BMarkey said

Here's the first of many pages of pictures from the Spring Game:

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http://www.palmswestpress.com/images/FAU_Blue&White_1_04_21-07/index.htm

I missed it because I had to work.

Were there a lot of people?

Looks like they wore their official jerseys – I'm sure that made you guys happy.

Hopefully we have a strong team this year that really turns some heads.

I'm disappointed that we don't have an answer on the temporary stadium, though. Did Schnellenberger say anything about the actual stadium?

I would say there were up to 2,000 people there. The field looked great, there were food and drink vendors on hand, the PrOwlers were there selling bricks for the walkway to raise $500,000 toward the stadium, FAU was giving out season schedule magnets, ticket info and more, and it seemed like a picturesque place for a game on campus.

I even heard some diehard fans doing FAU cheers a few times.

"We will be playing - probably - in Lockhart this year …"

Those were the coach's exact words.

Listen for yourslf:

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http://www.palmswestpress.com/images/FAU_Blue&White_1_04_21-07/e39b6618.wav

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BMarkey said

I would say there were up to 2,000 people there.

The PrOwlers were there selling bricks for the walkway to raise $500,000 toward the stadium

FAU was giving out season schedule magnets, ticket info and more

2000. Wow. From looking at the pictures, it seemed like there were about 100 people there. 2000 is amazing considering it wasn't even an actual game.

The prOWLers thing has me a little confused. What walkway are they talking about? Just a brick sidewalk to the stadium itself?

I've looked at the Master Plan and I'm very curious how it's going to work out with the Breezeway extension into the Innovation Village. It seems like it will be at ground level as well, which would conflict with the new road in the back – imagine how little traffic will move through there after a game if everyone is trying to cross the street to get back to the dorms. Perhaps this is the brick walkway they're referring to…

I'm strongly in favor of just having the Breezeway cross that road on the top level… a bridge if you will over the road to the park. That way people can cross without disrupting traffic. I think this bridge could also be a terrific opportunity to do something really eye-catching from an architectural standpoint.

Anyway, thanks for the clip!

I went back and looked and would say over 1,000. The parking lots were full.

I understand that the brickway will be off the Breezeway. Bricks cost around $175. They are nice.

From the Palm Beach Post:

The game was played at the school's track and field complex for the first time and the atmosphere impressed Schnellenberger.

"It felt good," Schnellenberger said. "It felt good to be surrounded by familiar sights."

FAU still is considering building a temporary on-campus stadium around the track and field facility, possibly as soon as this fall.

"I think it would be good," Schnellenberger said. "I have concerns about doing it this year, but I would be in favor of it. It's obvious people would come to games on this campus."

Full spring game Palm Beach Post story:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/content/sports/epaper/2007/04/22/a13b_faufootball_0422.html

Full spring game Sun-Sentinel story:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-spfaufoot22apr22,0,7375759.story?coll=sfla-sports-headlines

Hopefully we'll have answers to all of our questions sometime next month. Just from the quote from Coach, he has concerns about the feasibility of the temp. stadium for this year. But reading between the lines, it seems like Angelos and the department are really pushing hard to get it done now. I guess we'll find out in the next few weeks.

Photo Courtesy of the Plam Beach Post


The Voice still has it - working the officials even during a Spring Game 8-)

It turned out to be a great day for our Spring Game, a bit windy, but with the crowd that was present, made for a good afternoon of football on the new turf, where the players played for the first time.

Two thumbs-up from this Owl fan, for the players wearing their official jerseys for the game. Another good sign was, there seemed to be a lack of blenches for all the fans that was in attendance, I would esti-guess about 1,000 plus Owls fans present, the best attended Spring Game to-date - a sign our fan base is growing. And with the game being play at the New Track, there seemed to be a different atmosphere surrounding the game and the Owls fans providing cheers thru-out the scrimmage.

During the course of the scrimmage game, my thoughts drifted away at times, wondering how awesome it would be to be playing on this very field come September and how the game time atmosphere would manifest - I tried to image bleachers full of fans surrounding the current gridiron (track) 8-) I do think that there is more then enough room to make this become a nice cozy setting for a game and being on campus just seems to add to the atmosphere that is GAME DAY. If we happen to play on campus this year ;) I would love to move the Minn. game at home, even it we happen to sell-out 15,000 seats, there is always room for fans to stand around the field, plus just the fact that we could announce a sell-out, a first in Owl History, would in itself help create a nice little buzz around the community. Better to sell-out a 15,000 seat stadium then to have 15,000 fans at Dolphin Stadium. Two very different atmospheres being created and one is definitely more appealing.

OK, enough rambling and back to the Spring game.

Overall feel for this game, is that some very goods things happened on both side of the ball, sure mistakes where made, in retrospect this is only spring ball, yet one can only notice the difference on how this team looks, beyond the noticeable physical presence, but how this team conducts itself on the field. You can feel the confidence and the attitude the players have as oppose to the last two years. The presence is seen also in the execution.

Last year the offense struggled to make anything happen (during both spring & fall practice) and things did not look very promising going into the season opener. This however, is a new season and the offense looks much more promising. That consistency that has been lacking on offense could be something of the past, yet I will throw a flag of caution here, the OL, I know a tired and well abused sentiment about how the offense will live and die by the OL, but will remain true again this year. We will need them to play solid, but the difference going into the season will be depth - something we have not been blessed with the past several years and will it be enough to help sustain the consistency we desperately need on offense. The other difference that could prove to be invaluable this year, is the development of play-makers, which also helps when a play breaks down. The offense in general is a much improved unit playing with far greater confidence and attitude and Smith is leading the charge in this department. Smith showed sign of being able to play thru his mistakes and playing solid down the stretch.

The running game has seemed to have develop nice depth, with BJ making a strong case for some playing time, yet with Floyd & Edgecomb continuing to play solid during Spring, it will make it a log jam for playing time. I am one that like to see one back getting the majority of carries in a game, but I can see this happening, if one back isn't getting it done in any particular game, someone will be there to pick-it up.

Floyd continues to show his speed, while Edgecomb is running with purpose and attitude. Rose did not disappoint and provided the type of play we need from our FB Bonner continues to improve and making a strong case for himself, in general the play of the WR & TE is by far much improved.

Defensively, a much better effort yesterday and I do like what I see in some of the young guys - they should continue to develop into a very solid unit. They are poise to making big plays and create some havoc.

Again, one can only feel the difference from a year ago that this team has much more confidence in themselves and will prove to be a big difference in close games, where last year a game might have slipped away, could now be turn into a victory.

The Breezeway will be extened while the new Alumni and Campus Rec centers are put in. However, when they say 'extened' they are just creating a walkway with palm trees for cover. They dont want to extened the second level because it would just be overlooking the rec center roof.

owlcountry said

I've looked at the Master Plan and I'm very curious how it's going to work out with the Breezeway extension into the Innovation Village. It seems like it will be at ground level as well, which would conflict with the new road in the back – imagine how little traffic will move through there after a game if everyone is trying to cross the street to get back to the dorms. Perhaps this is the brick walkway they're referring to…

I'm strongly in favor of just having the Breezeway cross that road on the top level… a bridge if you will over the road to the park. That way people can cross without disrupting traffic. I think this bridge could also be a terrific opportunity to do something really eye-catching from an architectural standpoint.

Anyway, thanks for the clip!

The plan (as far as I know) is to have the *second floor* of the Breezeway extend over the parking lot (which, at that time, will be the new Alumni Center and Wellness Center) and over the road. The intention is to start a tradition of students marching across the second floor of the Breezeway from the dorms into the stadium on game day.