Owls Key In For Senior Day

BOCA RATON, Fla. – With the guarantee of one final game, Florida Atlantic University football will focus its energy on sending out the team’s highly decorated senior class, when the Owls (5-6 overall, 3-4 Conference USA) play host to Middle Tennessee (5-6 overall, 3-4 C-USA) at 7 p.m. this Saturday.

This class of nearly 20 includes nine playing their sixth season of collegiate football. Zaire Mitchell-Paden joined the Owls for the 2021 season as did Andrew Boselli, both as graduate students, while Damian Alloway and TJ Chase played their first four collegiate seasons elsewhere and then joined FAU in 2020. Desmond Noel came to FAU in 2019 and was instrumental in the Owls’ quest for a second C-USA title and Boca Raton Bowl championship in three seasons. James Charles, Jordan Helm, John Mitchell and Korel Smith have been a part of the FAU each of the last six years. The quartet have played for three head coaches and were part of two title seasons and three bowl seasons, and will play with the purpose of earning the opportunity for another.

In total, approximately 18 seniors will be honored this weekend, including Zyon Gilbert who will play in his program-high 60th game on Saturday, which is 24 percent of the program’s 253 all-time games.

TAGGART’S TAKE

Hagerty Head Football Coach Willie Taggart
On the most glaring issue for the football team:
“As you look at our football team and I try to evaluate where we are and not having the success we need to have, I go back to the beginning of the year when we were playing well, especially on the offensive side of the ball, and kind of where we’re at now. We’ve got to become more competitive in practice. That starts with me as the head coach in making sure we don’t ever lose that competitive edge in practice. What I mean by that is making sure guys don’t get comfortable in their position, knowing that the guy behind them can come take their job.

“I think as coaches, we focus so much on scheme instead of teaching the performance of winning. It all starts in practice and keeping that competitive edge. When we were that way early, we got a lot of production on offense. We let our guys get complacent by not keeping that competitive edge and it’s showing on the football field. We’re moving the ball [but] we’re just inconsistent. You keep doing the same thing, you keep getting the same results. You have to always have that competitive edge throughout the year. You talk about guys lack of focus; when you’re competing and you know someone else can come in and play, then you’re going to focus a little more. You want to play and make the plays you’re supposed to. We got to get back and hold guys accountable to doing what they’re supposed to.”

On freshman offensive tackle Alex Atcavage:
“I was impressed with Alex. For his first start on the road, I didn’t think the moment was too big for him. I thought he held his own in there. I was impressed with what he did. Alex has a bright future for us. The kid works his tail off. It’s important to him. That’s what we need on that side of the ball. We need more guys that way. It was good to see.”

On getting the offense back on track:
“A big part of it is not just teaching players their assignment, but we have to teach our players how to go out and perform in a winning way and competing to win. Not going out to ‘do your job,’ but ‘do your job to win’ and do it that way all the time. It’s my job as a head coach is to find those right guys that are going to come and have that winning attitude all the time. We have some guys like that, we need more guys that way and then the guys that are not invested in winning and doing what it takes probably need to find somewhere else to go. We have some guys that are doing it right. We need some guys to step up and help us. You see some young guys stepping up. At the end of the day, we have a young team too. That plays a factor in a lot of it, dealing with adversity when things get tough. Those guys learn to fight through those times and kind of relish the moment when things get tough because usually that’s when great things happen. I get the frustration. We’re all frustrated. Everybody’s frustrated because we all care. We all want to do it right but winning is earned. We understand that and we know what we have to do.”

On the offense’s tempo:
“We looked throughout the season [that] whenever we were doing that, we were having success. The key to doing it all is making good decisions. When we made good decisions, we did some good things. In the Western [WKU] game, when we didn’t make the right decisions, we did some bad things. Part of it is staying focused and making the right decision throughout the game.”

On the pass rush:
“It helps when you have a natural pass rusher that can go after the quarterback. If you don’t have that, you have to be creative in creating pass rush to help your guys. We probably could be a little more creative in doing those things with the guys we have. You’d love to have a Leighton [McCarthy] again. We have some young guys that are probably going to be there one day, just not yet, but they’re working to get that way and they’re getting better with the reps they’re getting.”

On Middle Tennessee:
“Defensively, they’re very aggressive. They’ve done a great job of getting the ball back for their offense. It’s another game where it’s highly important that we be smart with the football and not give their team extra possessions. That is very critical for us. You go to some of the games we lost, we lost the ball quite a bit. We have to do a good job of taking care of the football against their team. They do a good job of getting it back. Offensively, they’re playing with two different quarterbacks and some young guys in there and finding ways to make it happen for them with those young guys in there.”

On freshman cornerback Jayden Williams:
“You look at what Jayden did in the game, for him to come in and play, he showed some physicality, he showed that he can cover. I really like that kid’s mentality. He’s a competitor and the moment wasn’t too big for him. I think he has a bright future for us as we move forward, along with some other guys. You look at all of those young guys playing against a team that’s very experienced and doing some of the things they did was a good side of what’s to come.”

On the expectations for young players:
“I think first and foremost is knowing their assignment, especially being a young guy. A guy that can go out there and do it the right way often is what you’re looking for, a guy that’s going to give you great effort, and a guy that’s going to make plays. I think all of those guys, we’ve seen them in practice make plays and the reason why we put them in there is they can make those plays. Their teammates see them make those plays. You can see the teammates’ reaction on the sidelines when they were in there, they were excited for those guys. Seeing them go out and executing and knowing the moment is not too big for them is always a good sign for young guys.”