BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University football team held its final regular-season Wednesday practice after a good Tuesday practice and the expectations of a solid work week based on what’s on the line in this Saturday’s Noon, home contest versus Western Kentucky University (7-5, 5-2 C-USA).
The Owls (5-6, 4-3 C-USA) are in a must-win situation to keep their bowl game hopes alive. To do so, they will need to tamper a dynamic offense, which is second in the league averaging 36.17 points per game, and surpass an opportunistic defense, which leads the nation with 30 turnovers gained.
FAU holds a 9-4 all-time record versus WKU, which is the alma mater of Hagerty Head Football Coach Willie Taggart. Taggart is 2-0 in WKU at FAU games, once on the WKU sideline and once on FAU’s sideline.
PREGAME/SPECIAL EVENTS
Prior to the game, the Owls will honor those playing in their last home game, several of which have represented FAU for an unprecedented six seasons. Saturday’s game theme is also Military Appreciation.
A group of WWII Veterans will join the Owls, fans, band, and spirit team at the Owl Walk. Fans are encouraged to come early to honor and thank those who have served and protected this great nation.
All veterans and current military personnel and their immediate families are invited to a pregame tailgate, taking place on the Stadium’s Southside Lawn. Complimentary tickets are available for veterans and active military and families. To redeem visit HERE and choose promo code ‘faumilitaryappreciation to claim your tickets.
Other celebratory events taking place include FAU Police Captain Larry Irvin, who served in the Air Force, honoring America with the National Anthem, a fly over, and fans will serve as witness for the formal swearing ceremony of future members of the U.S. Army.
The game, slated for noon, will air on CBSSN while Ken LaVicka and Kris Bartels will have the call for Fox Sports South Florida.
QUOTABLE
Defensive Coordinator Todd Orlando
On how the Middle Tennessee game prepares them for the Western Kentucky game
“It’s pretty obvious in terms of taking proper angles to the football and the tackling overall. The part that’s disappointing is we were making positive strides in the last four weeks, and we just didn’t get it done. We can’t let last week’s performance affect this week. We have to learn from it, and we have to push forward. Sometimes, you go out there and you just don’t execute and perform the way you need to perform. But we’re back at home with bowl eligibility still on the line. Our guys practiced well yesterday. We’re expecting them to practice well today.”
On the players’ response to the loss
“The guys were humble. Sometimes, you go into it and there can be some finger pointing, but we didn’t see any of that stuff. Guys looked at the film and knew we didn’t perform, that’s both players and coaches. We’re all in this together. There’s a lot of things that I could have done a lot better. Yesterday, they were really focused in. There wasn’t a lot of chatter. A lot of times in this sport, when things like that happen, it’s therapeutic to go back onto the field again and to perform together at a standard we know we can do. That’s what they started to do yesterday”
On Western Kentucky’s offense
“They’re dynamic. Their receivers are dynamic, and they run the ball with physicality. Their running backs run physical, even when they run their quarterback, their quarterback runs physical. Everything about them, when they block on the outside, when their receivers catch the ball, they try to run through you. That’s going to be good for us. We need to be challenged that way. Their tape is their resume, and our kids see how hard they run and how well they do up front. They’re a physical bunch, to go along with the elements of being able to spread the ball on the outside, that makes them a really good offense.”
On the pressure entering the final regular season game
“When you coach and you do this for as long as I have, every game is that way. If you’re not taking that approach that every game is that way, you shouldn’t be a Division I coach. I don’t look at it as pressure, you just have a process of what you do. When things don’t go well, you better re-examine your process, so you don’t go out on the field and repeat the same things that you did wrong. Our hours are the same and we’re going to push it to the limit. I’ve had gray hair since I was 30, this is a stressful job as it is, but we never look at it that way. It’s making sure that our guys are okay, that’s number one, and that we get things corrected, that’s number two. I like our mentality. I just don’t want one game to define us. If you look at the momentum and confidence we had going into [last game], it was pretty high. You take that game away, we want it to still be the same way, no doubt at all. And that started with yesterday’s practice. It starts with ownership.”
On the need for consistent pass rush against Western Kentucky
“It’s going to be important. The ball’s going to come out pretty quick at times. There are little things that go into it. Like any other QB, you have to get him off spots and be able to affect him, because if you let him go into autopilot, he’ll be really tough to beat.”
Sophomore DL Evan Anderson
On the mindset entering this last regular-season game
“We go into the game just playing to win the game. That’s our only goal. We’re trying to win by any means possible. We’re trying to go to a bowl game. We’re still trying to grind and show people we’re really what we say we are.”
On Western Kentucky’s run game
“Their running back is small and shifty. He can get out there. He’s a good runner. I feel like we’ll be prepared.”
On what the team has learned from the Middle Tennessee loss
“Going through a loss like that humbled us a lot. Going into the game, we had a good week of practice, so we thought we could go in there and win. But sometimes we just have to look at the mistakes we made and see what we have to do better. It was all on us. It wasn’t like we were out of position. We were in position. We just have to make the plays. It showed us we have to be prepared – nothing is guaranteed.”
On Western Kentucky’s passing offense
“They throw the ball so fast, the quick stuff and the screens, we just have to rush and try to get deflected passes. If it’s a quick throw, the ball can’t go too far. We just have to insert and try to make them fumble and try to change their gameplan.”
On being back at home
“It feels great. This is our last home game of the season. It’ll show our fans that our record doesn’t say what we are, we’re better than our record.”
On learning from last season’s final game
“Everybody felt the pain of that loss, losing at home. The away team celebrating on your field to go to a bowl game. That’s just something you don’t want to go through again. Everyone that was here last year already knows how that feels. We don’t want that feeling ever again.”
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
FAU Coaches Radio Show
For free mobile listening of all game broadcasts and coaches shows, FAU fans can download the Varsity Network app for iPhone or Android. The app features instant access to free gameday audio streams and the ability for fans to receive push notifications to remind them of games starting or upcoming audio broadcasts. Local fans can tune in to Hubbard Radio (Fox Sports South Florida 640 AM) to follow the team.
FAU Television Inside the Owls Burrow
This week’s show will include a sit down with Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Willie Taggart. Show host and producer Frank Forte will review last week’s loss at Middle Tennessee and the all-important matchup at home this Saturday versus Western Kentucky.
The show, which airs on Bally Sports Florida at 11:30 a.m. on both Thursday and Saturday will feature defensive end Chris Jones in its “Football in Paradise” segment. Fans will meet punter Riley Thompson to learn about his journey from Australia, plus a special “Pads Off” with defensive tackle Latrell Jean, who takes the mic to learn about fellow defensive lineman Decarius Hawthorne.
TICKETS
To purchase FAU tickets, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS or click HERE or HERE. Call the FAU ticket office, today, to secure your tickets. Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com, or through football’s Twitter and Instagram accounts @FAUFootball.
