The Florida Atlantic University Owls’ football team (1-3, 0-1 AAC) faced a challenging away game against the University of Connecticut Huskies (2-2). UConn outscored the Owls in each quarter of play, marking the third loss of the season for the Owls in a 48-14 defeat.
UConn’s offensive line and running game were in top form, overwhelming FAU’s defense across the entire game. The Huskies passed for 121 yards and rushed for 423 yards, setting a program record in the process. The Owls struggled to match their intensity, as they rushed for 163 yards and had 87 passing yards. Penalties plagued the Owls as well, as 12 of them cost the defense 93 yards across the four quarters.
“I’ll just be honest. I didn’t see that coming,” said FAU head coach Tom Herman to start his post-game press conference.
Despite the blind-sighting result, Herman remains hopeful for the season.
“I’m discouraged right now, but I am certainly not discouraged for the future,” said the second-year Owls head coach.
With just one non-conference game left before the start of AAC play, Herman believes that the team still has time to prepare for the rest of their schedule.
“We still have a lot of time and a lot of room for improvement,” Herman said.
Despite the discouraging loss, there is still hope in the locker room, according to senior defensive back Daedae Hill.
“We can’t let one game determine our whole season,” Hill said. He had a crucial interception to end last week’s Shula Bowl victory and has held a leadership role with the team since joining as a sophomore in 2022.
The Owls will have the opportunity to bounce back as they play Wagner University Seahawks (2-2) at home on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 6:00 p.m. The game can be streamed live on ESPN+.
Recap
FAU’s first possession following the coin toss was brief, lasting less than a minute. Running back Zuberi Mobley started off with the ball, he took it and ran for two yards. Following that play, quarterback Cam Fancher struggled to find his receivers and threw two incomplete passes. The drive ended with a punt from punter Logan Lupo.
The first three Owl offensive possessions ended with a punt. All three were 3-and-outs, only earning one first down in their attempt to go down the field. Meanwhile, UConn made the most of their opportunities early, scoring a field goal on their first offensive possession after deferring the coin toss.
With 6:14 left in the first quarter, UConn fumbled the ball and FAU linebacker Eddie Williams recovered it at their 37-yard line and ran with it for four yards. However, the Owls couldn’t capitalize on the Huskies’ error, punting after two minutes. The Huskies saw continued success in their drives, with two touchdowns that were left unanswered by a struggling FAU offense.
The Owls once again punted to end a scoreless first half, down 17-0.
UConn received the ball after halftime and slowly marched downfield. In a possession that lasted almost seven minutes, the Huskies gained yards only through their running game, with their sole completed pass resulting in a loss of 2 yards. UConn quarterback Nick Evers ran the ball in for a 3-yard touchdown.
The Owls next possession ended with an unfortunate interception within thirty seconds. Fancher’s throw was picked off and returned for 12 yards which set UConn up in field goal range to further extend their lead, 27-0. Despite this turnover, Fancher was a bright spot in the lackluster Owls offense. His carries accounted for the most rushing yards on the team with 71 yards off only eight carries.
FAU put points on the board after a handoff to running back CJ Campbell Jr., who ran the ball in for a 3-yard touchdown with 2:17 to go in the 3rd quarter.
Campbell Jr. scored all of FAU’s touchdowns, running for 38 yards to make the score 41-14 with just under 10 minutes left to play in the game.
The Huskies scored another touchdown before the final whistle blew. Quarterback Joe Fagnano threw a 33-yard pass to the back of the end zone for Shamar Porter, who caught the ball almost with the back of his head. This expanded their lead and gave the Owls no chance for a late-game comeback.
FAU ended the game down 48-14, a tough loss for the Owls.
Alexander Tabares is a contributing writer for the University Press. For more information regarding this story or others, email him at [email protected]. or DM him on Instagram @alextabaresof.
