FAU Owls fall to Michigan State Spartans 16-10

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Cam Fancher, FAU Football, FAU Owls, Florida Atlantic University, The League Winners

In their first game of the regular season, the FAU Owls narrowly missed upsetting the Michigan Spartans

In their first game of the season, the FAU Owls narrowly missed upsetting a Big Ten stalwart.

The Owls played a tight and contested game against the Michigan State Spartans in their Week 1 matchup. They lost by a score of 16-10. The game was filled with many positives but also some negatives that need to be cleaned up quickly.

What went into the Owls’ close loss on Friday night? Follow along below to find out.

A Tough Defensive Performance

If one thing about the Owls’ performance stood out, it was the defensive performance.

Outside of one 60+ yard touchdown run, the entire defense buckled down and shut down Aidan Chiles and the Michigan State offense. It started up front with the defensive line; Chris Jones, Devonta Davis, and Chisom Ifeanyi had good performances, consistently getting after the quarterback and blowing up plays in the backfield. Michal Antione Jr. also had a big play to force a turnover.

In the back seven, linebacker Jackson Ambush was all over the field making plays. He made ten total tackles throughout the game, one of which was a tackle for a loss. Defensive back Kahzir Brown was lockdown in coverage, having a juggling interception and another pass breakup later in the game. He also had five tackles.

Additionally, cornerback Phillip Dunnam had a big interception that helped keep the FAU Owls in the game. Jayden Williams had a fumble recovery and was a big help tackling downhill.

Overall, the Owls’ defensive performance was great. They played hard, fast, and aggressively all night and rebounded quickly after giving up two separate touchdowns. It was a great foundation laid for the foreseeable future, as the Owls will likely rely on their defense to win multiple games in 2024.

Running Backs Running Hard

On the offensive side of the ball, C.J. Campbell Jr. and Zuberi Mobley stood out at the running back position.

The stats were not over-the-top impressive from either player; Mobley had ten carries for 36 yards, while Campbell had 12 carries for 34 yards. However, each player ran hard and was decisive downhill. They broke tackles and churned out tough yardage that was not always there for the taking. Furthermore, Campbell and Mobley displayed versatility in the passing game; Campbell showed off soft hands, while Mobley displayed an ability to receive motion-based plays.

Against a tough Michigan State defense, the two running backs for the Owls showed some impressive flashes. When they play against lesser opponents, Mobley and Campbell have a chance to do serious damage.

No Wide Receiver Breakouts?

One of the biggest questions for the Owls in 2024 was who would break out in the FAU wide receiver room. And while one player did step up, that question is not any closer to having a permanent answer.

Omari Hayes had a great day against the Spartans, racking up 74 yards on five catches. He consistently found space in the opposing defense, displayed soft hands, and showed nice explosiveness with the ball. Most importantly, he was reliable and tough in critical situations for the offense.

Outside of Hayes, only Jayshon Platt flashed at the position. He only had 21 yards on two receptions, but one of them was a key touchdown that put the Owls within one score of the Spartans.

The FAU Owls need wideouts to step up at the position throughout the season. If they become Hayes and Platt, FAU will be in good shape. But if not, the various players in the group will have to perform well to make the offense successful in 2024.

Finding Fancher

Out of all the players and coaches on the roster, nobody is more impactfulΒ  to the Owls’ success or failure than quarterback Cameron Fancher. Unfortunately on Friday night, he played a big role in their failure.

The former Marshall quarterback was very erratic throwing the football. He had two horrid interceptions that stalled out offensive drives for the Owls and was off-target on multiple other plays. Fancher was consistently late, short, and inaccurate on his passes. He also took some big shots as a result of not sliding in time or sliding too early.

In addition, he held the ball for way too long as a passer. Fancher took seven sacks and constantly scrambled around when he could have made better decisions.

However, Fancher did show some flashes as a player on Friday night.

Despite taking big losses on certain plays, the quarterback was flying around as a runner. He consistently outran defenders and ate up chunks of yardage while the defense was in man coverage. Additionally, he hit some big passes later in the game to Hayes and had the big touchdown to Platt in the fourth quarter.

Fancher still has the talent to succeed as a quarterback at FAU. But with more performances like the one he had tonight, he won’t have too many more opportunities in the 2024 season.

FAU Owls Media Availability and Quotes

Playing a significant role for the FAU offense in the second half of the game, wide receiver Omari Hayes stepped to the podium for the team’s post-game press conference. While being relied upon in the second half of the game, Hayes spoke about the mental preparation needed to always stay ready, despite not knowing when his number could be called upon.

Defensive end Chris Jones took to the podium at the post-game press conference after the defense put together an excellent performance against Michigan State. Jones put on a tremendous display along the DL against Michigan State. Among many things, Jones spoke about the team sticking to their gameplan as a reason why they were able to have success against the Spartans’ offense.

After a disappointing loss in a close game to Michigan State, FAU quarterback Cam Fancher took to the podium in the post-game press conference. Fancher received an injury to his non-throwing hand late in the game, but it’s believed it won’t limit him in Week 2 against Army. He also spoke about missed opportunities and what the team can build upon heading into their Week 2 matchup.

Head coach Tom Herman also addressed the media after the game. Among many things, Herman spoke of the injury to Fancher, his disappointment in the Owls’ execution losing a close game to a Big Ten school, and the prowess of cornerback Kahzir Brown, who stepped up in a big way for Florida Atlantic in their Week 1 matchup (credit to FAU Owls Nest for the video).

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