BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic University’s football team took to the field Monday, Aug. 8, for practice #11. The Owls have moved through nearly all the “first times” of camp and will battle for a positive mindset as well as consistency this week with many of the task being the same.
Practice began with a heavy dose of situational run-game work. As Hagerty Head Football Coach Willie Taggart often says, you have to be able to run the ball, and that is what the Owls focused upon in practice #11.
Another portion of the day saw the “bigs”, the offensive and defensive lines, working on tempo and conditioning while moving down the field. On the second Oxley Center field, the wide receivers and defensive backs squared off.
One notable first on Monday, was a development of a scout team. Both the offense and defense were given opponent looks, as the Owls inch closer to the season opener scheduled for August 27.
QUOTABLE
Hagerty Family Football Head Coach Willie Taggart
On who had the best swing at Top Golf
“The guy I was really impressed with was Nick Weber. For a big guy, he had a really nice, smooth swing. He doesn’t swing hard. Most football players go out there and try to take it to the fences. He it straight consistently.”
On improvements seen in practice since the first practice
“We have had 10 practices. That makes us better. We have had a lot more in than what he had that first night. And we were in pads (Saturday). We had some tackling periods within those pad periods. It was good to see some guys get tackled, and see what guys can do when we ask them to go out there and take them to the ground a little bit. We saw some really good play out of our running backs. I thought (wide receiver) Jordan Young did a really good job for us Saturday night. N’Kosi (Perry) played really well. O-Line, I was really impressed with them.”
On how the linebacker room is coming along
“A lot of guys are getting plenty of reps. Not only are we trying to find who’s the best guy, but we’re also trying to develop guys too to have depth there. We have a lot of guys there, they’re just inexperienced. They’re very talented, but getting them to understand what we’re doing, try to get them playing at a high level, fast, and build some depth there while they’re competing.”
On red zone efficiency
“Part of it is we have to get down there a lot more than what we’ve been doing to have more chances to get into the red zone, but you have to score points. Last year, our offense moved the ball and once we got down there, we were inconsistent. That’s a big emphasis. The word of the day today is consistency. I think that’s really big when it comes to our offense because we move the ball on pretty much everyone we play, we just didn’t finish drives, and we didn’t finish drives because of inconsistency. Being better at that and having our quarterback back and everybody here together for a while makes a huge difference, and I’m seeing it in practice.”
On running the ball in the red zone
“You have to run the football, whether it’s in the red zone, out in the middle of the field, or backed up. You have to run the ball. That takes a lot of pressure off the quarterback and more pressure on the defense when you can run the ball because the field is shorter, and those windows are tighter. Running the ball is key down there.”
Redshirt Graduate Student Tight End Austin Evans
On competing for a starting tight end spot
“We’ve been coming to work every day, every single tight end. We know that the position is up for grabs, so we’ve just been competing our butts off. We’re still really close, and it’s cool being able to go up against your best friends, knowing well what’s on the line. We’ve just been coming in with the mindset to make each other better. No matter what, we’re helping each other out and just working hard.”
How the team is progressing closer to season opener
“Every day the mindset is to get better, cut down on MA’s (missed assignment). If you don’t have zero MA’s, you’re not going to play because they’re not going to put someone in that they don’t trust. So, it’s very important to correct our details, focus on our job and just come every day to get more physical, get better, and just show that we’re ready to go.”
On being able to both catch and block
“Since I’ve gotten here, I’ve definitely grown as a blocker. The receiving part has always been there, in my perspective. Obviously, I’m still trying to get better on routes and getting open. When it comes to blocking, I try to use my hands more, think about my footwork before the snap, and just be more physical.”
On new OC Brent Dearmon
“He loves the tight ends. He said yesterday after we scrimmaged and watched the film that our physicality starts with the tight ends, so if we’re not bringing (physicality) one day, the offense looks sloppy. He puts a big role on the tight ends. He loves using them and we’re excited to have him here and for the opportunity to be able to progress with him.”
On how last year is motivating this year
“The way we ended last year, the locker room after the last game, it was not pleasant. Everyone was upset. This is our get back year. We remind ourselves of our record last year. We remind ourselves of all the goals we didn’t accomplish and everything that is still on the table. We just want to win.”
Sophomore Outside Linebacker Morven Joseph
On how preseason camp is going
“It’s looking good. I feel like guys are jumping around, moving around, feeling comfortable, and just trusting the process. We’re practicing good, hard, fast, toughness as a unit.”
On how the linebacker room is coming together
“I feel like we got way better from the spring to the fall. Guys know what they’re doing. Guys are playing better, faster, and harder. When you know what you’re doing, you play better.”
On developing trust
“When there’s hard times, that’s when you got to stick together. We’ve been having dinners, talking to each other, team meetings, just getting to know each other. We’ve been doing a lot of team bonding. Yesterday, we went to Top Golf. That helped us getting to know more about each other.”
ON THE FIELD
- The scout team session saw Perry connect with receiver JeQuan Burton to open the period with a score
- Larry McCammon followed with an allusive run
- The Perry/Burton combo hit it big again in team drills
- Willie Taggart, Jr. dropped one over the shoulder of receiver Tony Johnson, who reached out with both hands to secure the pass on stride
- Moving fields and focusing on red zone work, Perry and receiver Jahmal Edrine made scoring look easy
- The Owls executed a perfect reverse, despite the defense knowing it was coming
- The defense responded with a Jaylen Wester interception and a pass breakup by Josh Moore
- The drills moved to field one where Perry hit Burton moving the chains, and then Austin Evans for a scoring catch-and-go, but an audible was called by the head coach, placing the ball on the one for a field goal attempt
- The defense kept the offense out of the endzone once more via a Moore INT
- Special teams connected on a short field goal, before the defense recorded a sack for forced another field goal attempt
- Jayden Williams broke up a pass, but the day ended with two successful offense plays
SEASON OPENER
FAU will open the 2022 season on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, versus Charlotte at FAU Stadium. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. and will be televised on CBSSN and will air locally on Sports640 AM South Florida.
TICKETS
To purchase FAU tickets, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS or click HERE or HERE. Individual tickets are now on sale as well. 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.
