FAU defeated the Rice Owls 17-14 last Saturday in Boca Raton, Florida. Here are three takeaways from the victory:
A win is a win
While it was not pretty, especially not in the beginning, FAU desperately needed this victory. They hadn’t found a win in over a month; there were questions about job security being floated around; the team just needed something positive.
A three-point win over a middle-of-the-pack opponent certainly doesn’t quell all of the previously held worries. However, there were multiple other positives they can build upon:
- The defense kept Rice radio-silent after the first quarter, as well grabbing two turnovers.
- Perry, while he didn’t necessarily light up the stat sheet, played a clean game without any interceptions.
- All of the running backs got involved and ran the ball well.
All of these are things FAU can build on heading into the remainder of their schedule, and certainly leave you with more confidence in FAU than the last time they were on the field.
The defensive line is finally awake
Coming into the season, the defensive line was expected by many to be the backbone of the FAU defense. On a defense that many worried was too inexperienced heading into the season, they were supposed to be one of the few groups that were bringing back multiple veterans, as they were returning standout defensive linemen Evan Anderson and Jaylen Joyner.
However, after Anderson went down with a foot injury in the season-opener, the defensive line play had been rather underwhelming through the first half of the regular season.
Through the first six games of the season, FAU as a team had only recorded four total sacks.
Upon Anderson’s return to the field Saturday, the Owls’ defense nearly doubled their season total, recording three sacks against Rice to move their season total to seven.
While his return to action was quiet for the most part, he recorded three assisted tackles; it’s reasonable to assume that his presence on the defensive line played a role in their solid performance.
As he potentially returns to the starting lineup this week, the hope remains that he will return to last season’s form. If he can, the defense could turn out to be the strength as previously predicted.
Get Johnny Ford involved
After leading the team with 831 rushing yards and five touchdowns last season, junior running back Johnny Ford was expected to be the RB1 in the Owls’ backfield. But after missing the first three games with a foot injury, along with McCammon’s fast start to the season, Ford saw minimal touches in the games he was available.
Last Saturday, however, Ford had a much bigger workload and had his most productive game of the season. He finished the night with 55 rushing yards on nine attempts and three catches for 39 yards.
More importantly, Ford provided a spark that the FAU offense desperately needed in the first half. He broke off an explosive 34-yard run that put them in Rice territory on the way to their first touchdown, his longest run of the season.
Offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon alluded to the impact Ford made when speaking to the media on Wednesday, saying his explosiveness creates a different, faster tempo for the offense when he’s in the game.
Dearmon also mentioned that he wants Ford to have 10-15 touches this week. Getting the ball in his hands shouldn’t be a challenge as this week he again proved he’s as much an asset receiving the ball as he is running it.
The Owls will now travel to Texas for the second time in a month to take on the University of Texas at El Paso Miners (3-4, 2-1 C-USA). The game will be broadcasted by ESPN+.