12/19/2020 | Football
BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University football team (5-3, 4-2 Conference USA) has been riding a rollercoaster, just like all college student-athletes throughout the country, since July. But this week the Owls were able to close the books and in several cases graduate, all while beginning prep for the biggest game of the year, the Montgomery Bowl. At practice, the players let it all come out and then celebrated in a day-ending huddle that saw the awarding of a scholarship to senior defensive lineman Ryan Veingrad.
Throughout Saturday’s practice, you could feel the beginnings of competition among the Owls as they went through the paces of Memphis (7-3, 5-3 American Athletic Conference) game prep. The two teams are just four days away from the Montgomery Bowl Game kickoff, scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 23, which will air on ESPN.
Taggart’s TakeHead Coach Willie Taggart
On what he would like to see at the bowl game:
“Like I have told you all year, we have not seen our best. In these last two games, we definitely haven’t done it. We have gone backwards. We need to show improvement and play with the kind of effort and execution that we know we can play with. I want to see our guys go out and do that in every aspect.”
What worries you the most when it comes to Memphis’ offense?
“It is hard to get to the quarterback. He gets rid of the ball pretty quick. He has a great understanding of their offense and he does a great job distributing to their playmakers and getting it to them in space. For us personally we have to stop the run and try to make them one-dimensional. It is tough to play a team when you allow them to do both. We saw that the last time we went out and played … and not give up explosive plays for touchdowns. I have talked about that all year long as well. When we play that way defensively, good things happen for us when we are not giving up explosive plays for touchdowns.”
Scholarship Awardee
Sun-Sentinel Feature Story (by Khobi Price)
Gallery: (12-19-2020) Football 12-19-20
Bowl Experience
Inside the Owls’ Burrow
Frank Forte, host and producer of Inside the Owls’ Burrow, goes one-on-one with FAU head coach Willie Taggart as the pair preview the 2020 Montgomery Bowl and will discuss the December 2020 recruiting class. The final episode of 2020 will feature running backs assistant coach Chris Perkins and the player feature will focus on Romain “Smoke” Mungin. This week’s show will air on Fox Sports Florida on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m., on Monday, Dec. 21 at 6:30 p.m. and again on Tuesday, Dec. 22 at both 4 and 11 p.m.
