Well, folks, it cannot get much crazier than this. In the aftermath of their loss to the Temple Owls, the FAU Owls went through some major changes. Head coach Tom Herman was relieved of his duties effective immediately, with special teams coach Chad Lunsford being named the interim head coach. And after being fired earlier last week, Roc Bellantoni was brought back as the defensive coordinator for the remainder of the season.
A hectic whirlwind of a season reached its climax this week. And to reach its conclusion, the Owls have some more AAC opponents to contend with.
The first of those opponents is the University of Charlotte. The 49ers are in a similar position to the Owls. They fired their head coach and have begun their march toward the future. Both teams will be battling to get their new eras off to a positive start and lay the foundation for winning football.
Who comes out on top? And how can the FAU Owls pull off the victory? Follow along with this week’s Florida Atlantic game preview!
FAU Owls vs. Charlotte 49ers Game History & Excerpts
In their short matchup history, the Owls reign over the 49ers.
Over nine matchups starting in 2015, FAU holds a 7-2 record over Charlotte. The Owls’ last loss to the 49ers came in 2018 when they lost a nail-biter by a score of 27-24. Since then, FAU has rattled off five straight wins against Charlotte. The latest win came in 2023, when the Owls had a decisive 38-16 victory.
In his media availability, interim head coach Chad Lunsford said he told the players to enjoy the sport, the moment, and go out and have fun. He felt that guys came out with energy and made the most of the day.
Lunsford also said that Tyriq Starks will be the quarterback starter this week against Charlotte. Kasen Weisman is day-to-day.
“Right now, we would start Tyriq, and that’s a good thing. I think Tyriq did a tremendous job last week, especially when the moment was there. When he had to make big plays in big moments, he did that. So we have all the confidence in the world in him.”
On the field, Lunsford said they always look at what they can do better. The interim head coach added that he is focused on playing “complementary football.” He stated that he wants to get the defense off the field more consistently, establish the run game, and get explosive plays. He also said that the offense needs to end every drive with a kick and that the defense needs to get off the field on third downs. Lunsford said he wants to ensure they execute and said there is a big emphasis on those foundational tenets.
Key Players: FAU Owls
The Entire Rushing Attack
Charlotte’s struggles can easily work to FAU’s benefit on Saturday. Out of all the matchups in this game, that is no more apparent than when talking about the 49ers’s rushing defense.
In the 2024 season, Charlotte has allowed 211.7 rushing yards per game on average. They are allowing 5.3 yards per carry and almost three touchdowns per game. Against USF last weekend, the 49ers allowed the Bulls to run for 425 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 8.9 yards per carry as a team.
Whether it is the explosive C.J. Campbell, the effective Zuberi Mobley, the powerful Gemari Sands, or the mobile Tyriq Starks, FAU needs to keep the ball on the ground in this game. They have no business trying to pass the ball like they have in past weeks, especially with the uncertainty surrounding the offense.
To put it lightly, FAU needs to run the ball early and often. If they can take advantage of Charlotte’s weakness, they should have an easy path to success on that side of the ball.
Jackson Ambush, Linebacker
Like last week, the Owls need to tackle well in the running game to have a shot to win this one.
Charlotte has a balanced attack, meaning that they will want to establish an effective running game early. This will then, in theory, unlock a passing game that has had issues all season long.
Linebacker Jackson Ambush will likely be crucial for the Owls in this regard. While his 21 defensive stops rank third on the team, he leads the FAU Owls with 17 missed tackles forced this season. This is due to his relentless and aggressive playstyle; while Ambush misses on some plays, he makes sure to bring the boom on most of them.
FAU needs the best version of Ambush possible to succeed on Saturday. His tackling and defensive prowess as a leader are invaluable to the Owls. If he plays to his level and eliminates the missed tackles, FAU will be in a great spot to stop the run and win the game.
Daedae Hill, Cornerback
While not highlighted in a specific matchup, cornerback Daedae Hill‘s presence on the field is a major factor for the Owls.
On the season, Hill has been one of the best cover corners the Owls have trotted out. He does a great job mirroring his matchups and making plays on the ball when necessary. Furthermore, he is average as a tackler, making some plays while missing others.
Due to his ankle injury, though, Hill was struggling in the past weeks. This culminated in his performance against East Carolina; clearly injured, Hill gave up three long touchdowns and was a sieve in the Owls’ defensive backfield.
Hill rebounded against Temple, earning elite marks in coverage and as a tackler. Alongside Kahzir “Buggs” Brown, Hill can make the life of Charlotte’s offense very hard on Saturday if he gets back to his healthy form on the outside.
Key Players: Charlotte
Cartevious Norton, Running Back
Despite some improvement, FAU is still a very bad run defense unit on the season. Charlotte must exploit this weakness.
Cartevious Norton, by a narrow margin, is the 49ers’s best running back. He has the ability to make tacklers miss, whether you look at his 36 missed tackles forced or 355 yards after contact. He has a knack for finding the end zone, as evidenced by his six touchdowns on the season.
If Charlotte canno0t run the ball, they will not have a great shot at winning the football game. If Norton can get rolling, though, this could be an exciting battle in Boca Raton.
Reid Williford, Linebacker
For Charlotte to win this football game, they must stop the rushing attack of the FAU Owls. That means not only Campbell, but also the dangerous threat that Starks and the other RBs provide on the ground.
Reid Williford is a headline player who must step up for the 49ers. With 26 defensive stops and a respectable run defense grade, the linebacker will be counted on early and often.
Depending on how he and the rest of the Charlotte defense set the tone, the 49ers could have a chance to win the game. It all comes down to execution and production in the trenches, as whoever wins the battle there will likely win the game.
Blueprint for Victory: FAU
It is what you have all been waiting for. Here is FAU’s blueprint to victory!
Play the style of football that has worked this season
In far too many times this season, the FAU Owls have gone away from what works. They have struggled to find an identity and stick with it for an extended period. It has caused play to be inconsistent and for the team to struggle immensely at times.
Against Charlotte, that cannot be the case.
FAU needs to get back to its running game-based identity. They need to rely on the skill and talent they have built up in the trenches and at the running back position. After that, they can use their skilled quarterback position to target a wide receiver room that has the speed and route running to be productive when necessary.
The Owls have the means for success in this football game. It is just a matter of them executing on the field.
Play and communicate soundly on defense
FAU needs to build off what they did well at against Temple when Charlotte comes into town.
They rallied to the football in the rushing game against the enemy Owls. To be even better this weekend, they need to find a way to eliminate the gains on runs to the outside.
Coverage was much more secure last week, but there were miscommunications on zone coverages between plays. Against Charlotte, the back end of the defense must be on point and on top of their assignments.
The Owls must finish strong to give the team some hope after the way the majority of the season turned out. In order for that to happen, though, the team must be locked in beyond what they have been in the weeks prior.
Play with Energy!
This one is quite simple. The Owls need to play with energy against the 49ers.
Almost everything has gone sideways this year for FAU, whether it is coaching firings or the team underperforming. The Owls, quite literally, have nothing to lose at this point.
They need to fly around on both sides of the football field and play like they may never have another chance to do so again. And if the words of Chad Lunsford are to be believed, that should come to pass on Saturday against Charlotte.
