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It's official! FAU Senior Players countdown

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It's official! FAU Senior Players countdown

SPORTS NEWS
Original Owls begin final season


Published Monday, August 9, 2004
by Hannon Deutsch


Florida Atlantic University football head coach Howard Schnellenberger knows how to win. He?s proven it at both the collegiate and professional level.
But when Schnellenberger came to FAU with aspirations of building a football program from scratch, many thought he was out of his league. All Schnellenberger did was lead his team to a 10-game winning streak and the Division I-AA playoffs last season. Now, nobody is harboring any doubts.
And although the football team is only entering its fourth season, the program?s initial goals of becoming a Division I-A member is now becoming a reality.
Schnellenberger is preparing his squad, which is the most experienced in the nation with 30-plus seniors, for the most anticipated season to date.
?The players came here because they wanted to be the casual agent for the growth and development for this football team,? Schnellenberger said. ?They wanted to be the players that lead the foundation and set the records and folklore.?
The football team will report to practice today at 3:30 p.m. to begin preparing for what will be its hardest task yet ? Hawaii.
All but four games will be against I-A opponents. The challenge of facing a team like Hawaii in the season opener on Sept. 4, which has a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender in Timmy Chang, will be a tough task for defensive MVP Chris Laskowski and Co.
Chang needs 2,218 yards to break Ty Detmer?s NCAA record of 15,031 and should break it if he stays healthy.
The result of that game will give Schnellenberger and his staff a good indication of where the team stands early on. So far he is impressed with the condition the players are in coming into Monday.
?Knowing that they?re playing in their last year of college football, they have approached this preparation stronger than at any point,? he said. ?I am excited for Monday and anxious to see how this team prepares for Hawaii.?<br>Schnellenberger said they have a real opportunity to distinguish themselves in the Sun Belt Conference. The seniors? mission is clear and they all want to go out in style. With last season?s run behind them, the team is now focused for a new challenge ? to prove the critics wrong once again.

If You Go
When: 3:30 p.m. today ? Aug. 20 (practice times vary)
Where: The Tom Oxley Athletic Center Practice Field
Admission: Free
Parking: Visitors should park at the meters in front of the Tom Oxley Center
Information: Practice times are subject to change. For FAU tickets call 1-866-FAU-OWLS or visit www.fausports.com
Directions: Take I-95 to Glades Road and head east. At second light, turn left. Make your second left and go to end. Athletic Center is on left
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