The Owls went through a spirited practice today for their second day of preparation for Troy.

The offense running through seven-on-seven drills while the offensive line was hard at work with techniques to pave holes for the running game.

Defensively, the secondary was hard at work analyzing the Trojans diverse offensive attack with the scout team offense.  FAU also worked on kickoff coverage and looking to improve its kick returns at the beginning of practice.

Both the first and second team units received snaps under ideal conditions on the FAU practice fields.


Quotes:

Howard Schnellenberger

“Troy’s quarterback is very good with the offensive system that they run.  They use him very well.  Against Arkansas they came out slinging the ball around and it just shows the confidence that they have in him in making good decisions.  He is a good passer and has the ability to run the ball as well.”

“I’m hoping that last week’s performance carries over.  We will get them as prepared as they can be to duplicate those results.”

“We have looked at it like a rivalry.  We have done things from the beginning that you see in all other rivalries.”



David Matlock

“I feel good during the games despite not getting a lot of the work during practice.  It is more mental rest than physical rest.”

“I think that last Saturday we played well.  You run to set up the pass but it is demoralizing for the defense if you are able to run the ball like we did.  Alfred has great character and we take pride in blocking for a guy like him.”

“Alfred has had a great year.  He is close to becoming our first 1,000-yard rusher in the regular season and hopefully we can do that for him in this game.”


Tavious Polo

“We pretty much see the same thing with them every year as they always have great recruits come in and a great offense.  Their wide receivers really get down the field and are very athletic.  They can block and may be one of the toughest challenges on the season as a secondary.”



National Recognition

Senior Jason Harmon of Florida Atlantic was named John Mackey Tight End of the Week by the Nassau County Sports Commission. The Sun Belt Conference senior recorded four receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown in a 35-18 victory over Arkansas State. Other candidates considered for this week’s Mackey Tight End of the Week include Garrett Graham of Wisconsin and D.J. Williams of Arkansas.

The John Mackey Tight End of the Week is an honor distinct and different from the annual John Mackey Award. This weekly honor was started in 2004 to draw attention to individual play by Tight Ends during the active season. The Tight End of the Week acknowledgment does not have a direct bearing on the final John Mackey Award selection process.

Source: FAU Media Relations