BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University football team returned to the Tom Oxley Center Practice Fields for the third day this week. While it was the team’s 12th preseason practice, it was the first that a heat advisory was not issued.
What did that mean for the team? It was a day that a light ocean breeze could be felt and a day that allowed the Owls to fully concentrate on third down and red zone situations.
BOCA HELPING HANDS
A culture shift, often an overused phrase, is applicable to the 2023 Owls’ football team. Another phrase often used to describe the team’s locker room is a group of guys who have bought in.
Both of those statements are evident when watching FAU practice. The team is helping each other with teaching, hydration, encouragement, tackling and has now extended that same character with helping to feed those in need. Click HERE for more details about the FAU, BHH and Cereal4All event.
ALUMNI NOTEToday’s alumni sighting was Sharrod Neasman (2013-16), a free safety for the Owls who played for an FAU defense that was under the direction of current Florida Atlantic defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni. He signed a free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons where he played the 2016 and 2017 seasons, before going to the New Orleans Saints in 2018 and then returned to Atlanta for the 2018 through 2020 seasons. In 2021, he had stints with both the New York Jets and the Los Angeles Rams. His career NFL totals included 89 tackles, seven pass deflections and was credited with an interception and a fumble recovery. Neasman’s lone career sack was versus Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady. He also was a member of the Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl LI team.
QUOTABLE
Defensive Coordinator/LB Coach Roc Bellantoni
On bringing in new players
“I think we are a lot better than where we were in the spring and I think it has a lot to do with the guys that we brought in because they are really talented and because they are really talented and good fits for our room, I think they meshed together well and it has only pushed the guys that were here in the spring to get better because the playing time that was there in the spring is not necessarily there now and they have to earn it. Those new guys that came in changed the culture of that room and the entire defense.”
On players starting to emerge
“There is starting to be some separation for about four or five days now. Some guys are really starting to separate themselves, so I think the depth charts are starting to declare themselves, but there is still a lot of competition at a lot of places and there will be all year long. When I was here before (2014-16), Buddy Howell was a scout team running back until week four and then started the rest of the year. If guys keep working and keep progressing, they will get back in the mix later in the season. Right now, there are some guys emerging as our leaders and our first and second string.”
On having depth
“Defenses today with tempo and where we live with the heat, the amount of plays that are being run in college football, you have to rotate at every position, so you have to have some depth whether it is playing eight to 10 defensive linemen, rotating in four or five linebackers and a bunch of DBs and then playing special teams and defense, you have to develop like that so even if you are not a starter, you are still in the mix to be playing for us.”
On where the defense has progressed since spring
“We have some pretty good depth across the board. I think our d-line has depth, we can rotate in guys at linebacker, and we have great competition going on even in the secondary, there is a couple of guys at each of the five spots back there that are really pushing each other. I feel really good about where we are both in terms of how they are handling the scheme, how their effort is getting better and the performance that they have been having. I am pretty encouraged as we head out of fall camp here in about a week and get into game preparation. I am excited to get that going.”
Junior LB Jarrett Jerrels
On how the linebacker room has improved since the spring
“Just over the reps from spring going into fall camp, I feel like the room is coming together with the older guys helping the younger guys figure things out and all of us getting an equal amount of reps. It’s making us better and helping us produce better linebackers.”
On earning a scholarship
“There is no feeling like it, but at the end of the day, the plan has not changed whether I am on scholarship or off.”
Senior LB Desmond Tisdol
On adjusting to life at Florida Atlantic
“It was hard the first two-to-three weeks because I had to adjust to how they operate here. But the main part that was the hardest was this heat because it is different out here. But football is still football at the end of the day, just coming in, learning the playbook fast, and helping the younger guys and guiding them because I have been around a lot of older guys that are in the NFL now.”
On reuniting with defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni
“His coaching is pretty much the same. He coaches hard, he is going to be on you because he wants the best out of you. But now, we have that connection so when I got here I already knew what type of time Coach Roc was on. He is going to laugh and joke around, but at the end of the day, once football is here, he is all business.”
HIGHLIGHTS
- During team run, graduate transfer QB Casey Thompson found redshirt sophomore RB Zuberi Mobley. Moving through the quarterback rotation transfer QB Daniel Richardson connected with senior RB Robert Armes. Both were for about 10-yard gains
- During third down situations, Thompson hit freshman RB Gemari Sands to move the chains and on his next opportunity, Thompson used his feet to get the job done
- Richardson found freshman TE Zeke Moore, who had a big day, to get the first down and then watched as junior WR Jymetre Hester collected the pass and used his speed for a would-be score
- Redshirt sophomore DB Jayden Williams recorded a big pass breakup and later had a pick six
- Michael Johnson, Jr., a redshirt junior quarterback, and redshirt senior WR B.J. Alexander worked together for a 20-yard gain and the day ended with red zone work where Johnson found redshirt sophomore TE Kahlil Brantley
- NEXT UP
The next practice will be held Thursday morning at the Tom Oxley Center, the former training facility for the team between 2000 and 2019.
INSIDE THE OWLS BURROW PREVIEW
https://fausports.com/showcase/embed.aspx?Archive=13386&autoplay=false
Full show will air Thursday, Aug. 17 at 11:30 a.m. on Bally Sports Florida. Re-air 11:30 a.m Saturday.
GAME DETAILS
Saturday Sept. 2 – Monmouth at Florida Atlantic
- Time – 6 p.m.
- Television – ESPN+
- Radio – Ken LaVicka and Kris Bartels will have the game’s call on FoxSports South Florida
- Theme – Welcome newly hired Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Tom Herman and season opener. Let the “New Era” begin!
TICKETS
Fans can purchase tickets for the 2023 season, the first in the American Conference, by calling 1-866-FAU-OWLS or by going online HERE. For more ticket information click HERE. To purchase away game tickets, click on the above Buy Now link. Single-game tickets may also be purchased by visiting HERE.
FOLLOW THE TEAM
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