The Sports Xchange
NCAAF Team Report – Florida Atlantic – INSIDE SLANT
Apparently, a week off didn’t do much for Florida Atlantic.
With two weeks to rest up and prepare for their trip to South Alabama, the Owls came out and scored two touchdowns in the first quarter for the first time this season.
But the good fortune didn’t last, and the Owls lost to the Sun Belt Conference’s newest member 37-34 in double overtime.
“The first three quarters we were executing,” coach Carl Pelini was quoted in the Palm Beach Post. “In the throwing game, running good routes, making good reads, running the ball and keeping them off balance, all of the things we didn’t do in the fourth quarter.”
The Owls were up 17-14 at the half and 24-17 going into the fourth quarter, when they were outscored 14-7 to send the game into overtime.
Both teams converted field goals on the first overtime, but then the Jaguars blocked Mitch Anderson’s try on FAU’s series in the second OT.
That set it up for South Alabama’s Michel Chapuseaux to win it with a 35-yard field goal.
“They were doing the same things in the third and fourth quarters that they were doing in the first and second,” Pelini said of the Jags, who had lost their first two conference games and had only one win in six outings coming into the game. “I didn’t see any major adjustments.”
The loss left FAU 1-6 for these season and 0-4 in the Sun Belt, tied with neighboring Florida International for last place in the standings.
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NCAAF Team Report – Florida Atlantic – NOTES, QUOTES
WHAT’S AHEAD: FAU gets back home to finish out October, entertaining Troy in an attempt to snap a six-game losing streak. The Owls are back on the road for their next two games (Navy and Western Kentucky) and finish their season with two more at home (Florida International and Louisiana-Monroe).
–FAU now has lost 14 consecutive Sun Belt Conference games going back to the 2010 season. That’s a conference record. The Owls had shared the dubious mark with Florida International at 13 in a row going into the game.
–In addition to the losing streak in Sun Belt competition, the Owls also have lost their last 14 games on the road. Their last win away from home was a 17-16 win over Western Kentucky on Nov. 6, 2010. They are 0-5 on the road this season.
–FAU produced a season high in total offense with 461 yards against South Alabama. The Owls threw for 303 and ran for 158. It’s only the second time the Owls have topped the 400-yard mark in a game in three years and the most yardage since they had 478 against Middle Tennessee on Oct. 31, 2009.
KEEP AN EYE ON: In his fourth start, junior WR Daniel McKinney had six receptions for 57 yards. He came into the game with 17 receptions for 143 yards.
LOOKING GOOD: Senior QB Graham Wilbert had a career-high in passing yardage with 303 in going 27-of-41 with no interceptions. He became the first Owl to pass for over 300 yards since Rusty Smith threw for 359 against Louisiana-Lafayette on Oct. 24, 2009.
STILL NEEDS WORK: The Owls had three field goal attempts against South Alabama blocked, including a 42-yard attempt on the final play of regulation and a 44-yard try in the second overtime.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “We just didn’t play well in the fourth quarter. We need to learn how to finish. We should have won this game.” — Sophomore WR William Dukes, in the Palm Beach Post, on FAU’s collapse at South Alabama.
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NCAAF Team Report – Florida Atlantic – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYER NOTES:
–Sophomore WR William Dukes had 119 yards receiving on five receptions, one of which was a 50-yard scoring play that is FAU’s longest play from scrimmage this year. He became the first FAU receiver with over 100 yards in receptions in a game since Lester Jean had 164 against UAB on Sept. 2, 2009.
–Junior RB Jonathan Wallace, who spent last year on the scout team after transferring from junior college, had his first 100-yard rushing game for the Owls with 101 yards on 21 carries.
–Senior S Bryant Harstead recorded 15 tackles at South Alabama, a career high and most in a game for an Owl this season.
ROSTER REPORT
–Junior PK Mitch Anderson took over the field goal duties for FAU. He made two (23 and 37 yards) but had three blocked at South Alabama.
–Sophomore TE Terrell Mitchell made his first catch of the season, a four-yard again at South Alabama.
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