It was another heartbreaker for the FAU Owls on Saturday evening. In a whirlwind of a game that could be considered “perfect for the Sickos,” FAU lost to Temple in overtime by a score of 18-15. The game had multiple highs for the Owls, but also multiple lows that reflected the overall struggles they have faced in 2024.
At 2-8, FAU is in danger of having a worse record than they did last season. Almost everything has gone wrong for the Owls this season; whether it is on offense, defense, or special teams. The team has faced trial and tribulation throughout the year and continue to come up short.
What were the bright spots for FAU? And, how did they drop yet another game? Follow along as we recap FAU’s latest loss in the 2024 season.
Weisman and Starks combine for a great effort
Despite playing two quarterbacks, FAU’s offense had a pretty good night in the grand scheme of things.
Starter Kasen Weisman, during his time in the ballgame, was 11 of 23 for 123 yards. He also added 31 yards on the ground on two carries.
The Colorado transfer looked confident and poised in the pocket. Instead of choosing to scramble at a moment’s notice, he hung in there and tried to deliver throws all over the field. His aggressiveness was noticeable compared to his previous performances, as was his accuracy down the field. As a runner, Weisman looked effective and shifty while getting the necessary yards on his runs.
Quite honestly, he was shaping up to have one of the better quarterback performances for the Owls this season. That is, until disaster struck.
Taking a low hit, Weisman was knocked out for the remainder of the game. According to head coach Tom Herman, after the game, the quarterback “is being evaluated for a high ankle sprain.” He added that the severity will not be known until the team gets him an MRI.
As a result of the injury, back quarterback Tyriq Starks was thrust into action.
The quarterback started a bit slow during his first few series, having to manage against constant pressure and covered wideouts. But when it mattered most, Starks delivered.
Starks led the game-tying touchdown drive that sent the game to overtime, playing a crucial role in all of it. Between working his reads, making absurd throws outside the pocket, and even catching a pass, Starks is one of the main reasons FAU even had a shot to win the football game.
UNREAL GRAB FROM @OmariHayes4 , FIRST DOWN 🔥
💻 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/uuNwB5eqkM
— Florida Atlantic Football (@FAUFootball) November 16, 2024
PHILLY PHILLY 🏈
💻 ESPN+#TriCountyTakeover#WinningInParadise pic.twitter.com/UuhohpZjNF
— Florida Atlantic Football (@FAUFootball) November 16, 2024
While it was not enough to lead the team to victory, Herman said he “absolutely loves” Starks and stated that he is “one of the most improved players” on the entire FAU roster.
Barring a comeback from Weisman, it is likely that Starks will lead the charge at quarterback for the remainder of the year. In a season filled with dour outcomes, Starks has a chance to be a shining light for the Owls down the stretch.
Heard and Campbell lead the charge for FAU Owls
As per usual, the CJ’s lead the way for the Owls.
On offense, C.J. Campbell did a little bit of everything against Temple. He had 72 yards rushing on 20 carries with two touchdowns, averaging 3.5 yards per carry. He was also the team’s leading receiver on the day, with six receptions for 57 yards.
TOUCHDOWN CJ
Owls going for two to tie…. pic.twitter.com/kBIxPPAqTg
— Florida Atlantic Football (@FAUFootball) November 16, 2024
If it was not for Campbell, the offense would have been dead in the water. He is the reason the run game worked as well as it did. He is also the reason for much of the passing game’s effectiveness. It is extremely impressive how vital the running back has become for FAU.
C.J. Heard, for the defense, is essentially the same thing. The safety had five solo tackles, one assist, and one pass breakup. Heard was all over the field for the FAU Owls, making plays and preventing small gains from turning into big ones.
It has reached a point where Heard is the superhero of the defense. If he is not around to help with a tackle or the passing game, there is likely a big gain occurring against the defense.
For FAU’s last two games, the CJ duo is vital. Without their production, the Owls may find it hard to compete in games, let alone win them.
The defense takes a step toward improvement
While not a great performance, the defense looked better for the FAU Owls tonight.
The team got more pressure on the quarterback, racking up six quarterback hits and one sack. Chisom Ifeanyi had the team’s lone sack on the day and was a constant presence in the backfield.
As a whole, the run defense looked improved. They only allowed 130 rushing yards on 39 attempts, resulting in a 3.5 average. They were more downhill toward the ball and wrapped up better as tacklers.
However, it was ultimately not enough.
Temple still found success at the edge of FAU’s defense; whether it was Terrez Worthy or Antwain Littleton, the running backs were turning carries into positive gains.
While the cornerbacks, like Kahzir “Buggs” Brown, were effective, the linebackers and safeties were not great in coverage. Temple consistently found soft spots in the zone and racked up 218 passing yards on the day. There were also a few big missed tackles, some of which kept big scoring drives going for Temple.
Ultimately, the improvements were not enough. FAU still has work to do, but now has a baseline to build off of going forward.
The little mistakes can be big mistakes
In this game, little mistakes ended up being the difference.
FAU decided to go for it on an early fourth down instead of taking the points; that was the differential in the loss. They missed a short kick in overtime, while Temple converted on their attempt. The Owls racked up multiple penalties that killed drives, while Temple largely avoided backbreaking mistakes.
These things have been the difference between wins and losses for the FAU Owls. Until they are fixed, FAU will not be on the right track to winning football games on a consistent basis.
Tom Herman speaks
After the team’s loss to Temple, head coach Tom Herman spoke to the media to give his thoughts on the game, injury updates, his opinion on Stark’s performance, and more.
After their overtime loss to the Temple Owls, Florida Atlantic head coach Tom Herman spoke to the media in his postgame press conference. The FAU Owls are still winless in conference play. (via @BPok24)@FAUFootball | #FAU pic.twitter.com/RBZIARvlFF
— The League Winners (@LeagueWinnersFB) November 16, 2024
Other notes
- Kahzir Brown is a great tackler downhill. FAU should send him on more pressure and blitzes.
- Wyatt Sullivan is an underrated receiver. I hope the offense features him down the stretch.
- A healthy Daedae Hill is a very, very good player. It was very good to see him look like himself tonight
- I’m very interested to see how the game plan on offense evolves next week. FAU should stay aggressive, no matter if Starks or Weisman are at the helm.
