| 8/13/2024 | Football BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic football team took a big step towards the 2024 season, scheduled to open Aug. 30 at Michigan State, by adding officials to Tuesday morning’s practice. Tuesday marked the second week of practice to see the Owls in full pads and the continuation of simulated situations, while competition continued between the offense and the defense. On Tuesday, heading into the later portion of practice, the offense and defense were tied at 6-6. The offense pulled away and were leading 19-3 before a sack and takeaway gave the 20-19 edge to the defense. QUOTABLE Defensive Line Coach Roosevelt Maggitt Jr. On dividing coaching responsibilities amongst the defensive line “It has been really good. We have a really good staff. Coach (Michael) Cibene stepped up as the edge coach. He does a great job. We work hand in hand. We have a good group which makes it easy and fun. My primary focus is the D-line, with a core focus on the inside guys. It has been great. Coach Cibene and I do a great job of collaborating and working together to accomplish our goal.” On the depth of the D-line “It helps a lot. One of the biggest things we have noticed now is the guys understanding how to work together. Having guys that understand they have an inside guy that can rush a certain kind of way gives the edge guy some confidence that if they notice the inside guy getting off the rock, I can rush a certain kind of way. It allows our guys to play a little bit faster and also being confident knowing the guy next to me is going to do his job.” On the progression of Senior DL Jaden Wheeler “We as a staff challenged Wheeler early in the offseason to step up as a leader, not to be the loudest guy but to lead with his actions and to lead our group, make sure our group is running on the field the right way. Wheeler is a guy who never complains. He is going to look you in the eye, say ‘yes sir’, and give you his best. He is a guy that is really taking ownership of our group. From a leadership standpoint, he is helping our group grow a lot.” On getting the unit to buy in “We have a bunch of new guys in our room, but we talk about relationships in our program. This offseason, we all went fishing. I had the guys in my house. We went bowling. Really finding time to do stuff together outside of football helped those guys loosen up and create that buy-in. I feel like we’re in a really good spot with the relationship piece. Shoutout to Coach Joey [Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Joey Guarascio], that’s tough as a strength coach with a bunch of brand new guys, and you’re trying to build a core of the team in the summer. I thought he did a phenomenal job at getting those guys all on the same page, believing in each other, and creating that buy-in.” Senior DL Jaden Wheeler On the development of the defensive line as a unit “It started off with us building a relationship within each other, wanting to play for each other, wanting to get better for each other. If you don’t have that, you won’t have anything. We started working, and it’s starting to pay off.” On the progression of the unit “We set a foundation last year in the first year with Coach Roc [Defensive Coordinator/LB Roc Bellantoni], and now we are just building on it. There’s no telling what we can do this year.” On Coach Roc’s reputation of coaching d-line “I know he comes from the D-line. Coach Roc is just a great person, a great DC, and a great leader. Whenever he talks, everybody listens, no matter if it’s defense or offense. He just knows what he’s talking about, so everybody pays attention.” On adjusting to several new players in the room “I don’t look at it in a negative way. I look at it in a positive way. We’re trying to win. If those guys can help, then I’m all for it. I try to bring them a long, help them with the plays, the technique, just little bits and pieces that I picked up over the years that they might not know.” On being a leader on the line “I go to work every day. I try to do everything right. I’m not perfect, but I put my head down and go to work. I don’t complain.” On competing with the offensive line “Those guys are doing a great job. They’re starting to play better as a unit. It isn’t just little cliques. Those guys have really bought in. In the offseason, when we came in on Saturdays, the whole O-line was out there. I think we all have the same mindset. We’re all trying to win this year.” Graduate DL Prince James Boyd On what has stood out to him as a newcomer to the team “Just the togetherness of it. With college football and a lot of turnover in a lot of rooms, even the one I just came from, it can be really hard to have guys gel, and all buy in, but here one thing that stuck out to me is the authenticity of how guys acted. You really got the feeling that everyone was being themselves. No one wanted to carry a persona or image that they may have [had] from somewhere else. Everyone came here pretty clear, cut and clear on what they wanted FAU to be and what they wanted us to get from it. It was easy to pour into that and share some of myself with other guys to the point where we connected. You can really see it really transfer on the field as far as how easy it is to communicate or think things through with the guys.” On what he enjoys about fall camp “I love playing against the guards. Other than the physicality, it’s the thinking. I can see them thinking about what I am going to do. Just coming out there every rep and getting that mental challenge of what to do next, that chess game instead of checkers, that really shows up.” Redshirt Junior DL Jacob Merrifield On the progression of the interior defensive line “It’s good how we have it set up where Coach Maggitt is focusing on the interior. It brought us together as far as we know who we’re with. It’s two groups but we’re still together. The interior guys have really gotten close through that because it’s a smaller room. What we have this year is great because we have so much depth. We can roll guys in and mismatch. There’s no first, second, third [teams], it’s who’s going in, who’s going to get them and it’s not the same thing every time. The ability to do that is very key for success for our defense and I think it’ll translate this year on the field.” On what the edge rushers bring “The edge rushers make our lives easier. They go get sacks. But it’s a tandem, so if we’re not doing our job and they’re beating their guys off the edge, the quarterback is going to step up. If we’re doing our job and they’re not doing their job, then they’ll rollout. It takes two. I’m excited about our rush and edge group. There’s a lot of talent. I’m just excited to see how it’s going to come to fruition. We have done a good job of rushing together and playing together as one D-line, so we have to bring that to the season and dominate.” COMPLETE SCHEDULE Click HERE. 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 Schmidt Family Complex on FAU’s campus on August 22, 2024, from 6-9 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. 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. For questions, please contact Griffin Kinney at [email protected] or call 740-816-7353. ON SOCIAL Hometown Man @dannykanell We appreciate you coming through!#TriCountyTakeover#WinningInParadise pic.twitter.com/T3VzSmm14f— Florida Atlantic Football (@FAUFootball) August 13, 2024 HIGHLIGHTS CJ Heard was the first to gain praise with a tackle and forced fumble Soon after, Michal Antoine Jr. recorded an interception The defensive line forced a run stuff in the backfield Caleb Coombs provided a nice catch and run to move the chains Chris Jones recorded a pass breakup, but Ca, Fancher responded shortly after with a 30-plus yard touchdown run Practiced ended on a Devonta Davis sack 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]. INSIDE THE OWLS BURROW Inside the Owls Burrow enters its ninth season with the season premiere scheduled for this Thursday, Aug. 15, at 5:30 and 11 p.m. The show will re-air on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. The show originates on Bally Sports Florida but can also be viewed on fausports.com and YouTube. Host, producer, and longtime South Florida broadcaster Frank Forte will again provide Florida Atlantic fans with an in-depth look at Owl Football. Following the conclusion of the 2024 football season, Forte will delve into all things FAU Athletics. Forte will sit down one-on-one with Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Tom Herman each week this fall. Additionally, this week Forte will profile FAU quarterback Cam Fancher. He will also look at the newest Owl freshmen getting outfitted and moving into their dorms, including parents as they send their sons on to the next chapter of their lives. Plus, Forte will look back at the top summer conditioning performers in the Owls’ preparation for the 2024 season opener. 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. |
