Owls Win in Herman & Thompson's Debut

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic University’s football team opened the 2023 season, their first in the American Conference, and their first under Hagerty Family Football Head Coach Tom Herman, with a convincing 42-20 victory over Monmouth.

The Owls’ offense was on fire all night with new quarterback Casey Thompson behind center throwing for a school record-tying five touchdown passes on an 80% completion rate.

FIRST HALF

After forcing a three-and-out on defense, the Owls picked up right where they left off last season: pounding the rock with senior RB Larry McCammon III. A 40-yard run with a 15-yard defensive penalty led to his six-yard touchdown for the team’s first score of the season.

The second offensive drive was Thompson’s time to shine in his first time wearing an Owls jersey. A 27-yard pass to junior WR LaJohntay Wester set up a nine-yard touchdown pass to redshirt sophomore Tony Johnson.

Right at the start of the second quarter, Thompson found McCammon on a short pass on the right side of the field, who was able to slice and dice his way to the left for a 55-yard gain, leading to a two-yard touchdown pass to Wester.

Thompson continued to spread the ball, soon finding Je’Quan Burton on a score to make it 28-7, before Monmouth scored late to enter the locker room 28-14 at the half.

SECOND HALF

The second half was all Owls’ offense with plenty of highlight plays to go around.

Thanks to a crafty spin move, Burton turned a short catch into a 35-yard touchdown with 6:59 to go in the third quarter. On the next offensive drive, a play action pass to Johnson became a 72-yard big-time score. That was all Florida Atlantic needed the rest of the way for a 42-20 final.

Johnson led the way for Owls’ receivers with 91 yards, a career high, while both Johnson and Burton now each have their first multi-touchdown game.

QUOTABLE

Hagerty Family Football Head Coach Tom Herman
“The way we started, I was really happy with. I felt we took the last nine months and really applied everything that we have been teaching and everything that the young men have learned. And then the last few drives in the first half were 5-7 drives. We could not convert the third-and-one, third-and-two on offense, and then we give up the two minute drive for a touchdown [on defense]. I told our team at halftime that this is not last year. If you get up 28-7 at home, metaphorically, you firmly have your hands on their throat. What we did at the end of the half, we relaxed and when you relax on a good football team, regardless of where they are from or what conference they are in, if you give them life and the ability to breathe, they are going to breathe. And now you have to start all over again. That is what we did in the third quarter and I was happy with the way we responded in that third quarter. And then as the game was decided in the fourth, we have to do a better job when we get our rotational players in there of finishing games out. Having done this over 25 years and now eight years as a head coach, the difference in terms of teams getting better from week one to week two, you just cannot simulate the four hours that we went through tonight. We have a lot of film that we can learn from and there is no doubt in my mind that these guys will be better for having gone through a bit of a rollercoaster of a game like this.”

Graduate QB Casey Thompson
“It was good just to come back from an injury, the long days of rehab and doing treatments, waking up and doing treatments three times a day for the last 10 months. Tonight was really good to get back into that game environment. When I took a few hits, that is when I knew that I felt good and comfortable and able to settle down and just play ball. I was really excited to be back out there and it was a good win…Our job was to spread out and distribute the football and be a point guard for the team and make good decisions. I felt for the most part, I did a good job of that. I didn’t realize and lost track toward the end of the game and they were each counting touchdowns they had apiece…I try to focus on one play at a time, but I am really happy for the guys. We have a really talented receiving core and a really good running back room as well. I’m happy to get the win, but I’m happy for the guys too.”

Junior LB Jarrett Jerrels
“I felt like everybody who went in on defense played with relentless effort. We have things we need to work on and fix during the week, but overall the pursuit to the ball, I think it was a great night.”

OFFENSE

Thompson completed 20 of his 25 passes for 280 yards and five touchdowns, the most by an Owl in his debut
McCammon did his damage on just 13 carries, tying his career-high with 125 yards for 9.6 yards-per-carry. McCammon also added 59 yards on the receiving end for 184 all-purpose yards
Four players tallied 50+ receiving yards: Johnson (91), McCammon (59), Burton (56), and Wester (55)

DEFENSE

The run defense dominated throughout, holding the nation’s returning leading rusher to just 66 yards on 2.8 per-carry
Newcomer graduate LB Jackson Ambush led the team in tackles with seven
Redshirt junior DE Marlon Bradley was responsible for the game’s only sack
Fresh off earning a scholarship, junior LB Jarrett Jerrels snagged a key interception toward the end of the third quarter

SPECIAL TEAMS