Ahead of their Week 3 matchup against the FIU Panthers, the FAU Owls addressed the media.
Head coach Tom Herman, freshman safety CJ Heard, and running back Zuberi Mobley spoke about the upcoming Shula Bowl matchup, their play last week, and what the team can build upon going forward in the 2024 season. Follow along below to hear all of the latest updates from the Owls’ weekly media availability.
Tom Herman speaks
The FAU Owls head coach spoke about the Shula Bowl and what he expects during his first taste of it on Saturday night.
“I think I’m pretty up to speed on the rivalry. I think I was when I showed up, not just because of the on-field stuff. Rivalries occur for many different reasons, and proximity is usually one of them. And I’ve literally never had a rival that close. I imagine they’re probably staying in their team hotel and driving up on game day. That’s a luxury I haven’t had. I’m looking forward to it next year, for sure,” said Herman.
“But we see these guys in recruiting. We see them in everything that we do, and they’re right down the road. A lot of our players played against their players in high school. They recruited a lot of our players as well, and vice versa. So, it has all of the makings of a great rivalry. It doesn’t surprise me that it’s as intensive as it is.”
In terms of injury updates, Herman revealed that wide receiver E.J. Horton had surgery on a turf toe injury and would be out for an extended period.
“Full disclosure: he’s had surgery on his Turf Toe. We’re going to see if that’s going to keep him out for the rest of the season or if there is a chance to come back, but it won’t be anytime soon.”
Herman elaborated on this point, saying that the injuries to Horton and E.J. Alexander are among the reasons why the offense has started slow.
“Enough for it to matter, you know, I think it’s a right way to say that. I don’t know if there are any game rep sleuths here, but we also didn’t play with two of our four scholarship tight ends for the first two games; Kahlil Brantley is coming back from being diagnosed with lupus, and Elijah Brown is now coming off of concussion. So, it’ll be nice to have those two guys returning this week.
There are so many things that we’re learning, and then the pieces change. With BJ and EJ going down, we now have to learn some different parts, too. We’re not excusing the lack of pace that we’re getting to know this crew. It certainly needs to speed up, but it is a reality, too,” Herman said.
When asked about any positives he took from the matchup against Army, the head coach said there were “plenty.”
“I think that’s probably what had me so down and maybe a little bit perplexed; I am mad at myself for not seeing this coming somehow some way. As you look back, that is the frustrating thing. There’s so much good that happened, and even offensively, believe it or not. We have shown at our best that we’re pretty good. And it’s my job, our job, as coaches and leaders on the team, to make sure that we translate the good week of practice into performance on game day.”
Additionally, Herman shed some light on how the new age of college football has played a role in the team’s start this season.
“This is the new college football; 50 percent of our roster is brand new. We’ve got nine out of 11 starters on offense that are brand new, and we draw a Big Ten team on the road in front of 70,000 people. Then we get an Army team that’s been together for years, playing a bunch of juniors and seniors in the same system. That’s not an excuse; that’s why I was mad at myself. It’s my job to have us more prepared for the Army game, but having played that level of opponent in back-to-back weeks to start the season can do nothing but help us. We’re going to be better because of it because we did do a lot of good things.”
When I asked about the wide receiver rotation, Herman said “heat and fatigue ” were two primary reasons for six wide receivers playing more than 15 snaps on Saturday.
“At this stage in the season, the guys run as hard as they can, oftentimes 30, 40, 50 yards in a dead sprint. Then we go no-huddle, and then they have to go back to the line and do it again, which becomes tiring. La’Johntay Wester didn’t even play every snap. I hope we have six guys that we trust and can rotate through there, because that will mean we’ll be better because of it in the fourth quarter. Those guys are running 7000 yards a game; that’s a lot,” Herman said.
Regarding the running game, Herman said they would look into using ” more gap schemes and some more pullers” to get it going in Week 3.
“It just goes back to who we are, a little bit, on offense. We’re just inconsistent; it’s coach speak, and it’s said over and over, but that is such an interdependent side of the ball. I can’t count the number of plays where 10 guys might grade out as a plus, and one guy misses an assignment or a block, and the play is a negative play for zero yards. And it’s like, okay, now you fix that guy, but you run out of fingers to plug the dam. And so everybody up front has it in them, and we’ve seen it at its best. And so it’s just a level of consistency right now, doing it repeatedly,” Herman said.
Building on this question, I asked Herman if the improvement in the passing game is interwoven with the play of the offensive line and run game.
“I don’t think it’s interwoven with the run game, but it is interwoven with four new starters on your offensive line. We’ve got to be smart with what we ask them to do. We’re not going to line up empty on first down and start throwing the ball all around and five-man protections and say, Hey, go block that defensive end for 70 snaps all by yourself. That’s not good coaching,” said Herman.
The head coach also added that the passing game “is taking strides” and that by extension of the running game improving, the play action passing attack can “be more advantageous.”
Regarding the defense, I asked Herman about preparing for FIU’s offense and how it differs from preparing for the unique Army offense.
“Well, we get to play normal fronts and coverages and not be bound by the uniqueness of the rules that the triple option presents. It’s a little bit more like Michigan State, but probably more like our offense in terms of the tempo. It is going to be something that we have to be prepared for. The RPOs and the perimeter screens are something that we’re going to have to be prepared for. And then the quarterback legs, you know, it’s something we’re going to have to be prepared for. These weeks are coming off a triple option, so you better flip that switch pretty quickly in the week and get back to normalcy,” Herman said.
Herman also spoke about FAU Owls safety CJ Heard, and what he has brought to the field as a true freshman.
“He’s really good; I’ve been bragging on him since training camp. He came in like a grown man. I mean, he’s 18, going on 32, and he carries himself like a grown man. You would think he’s a fifth-year senior by the way he handles his business in terms of getting his body right on his own, getting the film work on his own, and getting the individual work on his own. The guy eats, sleeps, and breathes this game, and he’s really talented. If you put those things together, you have a true freshman out there who’s doing all the right things. There’s been two games, so I don’t want to give him too much praise just yet, but I’m glad he’s here for sure.”
In terms of the game’s atmosphere, Herman added that the team must “do a good job” keeping fans in the stands for most of the game. He also expressed what he wants to see Saturday night from the FAU Owls fans.
“Spread the word, let your friends know, bring somebody with you. We get a lot of energy from our students. That walk into the stadium, through the student tailgate, being out for pregame warmups, and seeing the student section fill up is really motivating. The noise and pressure that they can provide on our opponent, hopefully, will be at an all-time high.”
C.J. Heard speaks
The freshman safety spoke about the game slowing down for him at the college level after two games.
“The first drive at Michigan State I went in, it was fast. I was expecting that, though. Coach Roc preached that over and over again at practice … honestly, I settled in on the second series. Every rep, every step I take, everything is just slowing down. It’s getting back to the way it was in high school. I’m loving it.”
Heard also called Army a “very good” offense and spoke about what goes into playing them.
“They are going to do what they do repeatedly until you mess up, and you can’t mess up once. That offense is pretty good.”
The safety said that he was just “grinding” all week before the coaches called his number as a key contributor. Once called upon, Heard said that he “made sure he prepared” and that he repeated the same things “over and over again” in practice.
Heard said people “are going to see how good the FAU defense” is this year when they play a typical offense. He acknowledged that Army presented challenges, but that FAU will be “really good” in normal circumstances.
I asked Heard about his mentality as a tackler, as he leads the FAU Owls in the PFF tackling metric. Heard said that aspect of his play is what “separates him from others.”
“When I was little, I played linebacker, so it always carried over for me. From little league to high school, I was always able to tackle. The d-line and linebackers doing their assignments make it easier for me to attack my gap and do what I need to do.”
I also asked Heard about his mentality on the field and how he wants to build upon his early-season performance.
“When I’m on the field, it’s just me vs. me. Just doing my assignment the best I can to help the team. Win that down. Every plan is a new down. That’s what Coach Roc has put in my head. Every play is a new trial. Each play, I have to reset.”
Heading to the FIU matchup this week, Heard said the FAU Owls defense is focusing on “playing smart, fast, and being disciplined.” Regarding the Shula Bowl, Heard said that he wants to keep the trophy in Boca Raton for the next year.
“I heard a lot about it. I heard the trophy has been here for seven years. I don’t want this year to be the one that it goes back. So, we are going to do everything in our power to prepare for them in practice. We have to keep grinding; right now, it is us vs. us, so we will keep doing what we can to get better on our side of the ball. ”
Zuberi Mobley speaks
When asked about the Shula Bowl, the FAU Owls running back said he is “very excited” to play FIU and that the team understands the game’s hype and excitement.
Mobley also spoke about what his position group is working on to be more effective in Week 3.
“We are just looking to set the tempo. Starting off on the ground and putting pressure on the defense allows the passing game to be dominant. That’s what we plan on doing heading into this game.”
The running back, asked about the running game struggles, said it will “take time” for the unit to get fully rolling.
“We know we are going to get to going sooner or later. It’s a matter of just keep going. When things are not going right, we must motivate our o-line and keep going.”
I asked Mobley about his running style shortly afterward and what goes into that for his mentality as a player.
“Be physical. The plays that are going to open up are going to open up. It’s about being physical when nothing is open. That’s just the mindset you gotta have to play this position.”
Additionally, I asked Mobley about his preparation to be an all-around back in FAU Owls offensive scheme.
“That’s what we practice. I walk in there with not just the mindset of running the ball but finding out how I can help this team without running the ball. Catching out of the backfield, making my reads, making my blocks, just keying onto the things I’m supposed to key onto. And just be physical.”
The FAU Owls seem ready to turn the page and face FIU in a pivotal Saturday night showdown. They will have to make the necessary adjustments based off last week’s game, and if they do, the Owls will be in a good position to get the victory in the Shula Bowl.
