FAU Football: 2024 Fan Fest Recap

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FAU Football, FAU Owls, Florida Atlantic University, FAU Fan Fest 2024, The League Winners

BOCA RATON, FL—FAU Fanfest is in the books, and the on-field football product for the Owls did not disappoint. In the team’s first live contact scrimmage, the offense and defense battled for the entirety of the game. Big hits and big plays were consistently made.

Most importantly, though, there were some observations to make based on the day of practice. Additionally, it laid the groundwork for what FAU needs to improve and solidify before the team’s season opener August 30 against Michigan State.

A stifling and swarming defensive performance

On a hot and humid day, the experienced and talented FAU defense held an edge in the football practice session.

Regardless of who was in at quarterback, the defensive line was consistently pushing the pocket. They chased Cam Fancher all around the pocket, with Wilky Denuad having one of the more notable sacks of the day. This continued against the second and third-string quarterbacks, as the unit never gave the offensive line any time to breathe.

The high-octane and physical play extended to the linebackers and secondary as well.

At linebacker, Desmond Tisdol intercepted Fancher deep in the red zone. Meanwhile, Jarrett Jerrels had one of the biggest hits of the day when he laid out a receiver coming across the middle. Overall, the unit was crisp and solid in every aspect of the game.

The secondary combined an aggressive level of play with some upper-level ball skills on Saturday.

On the tackling side of things, Wendol Philord had some great stops. He not only contributed in the run game but also snuffed out attempts at RAC yardage on short passes. Meanwhile, Kahzir Brown also made some big contributions coming downhill, containing and making tackles consistently. His biggest highlight as a tackler was a big hit on a developing screen.

In coverage, Brown had an INT and consistently blanketed wideouts.

Another cornerback who had a great practice session was Cameron Goggins. The JUCO transfer had multiple PBUs, sticky coverage, and an interception that likely would have gone for a pick-six. Meanwhile, veteran cornerback Daedae Hill had a leaping interception and great coverage, while Antonio Smith also contributed to the play of the unit.

In the first scrimmage setting of the college football season, it is not surprising to see the FAU defense have an early advantage. This unit, however, is extremely talented. The Owls defense is fast, and have the personnel at all three levels to thrive. If FAU can capitalize on the unit’s talent, their football team will be in a great position to control the flow of games against most of their opponents.

Fancher struggles amid offensive bright spots

For the offense, the main story was Fancher.

The current starting quarterback is a great fit within the team’s high-octane scheme. He has the athletic ability to make plays in space. He also has the arm to make every throw, both of which could be unlocked by the Owls’ offense. While Fancher looked good on the move and on an occasional pass or two, his overall performance left a lot to be desired.

Fancher was erratic in the pocket, not escaping or stepping up quick enough. As a result, he took multiple sacks during the session. Fancher’s throws were off-target and had the potential to put his wideouts in danger of getting clobbered. His aggressiveness also got him into trouble, as his receivers could not make consistent contested catches on the outside.

Despite this, though, the FAU offense had some good moments to show the talent they have on their football roster.

Backup quarterback Tyriq Starks looked just as much of the part as Fancher. His speed and athleticism perfectly fit the Owls’ offensive scheme scheme.

Starks displayed by multiple runs that would have gone for long gains in a real game. He also looked more comfortable throwing the ball, hitting receivers in the chest and placing the ball in great spots for them to make a play.

On the ground, the Owls displayed some hard-nosed running and a deep running back room. Gemari Sands displayed great vision and burst getting through the holes. Xavier Terrell and Zuberi Mobley looked shifty and explosive. CJ Campbell showed soft hands and some RAC ability.

At receiver, Marlyn Johnson had an extremely impressive diving contested catch; while a variety of other receivers scattered around on the depth chart contributed good plays.

It is extremely beneficial that the Owls do not open up their season in the immediate future. With under a month until their season opener, Herman and company need to determine who are the best options to help right the ship in Boca Raton.

Even with the struggles and the defense winning the day, the FAU offense showed enough for the football team to build on and tweak in order to be fully prepared for Michigan State.

Other notes

  • EJ Horton had one of the best catches of the day for a TD. Should be a fun wideout in Tom Herman’s offense who also has some familiarity with Fancher.
  • Young receivers made their mark today. Jabari Smith had a sick juke move and ran through contact for one of the few touchdowns on the day. Nicholas Venezia constantly made tough catches and chose to run through contact all day.
  • The offense is loaded with emotion, getting players in space, and has a very high-octane feel. I am very interested to see how Herman deploys his new offense with all of the transfers.
  • Decent amount of higher snaps. An issue that needs to be worked on.
  • Leon Washington Jr. is already getting a few big-time reps with a willingness to attack contact. Cris Carter is a big fan.

Herman and players’ quotes

During media availability, coach Herman answered my question about what needs to happen progress-wise for the offense to be ready for their matchup against Michigan State.

“You would like to make it through 80 plays without four turnovers. It’s the age-old head coach dilemma in spring practice and the training camp; we are going to practice against a really good defense every day. We can’t let the downs of practice or scrimmage affect the ups. We are going to make our plays against those guys, too, but if we dwell on the times that we don’t, we are not going to have the times that we do.”

The head coach also said that he “would like to see consistency and big plays” from the offense.

“It’s hard to go 12, 14 play drives up and down the field on a regular basis. I think protecting the football, consistency, and somebody making on the perimeter making some contest and big plays.”

Wide receiver E.J Horton spoke about the offensive scheme at FAU and said he feels “really good” about it unlocking him as a player.

“I feel like I can be a complete receiver here, not just a take the top off kind of guy. We have a lot of guys in the room who can do it all, and I feel like I’m one of those guys. Coach Frye does a really good job with his schemes, and I feel really good about it.”

I also had a chance to speak with defensive backs Brown, Goggins, and Fabian Scott.

Brown, when asked about the flow of the practice, said it was a “good representation” of how things will be in a real game.” He also spoke about the team’s mentality at practice.

“We really just come out and try to dominate. Coach emphasizes communication and doing all of the right things, so that is really the main thing we want to focus on. So when things happen, we are not out of sorts or confused. Everybody is just flowing, and we keep going.”

Goggins spoke about what went into his great practice on Saturday.

“I felt real comfortable. I spent a lot of time studying last night, going over the calls so I could be comfortable and know what to do. ”

He also added that physicality and flying around the field was a big “emphasis” for the team ahead of the scrimmage on Saturday.

Scott said the game is “slowing down” for him by continuing to focus on his keys while also adding that he is “still learning” every day. When asked about what fans should expect this season, Scott said, “Stay tuned” and that the Owls have something good coming for them this season.

Outside of media availability, I was able to speak with Cris Carter and Tom Herman individually. You can find those interviews here.

Overall, it was an exciting and intense practice that was open to the public. The Owls have a good foundation already, and if they can build on it they could be in store for an exciting 2024 season.

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