NCAA Football Preview - Florida Atlantic Owls
Sports Network | August 11, 2008
To the surprise of many, the Owls slipped past the Trojans, 38-32, on the road and earned a share of the league title at 6-1. An even bigger surprise came in the New Orleans Bowl, where FAU rolled Memphis in a 44-27 verdict to cap a remarkable campaign and finish 8-5. In just their fourth year at FBS level, the Owls certainly made a name for themselves and became a force in the Sun Belt in the process.
OFFENSE: The Owls return nearly every starter on what should be the top offense in the SBC this season and that includes quarterback Rusty Smith. The reigning conference Player of the Year completed 59 percent of his tosses for 3,688 yards and 32 touchdowns last season and the 6-5, 215-pound junior has his sights set on an even better campaign this time around. "We have set our goals high for this season. We accomplished a lot last year, but we want to take that next step."
With a solid group of returning players on the offensive line and some of the top talent at the skill positions, Rusty and FAU should have plenty of firepower to duplicate last year's success. "Winning the New Orleans Bowl was a great achievement, but we want to accomplish greater things this season. We expect to win the conference and are shooting for a BCS bowl."
The return of standout receiver Cortez Gent should not only help Smith in a big way, but the team as well. The 6-2, 170-pound junior hauled in 64 balls for 1,082 yards and nine scores in '07 and he finished the campaign by posting four 100-yard games in the final five contests. Senior tight end Jason Harmon is another weapon that will surely be utilized as he returns after posting 63 receptions for 625 yards and five touchdowns a year ago.
The one area the offense could stand to improve upon is the ground attack. The Owls averaged a modest 126 rushing ypg last season, but with defenses focusing on their potent aerial attack, expect the run game to improve. Senior Charles Pierre, a 5-9 speedster, led the team in rushing with 782 yards last season and he will put his best foot forward as he looks for a 1,000-yard campaign.
DEFENSE: FAU did a tremendous job forcing turnovers last season, but struggled greatly to make plays behind the line of scrimmage. Injuries up front were partly to blame for the team's mere 16 sacks, and an improvement in that area would make the rest of this experienced unit that much better. Senior defensive end Robert St. Clair led the team with four sacks last season, but more will be expected this fall, while Jervonte Jackson will once again be counted on to plug up the middle from his tackle spot. At linebacker, Frantz Joseph is one of the premier talents in the SBC and is coming of a 2007 campaign in which he posted a team-high 131 tackles. The senior, who started his career at Boston College, has the skills that could easily land him the SBC Defensive Player of the Year award.
In the secondary, the Owls possess one of the league's best corner tandems in Corey Small and Tavious Polo. Small, a 5-10, 170-pound senior, recorded 103 tackles and five interceptions last season and is one of the most versatile players at his position. Polo, a 5-10, 160-pound sophomore, was a pleasant surprise for FAU last year and a serious playmaker, racking up a team-high seven interceptions.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Senior Warley Leroy will once again handle the kicking duties fpr FAU after knocking through 19-of-27 field goal tries last season. He doesn't have great range, but he should still provide stability to the kicking game. Sophomore Mickey Groody and junior Keegan Peterson are expected to share the punting job again, but neither was all that impressive last season.
OUTLOOK: The Owls are clearly the cream of the crop in the SBC, as they return a slew of talented players on both sides of the ball. A repeat of last season's success is likely, although this year FAU will be the team with the bullseye on its back. Still, with Schnellenberger roaming the sideline and Smith running the offense, the Owls will be difficult to beat within the conference. "Our goals are to repeat as conference champions and hopefully make a run," said Schnellenberger. "We return quality players on both sides of the ball and are excited to get started."
