Well, you can stick a fork in the Flordia Atlantic Football season. With their postseason chances on the line, the FAU Owls were utterly embarrassed by the East Carolina Pirates on Thursday night, losing by a score of 49-14. Whether it was offense, defense, or special teams, the Owls were blown off the field and thoroughly embarrassed.
Quite frankly, it was an embarrassing performance from a team that was supposedly willing to fight for its bowl game chances. From the opening snap of the game, it was evident that the Owls were in trouble on the road.
What went wrong? Are there any bright spots? And where do the FAU Owls go from here? Follow along as we break down the latest Florida Atlantic loss on Thursday night.
The lone bright spots for the FAU Owls
Even in the great darkness, there will always be some rays of hope.
Despite much more limited production, running back C.J. Campberll Jr. ran hard and found openings when possible. He also looked good as a receiver, even picking up the second of his two touchdowns late in the game from quarterback Kasen Weisman.
Fellow running back Gemari Sands saw extended playing time in this matchup after Zuberi Mobley was unable to travel due to an injury. Sands ran extremely hard and made an impressive one-handed catch down the field.
Leon Washington Jr. looked explosive in limited work, having a 14-yard reception and just missing out on a touchdown after beating his defender deep down the field. Jabari Smith Jr. was also very effective, working in all areas of the field to make plays for the Owls.
On defense, cornerback Kahzir “Buggs” Brown stood out as usual. He was shutdown in coverage and made some key tackles in the run game.
It will be fascinating how FAU handles the rest of their season, especially in light of their postseason chances getting extinguished. It is always good to have positive signs, though, and FAU still had some in their blowout loss.
Does this team practice?
New week, same issues.
As a team, ECU ran for 238 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7 yards per attempt. Whether they ran to the outside, inside, or with the quarterback, the Pirates found space everywhere.
The Owls struggled to tackle the East Carolina Pirates all night long on the ground. When they weren’t missing tackles, they were getting blown off the ball with blocks and giving lanes to ECU ball-carriers. It continued a theme that has followed the FAU Owls all season long.
HE GOT WHEELS TOO @katinhouser 🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/Iao9R7Xz2Y
— ECU Football (@ECUPiratesFB) November 8, 2024
However, the issues extended into the passing game against the Pirates on Thursday.
The team could not tackle on screens, allowing receivers to pick up way more yards than they should have. Coverage was especially poor by the majority of the players. With communication looking non-existent, ECU players were constantly running down the field wide-open for touchdowns. The typically reliable Daedae Hill was blowtorched and targeted repeatedly, allowing three touchdowns by himself on Thursday.
1 on 1 with @GlobalAnt_26 is a dangerous game 🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/IZWUbuwVzQ
— ECU Football (@ECUPiratesFB) November 8, 2024
The issues extended to the offense as well. Specifically, the play-calling throughout the game was very poor. With quarterbacks Weisman and Tyriq Starks in the game, the route concepts and schemes did nothing to help them get their feet wet. Everything was harder than it needed to be on offense throughout the game; and that does not even scratch the surface of questionable rotations and usage of players, which has been a recurring issue for the majority of the season.
The FAU Owls have plenty of problems. It will be very interesting to see how Florida Atlantic tries to solve them in the coming weeks.
A QB injury and dilemma
In the span of one evening, the Owls’ quarterback room underwent a drastic shift.
Starter Cam Fancher took a big hit late in the first first quarter and was on the ground in severe, visible pain. As head coach Tom Herman would reveal after the game, Fancher broke his clavicle and will be out for the rest of the season.
In his postgame presser, @FAUFootball HC Tom Herman said that QB Cam Fancher broke his clavicle. He is out for the rest of the season. Wishing him the best in his recovery🙏🏻 #FAU @LeagueWinnersFB
— Brandyn Pokrass (@BPok24) November 8, 2024
For the remainder of the game, both Weisman and Starks attempted to keep the offense afloat when in the game.
Weisman had some good moments, scrambling outside the pocket to show his speed while also displaying an ability to make big throws on the run. He also connected on a few passes while in the pocket, displaying an ability to go through his reads.
On the flip side, Weisman also bailed on many clean pockets throughout the game. He also made many reckless throws, which could have easily been turnovers against different teams. That was not necessarily his fault, though; as the playcalling for FAU was questionable and left Weisman in very vulnerable situations.
Starks, when Weisman briefly exited the game with an ankle injury, showed some flashes of positivity as well. Starks looked very decisive running the ball and made sure to finish through contact. He also looked comfortable in the pocket, going through reads and had a good platform to throw the ball from.
His only mistake, however, was on an interception he threw. It was the right read from Starks, but he put too much heat on the ball, which caused it to get tipped. Like a pitcher in baseball, Starks would have gotten a better result if he had gone with the changeup in that situation.
With no Fancher, it will be fascinating to see how the Owls approach the quarterback position. Will Weisman be the unchallenged starter? Or will Starks have an opportunity to get on the field at an extended capacity? How the Owls proceed forward will reveal a lot about how they intend to approach the present and future.
Herman speaks
In terms of significant quotes, head coach Tom Herman spoke about the young players getting more reps and what he told the players going forward.
“I told the guys in the locker room that I appreciated those who fought until the end. I apologized to the seniors but reminded them that they would remember these last three games for the rest of their lives. For these young guys who are now being thrust into action, these are extremely valuable reps and an opportunity to grow.”
Herman also said, in terms of the offense with new quarterbacks, that he “gets on the headset immediately” and makes sure that the quarterback is having plays called that they are comfortable with. He added that he thought running backs Gemari Sands and Xavier Terrell did really, really well against the Pirates.
Head coach Tom Herman spoke to the media after the FAU Owls suffered a brutal loss to the ECU Pirates, ending their hope for a bowl game. (We apologize for the background noise, something we could not control).@FAUFootball | #WinningInParadise pic.twitter.com/UH2duit0Rk
— The League Winners (@LeagueWinnersFB) November 8, 2024
Dead, dead, dead in the water!
The postseason dreams for the FAU Owls are dead.
After heading into the year with expectations of bowl games, Florida Atlanti will see its season end early once again. By all measures, it is dead in the water for 2024.
How can a team move forward after their season is lost? That is something FAU has to answer for themselves. That is something Herman, the coaching staff, and the players have to answer.
The rest of the season may not mean anything for the postseason. However, it will mean everything for a program trying to drag itself out of the mud; as well as for a coach and roster trying to prove themselves.
Ultimately, these last three games for FAU will determine what type of roster, coaches, and program the Owls are. It is only from there that real and measurable progress can have its foundation laid and built upon.
