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Palm Beach Post Writer Tom D'Angelo Gives His Opinion!

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Do not expect another late-season, bowl-saving push from Owls
by Tom D'Angelo

The most popular refrain coming out of FAU is “we’ve been here before.”

And one cannot blame everybody associated with this program to look at this disappointing start with some kind of silver lining. The Owls have been 0-4 before – three times in fact – and twice they finished the season with two wins and once with 5.

This season is looking like it’s going more in the director on the former.

This has been an equal opportunity flushing of the first third of the football season with the offense, defense and special teams contributing to the malaise along with the coaching.

The defense is young and growing pains were expected but the offense’s inability to play a clean game is mystifying. This is a veteran group with nine senior starters led by a former Sun Belt Conference player of the year in quarterback in Rusty Smith, who has been as upfront about the disappointing start as anybody.

And Schnellenberger’s sudden pronouncement Saturday that this is a “developmental team” is very curious seeing the offense is so seasoned.

What are they developing the offense for: Tryouts for the Canadian Football League?

And do not exonerate the coaching staff. Schnellenberger’s bizarre decisions against Louisiana-Monroe contributed heavily to that loss eight days ago and the embarrassing mistakes on special teams along with the 12 accepted penalties (there were at least three more that were declined) Saturday also can be partly blamed on the coaches.

Last season the Owls started 1-5 before they turned around the season with a very impressive push to make a bowl game. My guess is they will be in the same position this season after playing at North Texas, where the Owls should (better) get their first win, and Louisiana-Lafayette.

But do not look for another late-season surge. Last year, the top two teams in the Sun Belt were not on the back end of the schedule as they are this season with Troy and Arkansas State in the final month of the season.

There likely will be no third consecutive bowl. Now, FAU should be looking back at the last two seasons and trying to figure out why it has become a middle of the pack team in the lowest level of football in Division I-A.
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Re: Palm Beach Post Writer Tom D'Angelo Gives His Opinion!

I have to agree with this 100%!
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Re: Palm Beach Post Writer Tom D'Angelo Gives His Opinion!

Palm Beach Post Writer Tom D'Angelo Gives His Opinion!

A high school stadium, and the requisite poor turnouts and recruiting.

2011 is the beginning of the next chapter….did we actually expect to go undefeated and/or to a BCS bowl hailing from lockhart?  The fact that we got two bowl victories and the fastest rise of a start-up team is way more than we could hope for.

SO until 2011, lets just enjoy our middle of the pack Owls for what they have done…and expect mediocrity until we turn the page on the warehouse district.

Florida Atlantic University Owls
2007 Sun Belt Football Champions 2007 New Orleans Bowl Champions 2008 Motor City Bowl Champions 2011 Sun Belt Basketball Champions No Bowls without Owls
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Re: Palm Beach Post Writer Tom D'Angelo Gives His Opinion!

OWL4EVER said

Do not expect another late-season, bowl-saving push from Owls
by Tom D'Angelo

The most popular refrain coming out of FAU is “we’ve been here before.”

And one cannot blame everybody associated with this program to look at this disappointing start with some kind of silver lining. The Owls have been 0-4 before – three times in fact – and twice they finished the season with two wins and once with 5.

This season is looking like it’s going more in the director on the former.

This has been an equal opportunity flushing of the first third of the football season with the offense, defense and special teams contributing to the malaise along with the coaching.

The defense is young and growing pains were expected but the offense’s inability to play a clean game is mystifying. This is a veteran group with nine senior starters led by a former Sun Belt Conference player of the year in quarterback in Rusty Smith, who has been as upfront about the disappointing start as anybody.

And Schnellenberger’s sudden pronouncement Saturday that this is a “developmental team” is very curious seeing the offense is so seasoned.

What are they developing the offense for: Tryouts for the Canadian Football League?

And do not exonerate the coaching staff. Schnellenberger’s bizarre decisions against Louisiana-Monroe contributed heavily to that loss eight days ago and the embarrassing mistakes on special teams along with the 12 accepted penalties (there were at least three more that were declined) Saturday also can be partly blamed on the coaches.

Last season the Owls started 1-5 before they turned around the season with a very impressive push to make a bowl game. My guess is they will be in the same position this season after playing at North Texas, where the Owls should (better) get their first win, and Louisiana-Lafayette.

But do not look for another late-season surge. Last year, the top two teams in the Sun Belt were not on the back end of the schedule as they are this season with Troy and Arkansas State in the final month of the season.

There likely will be no third consecutive bowl. Now, FAU should be looking back at the last two seasons and trying to figure out why it has become a middle of the pack team in the lowest level of football in Division I-A.


I hate to agree with him, but I do.  So far, he seems to be the only one to pick up on Howard basically calling this team a "rebuilding team" or as he put "Development team".  That's news to us, HS!

Like things, love people.
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Re: Palm Beach Post Writer Tom D'Angelo Gives His Opinion!

"lets just enjoy our middle of the pack "

I hope you are kidding about that. Who can enjoy middle of the pack? This team was not supposed to be this bad, no matter where they are playing their games.
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Re: Palm Beach Post Writer Tom D'Angelo Gives His Opinion!

Well we are middle of the pack, might as well get used to it...we have been the last 2 years too we just had some nice breaks.

Florida Atlantic University Owls
2007 Sun Belt Football Champions 2007 New Orleans Bowl Champions 2008 Motor City Bowl Champions 2011 Sun Belt Basketball Champions No Bowls without Owls
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