Florida Atlantic University’s football team (2-3, 0-1 AAC) completed their last non-conference game with a 41-10 win against Wagner University (2-3) last Saturday.
The Owls came out strong with a fast 17-0 lead by the beginning of the second quarter. Wagner began to march back and cut their lead down to seven, but FAU’s run game brought back their momentum in the second half.
FAU rests this week as they set off into American Athletic Conference (AAC) play. Their first game back will be at home against the University of North Texas (4-1, 1-0 AAC) on Oct. 12 at 7 p.m.
Beginning the season, we set our expectations on how the Owls’ season would play out. JD Delcastillo predicted 6-6, 4-4 AAC, Megan Bruinsma 5-7, 3-5 AAC and Maddox Greenberg 6-6, 4-4 AAC.
Here are the updated University Press sports writers’ predictions for the season record.
JD Delcastillo, Managing Editor
Is it October already?
After five weeks the Owls sit with an underwhelming 2-3 record with a 0-1 record in conference play. In our first season prediction, staff expected that the easy non-conference schedule would bode well for a team that’s still searching for their first bowl game appearance since 2020. That wasn’t the case.
After playing Michigan State University in a tight game, it seemed that there was hope for FAU to put together an early campaign of success. Following that up with two brutal losses and two predictable wins, I can’t say that I’m inspired.
FAU’s only wins are coming against a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team Wagner University and Florida International University, a team that lost to an FCS team.. However, it appears that we downplayed the strength of FAU’s losses. Army West Point currently sits at the top of the American conference and University of Connecticut has proved to be a competent football program with three blowout wins this season.
The only problem is that the hard part is not over. The American is a brutal conference, even if FAU is playing the softer side of it. The Owls play their toughest remaining game on the schedule against the University of North Texas at home, coming off a bye week. If they can walk away from that game with a win, then there may be hope of a 6-6 season.
Besides East Carolina University, the rest of their opponents are currently sitting under .500. On the flip side, the Owls have to deal with more away games than home, which doesn’t make me confident for a team that hasn’t won an away game yet.
There are still plenty of questions on offense and the defense continues to be hit or miss. Unless this bye week is the greatest of all time and can magically solve the problems with the passing offense and run defense, it’s going to be a painfully slow season. I’m trying to have some guts, but I fear that I’ll be graduating this fall without ever seeing FAU in a bowl game.
Updated season prediction: 5-7, 3-5 AAC
Megan Bruinsma, Sports Editor
Welcome to FAU’s bye week.
It’s shocking that we’re already at this point in the year, but let’s go over what we’ve seen from them so far.
Opening week, they looked impressive against Big 10 team Michigan State. Offensively they struggled making completions but we chalked that up to the higher level of competition. Despite losing, their defense looked amazing and it set a hopeful tone going into the future games. However, that hope quickly diminished when Army West Point ran over FAU (literally). The defense collapsed. Offense was nowhere to be seen. Early fear quickly developed and is still present. Especially after the loss against the University of Connecticut.
Playing Florida International University, FAU dominated, as they should have. They also dominated last Saturday against another Football Championship Subdivision (FBS) team, Wagner, 41-10.
Do those wins really mean anything though? For the morale of the team, yes, but for confidence leading to AAC play? I’d say no.
In my preseason prediction, I wrote, “The only way a bowl game would happen is by capitalizing on the three games prior to conference play,” and that didn’t happen. Statistically, FAU has the easiest AAC schedule — with their most difficult game against the University of South Florida (who they haven’t even played yet) and their easiest against Wagner — which in the second quarter, didn’t look like a breeze.
Entering AAC play, I’m concerned. The Owls just tested the waters of quarterback Kason Weisman. For his first college game, he didn’t look bad. He made 7/12 completions but threw an interception on his second drive. We never got to see his true capabilities, as they relied on the run game. That’s what scares me.
After finishing week five, one would think that a team would have their offensive rhythm figured out, but FAU doesn’t. They just tried a two-quarterback offense and have yet to develop a trustworthy core of receivers.
Hosting North Texas will be no easy task, as they have a quarterback, Chandler Morris, who’s thrown 16 touchdown passes. That’s 14 more than quarterback Cam Fancher has brought in.
After seeing these first five games, I would say that my original season predictions seem to be more and more accurate.
FAU needed to gather some sort of passing offense before heading into AAC play. Yes, they’ve shown run strength, especially from running backs Zuberi Mobley and C.J. Campbell Jr. But with these AAC teams’ defense, a run offense will be challenging to win games. I still don’t think a bowl game is in their sights, but I’ll stay true to what I predicted before.
Updated season prediction: 5-7, 3-5 AAC
Maddox Greenberg, Staff Writer
In the first few episodes of UPress Play this semester, I stated how FAU’s nonconference schedule was in their favor. Unfortunately, I was wrong. What I thought would be a great 4-1 start turned out to be a reciprocated 2-3 start. What I learned during my time here as a student sports journalist and an FAU fan is to not get your hopes up.
There were predictions in the past where I thought FAU would win and their season would turn around. My counterparts who have been at FAU longer than me didn’t stay too optimistic. They were right.
On paper, this coaching staff and roster looked pretty good. The schedule looked to be easier than last year. However, throughout my time at FAU — through two different head coaches — this has proven not to be the case. Last year, everyone, myself included, predicted FAU would roll by the then two-win East Carolina Pirates at home. Unfortunately, the Pirates dominated the Owls 22-7.
Looking into the conference schedule starting the second week of October, I have to say, my panic meter is at a 7.5. Firstly, because FAU initially won against an FCS school and an FIU team that is basically an FCS team. This is also because of the first three conference games following their bye week.
North Texas is 4-1 with a QB who threw for 439 pass yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions last week. University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and University of South Florida (USF) are not going to be easy tasks for FAU either. In the words of someone who responded to a tweet of mine a few days ago regarding North Texas (which I think goes best for the first three conference games), it’s not a test but an exam.
While I am looking forward to being in the booth on Nov. 1 for Homecoming, broadcasting the USF at FAU game on Owl Radio, my views on the outcome of that game are wary. FAU also wasn’t a strong team last year but came into Raymond James Stadium and dominated the Bulls 56-14. However, this football program has amazed us in devastating ways and could flip the switch on their playing effort each week.
The rest of the conference schedule looks to be pretty favorable on paper. A win in their final stretch against East Carolina University, Temple University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte and University of Tulsa is vital for head coach Tom Herman and this program if they want to reach their sixth bowl game. East Carolina is 3-2 (already off to a better start than last year) and ran past a 2-3 UTSA team at home 30-20. Temple, Charlotte and Tulsa are already under .500. They face UConn, Tulane University, University Memphis, USF, Army West Point and UTSA before facing FAU. The tough games for FAU’s opponents in that last stretch may leave them with a poor record when facing FAU.
You can’t show too much optimism if you’re an FAU fan. Sure, with head coach Tom Herman taking the reigns for the offensive play, calling looked pretty good against Wagner. The Owls using two quarterbacks also looks promising, but you can just never tell with this team. There are some holes to fix: find the quarterback for the rest of this season, decide which receiver will step up as No. 1 and improve the pass rush defense. However, on paper, it seems like FAU might go 1-2 at best in their first three conference games. After that, hopefully, they will go 4-0. If not, the floor surely must be 2-2.
Updated season prediction: 5-7, 4-4 AAC
For more information regarding this or other stories email [email protected] or mb[email protected] or DM the staff on Instagram: JD Delcastillo (@jd.delcastillo), Megan Bruinsma (@megan_bruinsma), Maddox Greenberg (@Maddoxblade04).
