In the sweltering, Saturday afternoon heat, the Florida-based team was the one that melted under the pressure. The FAU Owls dropped their Week 2 matchup to the Army Black Knights by a score of 24-7.
It was a one-sided affair for the majority of the game; Army dominated the time of possession and capitalized on the mistakes of the Owls. While FAU had some positives, the Owls offense was simply ineffective, and the defense ran out of gas down the stretch.
What went into the specifics of the performance, though? How did the results unfold the way they did? Follow along below to find out all you need to know about the results of FAU-Army.
Running defense woes
Heading into this game, the FAU Owls’ run defense was relatively solid. Outside of a big, 60-yard run play against Michigan State, the unit buckled down and stymied the Spartans’ attempts to move the ball. It seemed like a good sign ahead of facing the Army; the Black Knights ran for over 300 yards against Lehigh and relied predominantly on using an option-based scheme.
As head coach Tom Herman and cornerback Kahzir Brown put it, if Florida Atlantic played smart and read their keys, they would have a great chance to win. If they played sound and smart football on defense, they would have a chance to win. Unfortunately for the Owls, that was not the case.
Army, from the start of the game, took the action to the Owls. They utilized the inherent trickery of the option to play with the eyes of FAU defenders. They committed to playing the game at their own pace and style.
Most impressively, Army imposed their will on FAU. They consistently cleared running lanes for their backs and drove back the Owls’ defensive line with their strength. Relying on the same plays repeatedly, they wore down their opposition through a battle of attrition.
Army West Point (2024)
vs. FAU (Week 2)
Zone Triple w/ orbit motion from Pistol
— Last of the Fullbacks (@TheLastFullback) September 7, 2024
The numbers reflect the effectiveness of the Army offense; the Black Knights averaged seven yards per carry on 58 rushing attempts, racking up 405 yards and two touchdowns. Four different army players averaged over five yards per carry, with Noah Short’s 14.5 yards per carry being the best of the bunch.
This is not to say that the Owls’ run defense did not have some bright spots. Defensive lineman Chris Jones made some good plays. Safety CJ Heard and linebackers Desmond Tisdol, Eddie Williams, and Jackson Ambush were flying around in the running game. Cornerbacks Kahzir Brown and Jayden Williams did a good job setting the edge against specific plays.
But at the end of the day, it simply was not enough. The Owls could not keep the Black Knights in check, and they will need to regroup before a critical showdown against the Panthers of FIU.
FAU running offense sputters out
Almost serving as the yin to Army’s yang, Florida Atlantic’s rushing attack was not strong in any capacity.
Between C.J. Campbell Jr., Zuberi Mobley, and Cameron Fancher, no player rushed for more than 20 yards. All three players averaged less than 2.5 yards per carry, and the longest run of the day came on an unscripted Fancher scramble.
It goes without saying that the performances did not occur in a vacuum. FAU’s offensive line struggled to run block and create any lanes for their running backs. Campbell Jr. and Mobley were fighting to get any yards, let alone having the ability to create yardage down the field. Fancher also was more conservative as a scrambler, being more content to look to throw the ball downfield.
One could also say that the rushing attack’s issues stem from the poor passing game production. Fancher has looked very poor at times pushing the ball down the field, and the play calling has been suspect. As a result, teams likely feel comfortable stacking the box and looking to completely shut down the run.
At the end of the day, though, the rushing attack must be better. Once it starts to improve, it can be one of the foundations of a successful FAU Owls offense.
Finding the right wide receiver combination
One of the more interesting facets of the Owls’ offense over the past two weeks has been their use of wide receivers.
Head coach Tom Herman said during the week that Omari Hayes, Jayshon Platt, and Dominque Henry would be the team’s presumed “starters” going forward. However, that was not the case on Saturday.
Hayes was the only starter who was heavily featured; the wideout showed off great quickness and speed to create separation and caught his first touchdown from Fancher. Outside of the slot wideout, the rotation was in full force.
Platt only had one reception for six yards, while Henry did not record a catch. Meanwhile, Buffalo transfer Marlyn Johnson made multiple good catches, creating a decent amount of separation. George Johnson made arguably the best catch of the day and racked up 24 yards on three quick catches early in the game. Milan Tucker had the most receptions out of any player on the Owls, and Joseph Young made an acrobatic catch on one of his few targets.
Marlyn Johnson making a good contribution today. Makes a great catch on a 4th down play and then gets the Owls closer to the goal line with another grab. He’s a player that should help the Owls in key situations. #FAU
— Brandyn Pokrass (@BPok24) September 7, 2024
This is not to mention the usage of running backs Campbell and Mobley, along with tight ends Wyatt Sullivan and Zeke Moore, in the passing game.
At the end of the day, though, this number of players cannot continue. FAU must find a way to establish a rhythm and consistency for their wideouts. In quarterback Cameron Fancher’s case, he needs to be able to build chemistry with the starters. Rotating players to this extent will only keep things more fluid in the offense and, as a result, make things much more difficult for Fancher and company.
Fancher and play calling struggle
Regarding Fancher, the situation is not necessarily black and white.
Yes, Fancher is struggling mightily at times. He is missing throws consistently down the field. He is making poor decisions in deciding to throw or not throw the ball. His ability to read defenses is arguably suspect, highlighted by his second-half interception that swung the game firmly in Army’s favor. He is even bailing on clean pockets at times for no reason.
Fancher starts the drive off hot to Tucker for two completions and Moore for another. He then rolls out and throws it up in double coverage. Intercepted. An inexplicable decision by Fancher, who had a wide open Tucker streaking down the field. #FAU #CFB
— Brandyn Pokrass (@BPok24) September 7, 2024
Yet, everything is not on the transfer quarterback. The Owls’ play-calling has been brutal, especially in key situations. Whether it is passing it short of the sticks on multiple fourth downs, running condensed route concepts, or a failed sprint out play on the goal line, Fancher is not being helped by his coaching.
Herman, offensive coordinator Charlie Frye, and Fancher all need to fix things and improve the offensive situation. Without significant strides, the season has the potential to spiral extremely quickly.
Herman speaks
The FAU Owls head coach said he is “angry” and spoke about consistency, noting that “we will not bet anybody” if they play like they did on Saturday.
“We have a challenge as a staff. We gotta figure out how to develop some more consistency. When we are at our best, we are pretty good. We’re just not at our best consistently enough.”
Herman also spoke about a variety of other topics, such as wide receiver play and the quarterback play.
