1 2019 FLORIDA ATLANTIC Primary Contact: Assistant AD Katrina McCormack - E: [email protected] | C: 561-251-5588 | O: 561-297-3163 Secondary Contact: Assistant Director Jonathan Fraysure - E: [email protected]; C: 561-430-7148 FOOTBALL COVERING THE TEAM - RADIO Fox Sports 640 South Florida 10-3 7-1 C-USA Play-by-Play ............................................ Ken LaVicka 2019 Analyst ....................................................... Kris Bartels Pre/Post-game/Engineer .................... Mike Mreczko UAB at Florida Atlantic COVERING THE TEAM - T.V. ABC Only team in America - Florida Atlantic Play-by-Play ..................................................Tom Hart University’s football team was the only team in BY THE NUMBERS Analyst ...................................................Joey Galloway the country to play two Top 20 teams in back-to- FAU began playing football in Sideline ........................................................Pat McAfee back weeks to open the 2019 season. FAU opened With a Win - with then No. 5 Ohio State (currently No. 2) and 2001. Since that time, the Owls have accumulated 102 FAU BOWL GAME HISTORY wins including three bowl played No. 18 UCF the following week. Series: FAU is 3-0 in bowl games. The Owls, who game wins in three invites. began playing football in 2001, were first available Scoring 21 on Ohio State - The Owls The Owls’ captured #100 for bowl invites in 2007 which coinsided with FAU opened the 2019 season at Ohio State and were with a 40-26 win at UTSA capturing the Sun Belt Conferene earning an invite to successful finding the end zone, more so than all 100 behind a career performance the New Orleans bowl. The Owls defeated Memphis but one opponent: from Harrison Bryant. 44-27. One year later FAU was the only school in Team...........................................Score vs. OSU the state to win back-to-back bowls, defeatig Central FAU .......................................................................21 Captured Win 25 - Head Coach Lane Michigan 24-21. In 2017, FAU defeated Akron 50-3. Cincinnati ..............................................................0 Kiffin came to FAU in 2017 and promptly posted Versus SMU: This is the first meeting Indiana .................................................................10 an 11-3 record. In 2018, Miami (Ohio) ........................................................5 AN OWL WIN WOULD... Nebraska ................................................................7 the Owls fell to 5-7. This Michigan State ....................................................10 season, FAU holds a 10-3 • Be the program’s 103rd win Northwestern ........................................................3 record, bringing the Owls’ • Move FAU to 11-3, the third 11-3 season for FAU Wisconsin ..............................................................7 25 win total under Kiffin’s (2003: 11-3, 2017: 11-3) Maryland .............................................................14 direction to 26. He is just • Earn the Owls their fourth bowl victory in as Rutgers .................................................................21 two shy of his highest win total, as a head coach many attempts Penn State ............................................................17 with any program. Kiffin was 28-15 in three plus Michigan ..............................................................27 seasons at USC. ’19 ConFERENCE USA STANDINGS Wisconsin ............................................................21 TEAM C-USA OVERALL EAST DIVISION W L W L The Owls are averaging 35.2 points per game. Baker’s Dozen Finds the End Zone- If you are an Owl, you have to be ready to score. Florida Atlantic 7 1 10 3 Marshall 6 2 8 4 The Take Away - Florida Atlantic is 10-3 Thirteen players (seven WKU 5 3 7 5 on the season. The Owls are bowl-eligible for rushing, six receiving) CHA 5 3 6 6 the fifth time in program history (began in 2001 have found the end zone FIU 3 5 6 6 and were first eligible to play for an FBS bowl in 2019. In 13 games, there MT 3 5 4 8 in 2007). It is the second time since Lane Kiffin ODU 0 8 1 11 13 have been five different WEST DIVISION W L W L came to FAU in 2017. FAU captured its second C- rushing leaders and three UAB 6 2 9 4 USA title with a 49-6 win over UAB on Dec. 7. different leaders among receivers. Louisiana Tech 6 2 9 3 Southern Miss 5 3 7 5 National Ranking UTSA 3 5 4 8 Turnovers 2018 2019 Sharing the Takeaways - The Owls top the North Texas 3 5 4 8 TO Margin 112 (-0.58) 1 (1.54) nation in turnover margin and turnovers gained. Rice 3 5 3 9 Turnovers Gained 109 (14) 1 (31) FAU collectively swarm to the UTEP 0 8 1 11 Turnovers Lost 87 (21) 7 (11) ball. Here is the breakdown by ’19 SCHEDULE AND RESULTS position: Headed to All-Star Games - Seniors DL - 3 FF, 3 FR Date Opponent Location Time/Result Harrison Bryant (Reese’s), Rashad Smith (East- LB - 6 INTs, 6 FF, 4 FR Aug. 31 at No. 5 Ohio State Columbus, Ohio L, 45-21 1 Sept. 7 No. 18 UCF BOCA RATON, Fla. L, 48-14 West) and Brandon Walton (NFLPA) have been DB - 15 INTs, 5 FF, 3 FR, 1 invited and accepted invitaions to play in all-star Sept. 14 at Ball State Muncie, Ind. W, 41-31 TD Sept. 21 Wagner BOCA RATON, Fla. W, 42-7 games. Sept. 8 at Charlotte* Charlotte, N.C. W, 45-27 Duo Top Nation! - Seniors Rashad Oct. 12 Middle Tennesse * BOCA RATON, Fla. W, 28-13 Crossing the 1,000-Yard Plateau - Smith (LB) and Meiko Oct. 18 Marshall* (HC) BOCA RATON, Fla. L, 36-31 Bryant’s 1,000-yard season is the third such sea- Oct. 26 at Old Dominion* Norfolk, Va. W, 41-3 Dotson (DB) lead the Nov. 2 at WKU * Bowling Green, Ky. W, 35-24 son by an Owl receiver (Anthony Crissinger-Hill nation in FR and INTs, Nov. 9 FIU * (Shula Bowl) BOCA RATON, Fla. W, 34-7 in 2003 – 1,134; Cortez Gent in 2007 – 1,082). respectively. Nov. 23 at UTSA * San Antonio, Texas W, 40-26 He also became the third C-USA tight end to Nov. 30 Southern Miss * BOCA RATON, Fla. W, 34-17. 1 Dec. 7 C-USA Championship BOCA RATON, Fla. W, 49-6 reach that plateau (James Casey, Rice, 2008 – 1,329; Garrett Mills, Tulsa, 2005 – 1,235) vs. UAB 2 Dec. 21 Cheribundi Boca Bowl vs. SMU 3:30 p.m. *C-USA Opponents The Latest News/Trends Tight End Duo - Senior tight ends Harrison Bryant and touchdowns; averaging 3.5 yards per carry, 39.38 yards per game John Raine have snagged a combined 96 receptions through and has a long carry of 20. 13 games, tops among all FBS tight end duos. Bryant has seven TDs, while Raine has five. Bryant has been the target at season’s Devin Singletary, 2016: 152 attempts for 1021 yards and 12 end while Raine was the end zone target to start the season. touchdowns; averaged 6.7 yards per carry, 85.1 yards per game and had a long of 66. Appeared in 12 games. First Among Linebackers - While Akileis Leroy didn’t rush the passer much in 2018, he’s dominating in that role this Buddy Howell, 2014: 50 attempts for 253 yards and one touch- year. The junior has 7.5 sacks in 13 games, which lists him No. down; averaged 5.1 yards per carry, 84.3 yards per game and had 63 among all FBS defenders. In all, he is listed in the nation’s top a long of 22. Appeared in three games. 100 three times (INT 43, Sacks 63, TT 81). Jay Warren, 2013: 71 attempts for 340 yards and two touch- Right Place, Right Time, All Game - That’s the only downs; averaged 4.8 yards per carry, 34 yards per game and had way to describe linebacker Rashad Smith’s early-season play. He a long of 47. Appeared in 10 games. recovered a total of four fumbles, including two versus Ball State. He added an interception versus Wagner and another versus Alfred Morris, 2008: Seven attempts for 23 yards and zero MT. Smith has the most turnovers created among FBS lineback- touchdowns; averaged 3.3 yards per carry, 2.1 yards per game ers and is No. 1 nationally in fumbles recovered (4). and had a long of nine. Appeared in 11 games. Recovering the Ball - Smith led the team in sacks in 2017 Doug Parker, 2001: 158 attempts for 572 yards and eight touch- with 6.0. He led the team in 2018 with four interceptions. He set downs; averaged 3.6 yards per carry, 57.2 yards per game and the program record with four career fumble recoveries in a single had a long of 30. Appeared in 10 games. season this year. Smith is listed No. 1 nationally in fumble recov- eries, and has added two interceptions and 3.5 sacks and 11.5 TFL Breakout Speed - Sophomore Malcolm Davidson shows in 2019. breakaway speed and has used that speed to break into the start- ing lineup with injuries being the only thing to slow him down. Surpassing a High - Wide receiver John Mitchell came into He is first on the team with 102 attempts, and first with 732 the year with only 129 career receiving yards. He nearly eclipsed yards. Davidson averages 7.2 yards per carry and he has added that number in the Ball State game alone, breaking out to the a team-leading nine touchdowns. His longest run of the year is tune of 124 yards and three touchdowns on eight receptions. He a 57-yard score versus MT. His freshman season was filled with currently is third on the squad with 37.0 yards per game. He has special teams work with two NFL backs playing in front of him. 35 catches for 481 yards and five TDs. For his career, Mitchell has 47 receptions for 609 yards and six scores Academic All-American Nominations - Four Owls have been nominated for Academic All-American: Harrison Four Score - USF graduate transfer DeAngelo Antoine fol- Bryant (Sr., TE), Ray Ellis (Graduate Student, DL), Junior Diaz lowed Mitchell’s program-record tying Week Three performance (Graduate Student, C) and Dante Cousart (Graduate Student, – three touchdowns – with a record-breaking one of his own.