| 8/8/2024 | Football BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic football team returned to the Tom Oxley practice fields on Thursday morning, following two full-pad live practices, wearing shorts, shoulder pads, and helmets.The day’s schedule continues to simulate a game week mode for the players with two hard practices followed by recovery and preparation for the weekend competition. This week, that weekend competition will be a Fan Fest scrimmage, scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday in FAU Stadium. It will also be the squad’s first live scrimmage of the preseason. QUOTABLE Wide Receivers Coach David Beaty On how the receiving core is coming together “We have 12 total scholarship wideouts in that room right now. Of those 12, eight of them are new, so we are talking about two-thirds of them, which is very unique but that is the world we live in right now in college football. I have been very pleased with the men we brought in right now. The thing we were looking for was the right type of guys. Because if they aren’t the right guys, it can be a problem. We did a really good job of vetting these guys in a really short period of time…it’s so fast. What used to take two years now takes two days, if that, to make a decision on whether or not you are going to bring a guy into your place and let him be a part of this family…I am really proud of that room. They have gelled together. All of them have a role to play and I’m hoping we can play a ton of those guys this fall. It will give us some much-needed depth.” On the punt/kick return game “Having Omari Hayes back there with me all year [last year] and being able to work with us, we’re not starting from scratch. He has all of the techniques and tools that we taught; he is going to be a very big asset for us. We have a guy, Wendol Philord, that came from the school right down the street where he had five returns for touchdowns, four from punts, and one off the kickoff, so he is an explosive guy who is learning a lot about technique at that position and that can only make him better. The highlight of our group may be Milan Tucker, who came to us from Appalachian State. He was a second-team All-American last year, probably if you asked him, one of his greatest achievements. He is a very dynamic guy who adds a different element to your team when you can add a guy with that type of return prowess. I’m looking forward to working with those returners.” On the key to a successful return game “We have an All-American returner that just came to us, but he’s only going to be as good as the sum of the parts on the field with him. I’m so impressed with what [Special Teams Coordinator] Coach Lunsford has done with our special teams and the way we have extracted all of our movements and really did a good job of pulling apart the pieces and working those pieces so we can put them back together when we go through that full return and be better for those returners and give those guys the ability to use their talent to the best of their ability. I take my hat off to Coach Lunsford and all those other guys around that nobody really talks about because those are the key pieces in it.” On depth within the room “The best that I’ve ever had in a group, we played about eight guys a game at Texas A&M. People think a lot about Mike Evans and Ryan Swope, but they don’t think about Malcolm Kennedy and Derel Walker. All of those guys had 50-60 catches. There are enough balls to go around if you have that kind of depth. I don’t think we had that depth last year. We had really good players, maybe some of them were not necessarily ready to shine yet, but I do think we have that depth this year. We have a very similar depth type of room that I had at Texas A&M. I have been around a bunch of places, I’ve been in the SEC, and our guys can play anywhere in the country. They have all of the same attributes. But they have to believe it, and they can go out and execute. I’m hoping we can play a bunch of them because you’re better when you can.” Junior Wide Receiver Jayshon Platt On his progression “In the first two years, I was playing just special teams, but I really took to learning and kept my head down and trusted the process, believing in God. Now that I’m in this position right now, the main thing is trying to stay consistent. My coaches and teammates depend on me. Whatever they want me to do, I’ll do it.”On depth in the wide receiver room “We don’t need to just play three guys. We can play six guys. This fall camp, coming from where we were at this spring, I see way more completions, way more caught balls, more confidence in our receiver groups. It’s all coming together.”On earning the trust of the quarterback “That’s where consistency comes in. If you catch every ball and the quarterback looks at you, and he knows you’re going to catch it, that becomes trust. And knowing your playbook comes with trust.” Redshirt Sophomore Wide Receiver Omari Hayes On the work he put in during the spring and summer “The door opened for me. I put my head down, went to work and did what I can do, and God blessed me with this opportunity.”On the biggest asset, he brings to the team “My agility, my quickness, and my elusiveness. [Offensive Coordinator Charlie Frye] does a really good job of putting my skill to use and designing the plays to use me and my skill set.”On preparing for a bigger role in the offense “I’m ready for it. I’m scanning the playbook, coming out to practice, and going 1-0 every day. Just keep going.” Graduate Defensive Back Wendol Philord On the DB room “Our DB group is the best one I have ever played with. Anyone could play at any position, and everybody is versatile. There is really no limit to where we stand or what we need to do. If one drops off, another one could pick up. We have depth, too, in the backend…Our coaches help us; they stack days, and they mold us to be who they want us to be but do not change us totally; they just fixes bit-by-bit. That’s the best, just make you feel like you can just be you, but a better you.”On the return game “Coach Beaty is one of the best coaches I have ever had. At my old school, they just put me back there because I was a great kick returner, and they put me out at punt, which is how I became a punt returner. I like punt returning way better than kick returning. With Coach Beaty, he is teaching me a whole bunch of stuff that will help me become a better punt returner if I’m the guy that he wants. If it’s not, I’ll just support my teammates because we all want the same goal.” MIC’D UPON SOCIAL Have a day @JYoungg6 #TriCountyTakeover#WinningInParadise pic.twitter.com/Q9bjCG60jQ— Florida Atlantic Football (@FAUFootball) August 7, 2024 HIGHLIGHTS The defense recorded back-to-back breakups during the middle portion of teamwork. CJ Heard recorded the first and Daedae Hill the second Zeke Moore recorded a touchdown for the offense with a catch and run, proving he is difficult to bring down Heard got involved once more with a fumble recovery and return FAN FEST Join the Florida Atlantic Owls at the 2024 Duffy’s Sports Grill Fan Fest, scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10, at FAU Stadium. The football team will hold an open-to-the-public practice. Fans are encouraged to enjoy the shade of the Delray Hyundai Deck while watching and participating in giveaways, games, contests, and much more, including the opportunity to meet FAU student-athletes from other teams. Following football’s practice session, the 2024 Florida Atlantic football poster will be available, as will the Owls for an autograph opportunity. The event is free and open to the public. Fans are asked to park, at no cost, in lot 5 (north of the stadium) and enter FAU Stadium through either gate 1 or 6. COMPLETE SCHEDULE Click HERE. MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY Florida Atlantic’s football home opener is set for Saturday, Sept. 7, at FAU Stadium versus Army West Point. The Owls will celebrate Military Appreciation Day as the Black Knights come to Boca Raton. For more information, click HERE. SEASON TICKETS 2024 season tickets are available for as low as $75. To purchase season tickets, click HERE. Recent alumni and Florida Atlantic faculty/staff can access discounted season tickets as low as $50. To learn more, submit your info HERE or visit HERE to make a purchase today.VIP group experiences with discounted tickets are available now, including pre- and post-game field access, halftime team tunnels, fundraising opportunities, and more. If you have a group of 15 or more who are interested, sign up HERE.FAU Alumni and Community Engagement will host two away events. The first is October 19th, when the Owls travel to San Antonio to face host UTSA. The second will be before the November 16th game versus Temple in Philadelphia. For more information, email [email protected]. TOUCHDOWN IN THE TROPICS Get ready for a night of tropical elegance at “Touchdown in the Tropics” to support the upcoming Florida Atlantic University football season and its student-athletes. Join us at the Boca Marriott on August 22, 2024, from 6-9 PM at 5150 Town Center Cir., Boca Raton, Florida 33486. Doors open at 5:30 PM. Indulge in amazing food, enjoy live music, and hear from Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Tom Herman. This tropical casual affair promises a fun and unforgettable evening as we kick off the season in paradise with your hometown team. All proceeds from this event directly benefit our FAU football student-athletes. For more information, click HERE. BROADCAST Television outlets are listed on the schedule page. Wire-to-wire radio coverage will air on Fox Sports South Florida 640 AM. Ken LaVicka and FAU alum Chris Newbold will have the call, while Mike Mreczko will host the pre and post-game with added on-field coverage by FAU and long-time South Florida television personality Frank Forte. To listen live, click HERE. FOLLOW THE TEAM Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com or through football’s Twitter and Instagram accounts @FAUFootball. |
