On Saturday, the Florida Atlantic Owls’ football team (1-3, 0-1 American Athletic Conference) is hosting the Wagner University Seahawks (2-2) during Owl Family Weekend. The game starts at 6 p.m. This is the Owls’ last game before heading into their bye week and beginning conference play.
Last weekend, FAU traveled to East Hartford, Conn. The team lost 48-14 to the University of Connecticut (2-2). UConn dominated the entire game, with a time of possession of 41 minutes, while FAU had 18 minutes. Entering halftime the Huskies led 17-0. The Owls had some offensive action in the second half after running back C.J. Campbell Jr. brought in two rushing touchdowns.
Here are the University Press sports staff predictions for Saturday’s Wagner game.
JD Delcastillo, Managing Editor
Man. After predicting a measly 6-6 season back in August, I’m now inclined to believe this team won’t surpass their last season win total of four. The Owls got absolutely demolished by a school who’s currently the reigning back-to-back national champion in basketball.
FAU allowed the Huskies to put up a record-setting performance in the run game. The Owls gave up 423 rushing yards and 156 rushing yards each to UConn’s two running backs, Durell Robinson and Mel Brown. Although fans didn’t know what to expect from the offense coming into the season, the defense was meant to be the silver lining for the team.
Fast forward to Week Five and FAU is the worst rushing defense in terms of yardage in the AAC, giving up an average of 6.3 yards a play. If my math is correct, the team is allowing a first down every two plays. However, it’s hard to stop an opposing offense from driving down the field when your own offense can’t stay on it. The Owls have the third worst time of possession in the AAC for an average of 26:40.
With the team looking to switch things up with a quarterback change, according to University Press alumnus Cameron Priester, it couldn’t have happened at a better time. Wagner, an inferior Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team, currently sits at 2-2 on the season, and is coming off a 14-21 loss against Robert Morris University. This should bode well for the team, and provide the perfect opportunity as a “get right” game before the Owls step into the bye week.
It’s Owl Family Weekend. With TikTok sensations AJ and Big Justice rallying the fan base and walking the team out, I’m willing to give FAU football the benefit of the doubt that those two will be the only joke on the field this Saturday.
Prediction: FAU 28, Wagner 7
Alexander Tabares, Staff Writer
Following a poor performance against UConn that saw the Huskies break their school’s rushing record, The Owls are searching for their second win of the season against Wagner-and I think they’ll get it.
Despite Wagner’s superior record, FAU has played a much tougher string of matchups. I think the Owls will also have a chip on their shoulder after the surprising blowout last weekend to UConn.
According to ESPN analytics, FAU has a 96.8% chance of victory on Saturday, but I don’t think it will be that easy. The Owls’ defensive line has been tested repeatedly against teams like Army and UConn. FAU has shown that they aren’t able to stand up to the pressure.
FAU’s head coach Tom Herman even said, “I didn’t see that coming,” after the recent defeat to UConn.
However, I think this week will mark a turning point for the team’s defense. After a performance worth forgetting last week, the team will look to tighten up their defense and stop the opposition’s run game more effectively.
What better of a game to bounce back with a big win, a “BOOOOOM,” if you will, than AJ and Big Justice Day. The father-son duo are local social media influencers that will be in attendance for the Owls’ Family Weekend. With our hometown heroes in attendance, the Owls are bound to make it two wins in five games, with a dominant performance over the Wagner Seahawks.
Prediction: FAU 36, Wagner 14
Morgan Larkins, Staff Writer
FAU is looking to get back on the winning side of things after a poor performance against UConn. Wagner is FAU’s next opponent that plays in the Northeast Conference at the FCS level.
Although Wagner’s 2-2 record is greater than FAU’s, the teams Wagner plays against are far inferior. Wagner has never beaten a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent in their program’s history. So, I find it hard to believe that they will beat FAU, an FBS team.
FAU faced Wagner twice in their history. The first matchup was in 2012, which resulted in a 7-3 victory for the Owls. The second time was in 2019 with a 42-7 blowout win for the Owls.
The FAU offense should look out for Wagner’s leading tackler, defensive back Justin Reilly. He leads the team with 21 tackles and a monster performance last week against Robert Morris University with 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
At the end of the day, FAU is in the FBS and Wagner is in the FCS. The talent will be far too superior for Wagner to handle.
Prediction: FAU 27, Wagner 10
For more information regarding this or other stories email [email protected] or DM the staff on Instagram: JD Delcastillo (@jd.delcastillo), Alexander Tabares (@alextabaresof), Morgan Larkins (@mj_larkins).
