NORFOLK, Va. – The Florida Atlantic University’s football team (5-5, 3-3 in Conference USA) was upended 30-16 at C-USA foe Old Dominion (4-6, 3-3 in C-USA), on Saturday. The game, plagued by miscues and turnovers, ultimately costed FAU the game.
QUOTABLE
Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Willie Taggart:
“Another bad game for us [with] too many penalties to overcome in this ball game to try to find a way to win. Offensively, we just need to do a good job evaluating our talent and making sure the right guys are in there to get the job done. That’s two weeks back-to-back [we score] 14-16 points. That’s not good enough. You can’t win football games that way.”
THE BEGINNING
The Owls received the opening kick, commencing the drive with a six-yard run by Johnny Ford, which is where the clean play ended for both teams. ODU then rattled off 56 yards of offense before FAU safety Jordan Helm picked up a fumble and returned it 24 yards. This would set up Aaron Shahriari for a 38-yard field goal, matching a career-high distance for him.
At the conclusion of ODU’s ensuing drive, the Monarchs recovered the fumbled punt return on the Owls’ nine. Two plays later, it was the Owls who would recover a fumble, but two plays after that, FAU was sacked in the endzone to give the games’ ugly opening minutes a 3-2 score. Following an FAU missed 42-yard field goal attempt and 42 yards on the ground, the first quarter ended with ODU trailing 3-2 and in control of the ball on the FAU 30.
THE TURNING POINT
The Owls would be charged with another safety following an ODU punt downed on the FAU two, a run for minus one and a penalty for intentional downing. The Monarchs went up 4-3 with 4:09 to play in the half and gained the crazy game’s momentum. In ODU’s ensuing drive, the Monarchs charged down the field for an 11-play, 64-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard rushing touchdown. This gave ODU the 11-3 lead heading into the intermission.
THE FINISH
The Monarchs kicked a 30-yard field goal to go up 14-3. On FAU’s next drive, N’Kosi Perry hit Brandon Robinson with a 59-yard dagger to pull the Owls within four at 14-10. ODU then responded with a 28-yard field goal to move the game to 17-10 to end the third and hit another just inside the fourth to take a 10-point lead at 20-10 with 13:50 left to play.
Perry and Ford began to get their connection rolling, as the Owls, who were 3rd-and-4 from the ODU 47, converted the first down off a Ford 6-yard rush. On the next play, Perry found Ford all the way down the field for a 39-yard strike to take the Owls down to the 2. On the next play, Ford punched the ball in for the score. In what continued to be a bizzare game of scoring, Shahriari’s extra point was blocked and returned 80 yards by ODU for another two points. This created more momentum for the Monarchs who, two drives later, elevated their lead to 14 off a 14-yard touchdown and a two-point conversion. FAU dropped their second straight game in the 30-16 loss.
STATS AND RECORDS
- Helm picked up his second fumble of 2021, at the FAU 24, and returned it down the ODU sideline 52 yards. The loan return places him No. 2 all-time for a single season return and second all-time for a team single-game return
- It was the first time the Owls had given up a safety since Sept. 9, 2015, versus Buffalo. This was also the first time in program history two were awarded versus FAU
- Ford led the backs by committee with 101 rushing yards on 19 carries one score. He also had 44 receiving yards on three catches
- Robinson led the receivers with 59 yards off the Owls’ first of two touchdowns
- The defensive attack was led by Helm, who had 16 tackles
- Evan Anderson recorded five tackles and two tackles for a loss, including a sack. Chris Jones had two tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss
- Teja Young had another double digit tackle game with 11, followed by Romain Mungin with nine and Eddie Williams with eight along with two tackles for loss
- Matt Hayball had four punts, his long being 56 yards. With 10:40 remaining in the second quarter, Hayball pinned ODU back at their own 7-yard line following a 37-yard punt
WHAT’S NEXT
The Owls will remain on the road, as the team travels to WKU to look for five straight wins over the Hilltoppers on Saturday, Nov. 20 with a noon kickoff. The game will be the 13th meeting between the two schools with the Owls holding a 9-3 all-time mark against the Hilltoppers and a 5-1 record in Bowling Green, where Hagerty Head Coach Willie Taggart played his collegiate football initiated his coaching career. FAU defeated WKU, 10-6, a year ago in Boca Raton.
The last opportunity to see the Owls at home – in a game on STADIUM Network and Fox Sports 640AM South Florida – will be on Nov. 27, on Senior Day, against Middle Tennessee. To experience “Football in Paradise,” click HERE or call 1-866-FAU-OWLS.
