIU
9/21- at UConn
9/28- Wagner
10/12- North Texas
10/19- at UTSA
11/1- USF
11/7- at East Carolina
11/16- at Temple
11/23- Charlotte
11/30- at Tulsa
Last Time Here:
FAU was in year two as a football program, that was started from scratch by legendary coach Howard Schnellenberger in 1998. The Owls were still in FCS (then 1-AA), and played their home games at the old Pro Player Stadium in Miami, before they moved up to FBS (then 1-A) in 2005. In their first FCS season, the Owls went 4-6, beating Bethune-Cookman, Marist, Jacksonville, and Albany, while losing to Slippery Rock, Drake, Saint Mary’s (yes, they had football), Saint Peter’s (yes, they also had football), Gardner-Webb, and Eastern Illinois. In 2002, they started 0-7, losing to USF, and ranked FCS teams Eastern Kentucky, Nicholls State, and Youngstown State. They headed to Storrs to take on a UConn team that was also amidst a transition to FBS football, and were struggling at 2-6.
Also similarly to FAU, the Huskies were playing in their final season at their on-campus home, Memorial Stadium. This would be the penultimate game at the stadium, and fans were in for a treat. After losing a tough game on the road to Jay Cutler-led Vanderbilt, the young core of the team was playing better, but couldn’t seem to get wins. On this day, however, Dan Orlovsky and freshman Terry Caulley would show why the future was bright for the Huskies. Orlovsky threw for 218 yards and 3 TDs on 13-19 passing, and Caulley rushed for 105 yards on 15 carries.
It was a hot start, as the Huskies led 14-0 before 5 minutes had even passed on the clock, and led 42-0 at the half. Orlovsky was replaced by backup Jermell Williams, and a rushing TD by him, and a pick six by Razul Wallace put the Huskies up 56-0, something the crowd of 14,287 had probably never seen in Storrs. UConn would call off the dogs, getting a FG and a safety the rest of the way, while FAU got a couple TDs, but UConn soundly defeated an FCS team for the first time since beginning the transition to FBS, a much larger margin of victory since beating Colgate 27-7 in 2000. The Huskies would stay hot, beating Kent State 63-21 in the final game at Memorial Stadium, then shutting out Navy on the road 38-0, then notching the biggest victory in their short FBS history, a 37-20 win over Iowa State. The Owls would defeat Morris Brown the next week, then beat FIU, in their first year of existence, to end the year 2-9.
2024 Florida Atlantic:
Much has changed since 2002. FAU is now in the American Athletic Conference, after having spent the first years in the Sun Belt (2004-2012), and Conference USA (2013-2022). Their coach is now is former Texas HC Tom Herman, who went 4-8 in his first season. However, the Owls suffered one score losses to Ohio, Illinois, UAB, and Rice, so things could have gone either way.
They bring in Marshall transfer Cam Fancher, who UConn fans shoud recognize from the 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl. He was not impressive in that game, and his time in Huntington didn’t quite live up to expectations, as he had a 21:17 TD-INT ratio, and threw for 3,766 yards with a completion percentage of 59% in 17 starts. He looks to get a new start in Fort Lauderdale, where the Owls lose both of their QBs from last season in former Texas and Nebraska QB Casey Thompson, and Central Michigan transfer Daniel Richardson. Thompson was lost to injury after three games last season. They also add Colorado transfer Kasen Weisman, and return JUCO QB Tyriq Starks. The pass game was a big struggle last season, and they’re hoping Fancher is the guy to improve it.
Most all of the rushing production from last season has been lost, but they hit the portal to shore up the unit. Zuberi Mobley returns, after missing all the final nine games of last season with an injury. Before the injury, Mobley rushed 22 times for 62 yards. The Owls added CJ Campbell, a Florida State transfer, who rushed for 181 yards in 13 games. A couple of redshirt freshmen round out the room. Last season was one of the worst in recent memory for the Owls’ rushing game, only avergaing 115 yards per game. In the last seven seasons, their previous worst was 151 yards per game in 2021, so this is a unit that is looking to get back to where it once was not too long ago.
The Owls are stinging from the loss of the all-time leader in yards in a season, LaJohntay Wester, who took his talents to Boulder in the offseason. Wester caught 108 passes for 1,168 yards and eight TDs last season, good for 2nd team All-AAC. They also lose Burlsworth Award finalist (nation’s top player who started their career as a walk-on) Tony Johnson, who caught 37 passes for 411 yards, good for second place on the team. They’ve added 8 transfers in the receiving game, however, none of them were anywhere close to the production lost. This is a unit that needs to reload, and quickly.
On the offensive line, only one starter returns in C Federico Maranges. They add P4 transfers in Daughtry Richardson (Florida State), Woody Jean (Arizona), and Ja’Kavion Nonar (Maryland), and return RG Andre Lamas, who played in ten games last year, as well as Malcolm Lamar, who played in all twelve. It’s a unit that suffers a lack of starting experience, but they do have some experienced players. They’ll need some time to mesh, and we will see if that happens by the time they come to East Hartford.
The defensive line lost a big piece in 2nd team All-AAC DT Evan Anderson, who had 3.5 sacks last season, but HC Tom Herman brought in Purdue transfer Prince Boyd, LSU transfer Bryce Langston, and Devonta Davis from Jackson State. They also added DII tranfsfer Chisom Ifeanyi from Shippensurg, who had 36 tackles, including 13 for a loss in 24 games. Marlon Bradlet returns after recording 23 tackles, three sacks, and one TFL. last year. Jaden Wheeler looks to take over for Anderson and the unit may be stronger overall than last year, especially if they can replace Anderson’s production.
Top tackler from last season, the aptly named Jackson Ambush, returns to anchor the linebacking corps. The unit loses Jaylen Wester, who joined his brother LaJohntay at Colorado. Wester was 6th on the team with 55 tackles, including 6.5 for a loss. NAIA national champion transfer Wendol Philord joins the team after 186 tackles in his career at Keiser, and Eddie Williams returns after missing the final nine games due to injury and redshirting, as well as Desmond Tisdol, who was the third leading tackler on the team last year with 70. This unit has the most experience on the defense and should be the strength of the defense.
The secondary loses 2nd leading tackler Jarron Morris, who was also 2nd team All-AAC, totaling 86 tackles, 7.5 for a loss, along with three INTs. The unit was pretty solid in 23, allowing 248 yards per game, a number buoyed a bit by a 499 yard performance by UAB. They lose two more starters in Romain Mungin, who had 33 tackles and three pass breakups, and Dwight Toombs, who notched 29 tackles. Again, they hit the portal to address these losses, bringing in Maine transfer Kahzir Brown, and Indiana transfer Phillip Dunham. At Maine, Brown had 137 tackles in 31 starts, while Dunham had 58 tackles and nine pass breakups in seven starts, but playing in 24 games for the Hoosiers. This unit is kind of a mystery, and we’ll have to see what happens.
Special teams should improve at least slightly in the kicking game, as Morgan Suarez returns after missing all of last season from an injury suffered in the summer. Punter Logan Lupo took both jobs, and didn’t get a ton of action at kicker, connecting on 5-8 FGs, with a long of 37, but didn’t miss an XP. At his day job, he averaged a net of 38.1 yards per punt, and landed 15 inside the 20. As a freshman in 22, Suarez connected on 9-13 FGs with a long of 43. The Owls lose a big punt returner in Lajohntay Wester, and Je’Quan Burton at kick return. Wester averaged an astounding 19.9 yards per punt return, while Burton averaged 19 yards per kick return. Like UConn, FAU struggled in the field position game last season, so they’ll look to their new additions to help shore up those numbers.
Prediction:
This game screams to me Georgia State from last season. A team that lost several one score games, added a lot through the portal, but the difference this time being the Owls don’t have a QB returning like Darren Grainger for the Panthers. I can legitimately see this game going either way, but like Georgia State last year, I’ll go with the Huskies in a close game under the lights. I am very much hoping to be correct, unlike last year.
UConn 27 Florida Atlantic 24