Pretending the FAU Owls (1-1, 1-0 C-USA) were winning the 2022 National Championship for a week was good fun. However, last Saturday’s loss to the Ohio Bobcats all but puts an end to that pipe dream.
After a 16-yard touchdown pass from graduate quarterback N’Kosi Perry to redshirt freshman wide receiver Jahmal Edrine put them ahead 17-10 in the early second quarter, the Owls began to crumble.
Looking eerily similar to last year’s team, eight penalties for 90 yards and two fumbles lost by FAU allowed the Bobcat offense to score 24 unanswered points, leaving the Owls stunned, and down 34-17 late in the fourth.
Down 17 with 12:20 to play, Perry and the offense found new life. The Owls went on three consecutive scoring drives, all ending in touchdowns thrown by Perry. The third, a seven-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver LaJohntay Wester, slimmed the Bobcats lead to 41-38 and shifted the momentum back to the FAU sideline.
After the FAU defense made their biggest stop of the night on the ensuing drive, Perry and company got the ball back down four with 1:36 in regulation. Despite moving the ball to their own 44-yard line, four straight incompletions led to a turnover on downs, leaving the Bobcats with a 41-38 victory in their home opener.
Here are three takeaways from the loss heading into Southeastern Louisiana:
The front seven needs reinforcement… fast
The front seven, the defensive line in particular, was predicted by many, myself included, to be the backbone of the entire team, and last Saturday was a prime example of why.
The defense went without two of their most proven starters, sophomore defensive linemen Evan Anderson and Decarius Hawthorne, both who were sidelined due to injury, and their absence left an obvious void.
Besides being noticeably tired in the second half, the front seven allowed Ohio’s sophomore running back Sieh Bangura to rush for 114 yards on 23 carries in his first collegiate start.
While the defense did manage to record four sacks, it didn’t manage to stop Ohio’s junior quarterback Kurtis Rourke from having a big night. According to ESPN, Rourke was only hurried five times on thirty four dropbacks, leading the way for him to complete 27 passes, throwing 79% for 345 yards and four touchdowns.
Following their solid performance in week 0, and being one of the deepest groups on the roster, it was safe to assume that a stout front seven would be like the team’s identity. Head coach Willie Taggart said it himself after the Charlotte victory, “We want to stop the run.”
If they can’t get healthy or find someone to step up, what was supposed to be the Owls’ greatest strength could turn out to be a weakness.
Perry is continuing to improve
One of the few positives from the loss was Perry’s continued improvement. Had it not been for Perry’s performance, FAU would’ve looked like an exact carbon copy of last year’s team.
During the first drive of the game, he led the offense on a 10 play, 75-yard drive that ended with the touchdown pass to Burton, followed by two more scoring drives, leaving the Owls ahead seven.
While the offense did stall and come up empty on the following four drives which partly aided in the Bobcats ensuing scoring tirade, it’s hard to blame 24 points allowed on the offense.
However, in the fourth quarter, Perry put together one of the most inspired performances of his career, leading on three consecutive touchdown drives to score 21 unanswered points.
Aside from the stat sheet, not only does he look incredibly more composed, Perry seems a lot more comfortable spreading the ball around than he did in years past. He completed passes to 10 receivers against Charlotte, meanwhile, this past week he spread the ball to seven different receivers.
While these may not be measurable improvements that show up in the box score, it’s hard to deny Perry’s progression.
Perry finished with 364 passing yards, five touchdowns, and 32 rushing yards. He is second out of all division one quarterbacks in passing yards through two weeks (620).
Perfection or bust this week
While the Owls host Southeastern Louisiana, they are more than likely paying more attention to the gauntlet which is the following three weeks.
Following Saturday’s matchup with the Lions, FAU will prepare to play host to the UCF Knights on Sep. 17, what might be their biggest matchup of the season.
If the Knights don’t give them their toughest test, it will more than likely come in the following week when the Owls will travel to West Lafayette, IN to take on Purdue. Not only do the Boilermakers have one of the most talented rosters they’ll face, Big 10 stadiums are notoriously loud and hostile environments to play in.
If the Owls are going have any confidence heading into the UCF game, they need to be perfect in all phases of the game this Saturday.