The Owls look to keep perfect bowl mark in tact against Tigers



The Matchup: FAU (5-3) vs. Memphis (7-3)


When: Wednesday, December 23rd, 7:00 PM

Where: Cramton Bowl

Weather: Current Conditions @ Cramton Bowl

The Series: The Owls took the lone meeting 44-27 in the 2007 New Orleans Bowl - their first Bowl win.

Memphis Team Site: Here


Key Stats Comparison:





Memphis Notables

The Tigers will be kicking-off in their program-record seventh straight bowl game, and making their 14th bowl appearance in program history. They are seeking their first win since a double overtime win against BYU in the 2014 Miami Beach Bowl.

In its last outing, Memphis claimed a 30-27 win against Houston in Memphis. K Riley Patterson connected on the game-winning 47-yard FG as time expired to extend Memphis’ program-record home win streak to 15 games. Against the Cougars, QB Brady White set the school’s career passing yards record, eclipsing Danny Wimprine’s 10,215 career yards from 2001-04. Earlier this year, White claimed the career TD passing record.

WR Calvin Austin III posted 74 receiving yards and a TD against Houston, giving him 1,025 yards for the 2020 season. He joins three other Tigers in program history to reach 1,000 yards receiving in a single season (Isaac Bruce, 1993; Anthony Miller, 2016-17; Damonte Coxie, 2018-19).

Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield became the third head coach in program history to win at least seven games in his first season and holds the best win percentage for a first-year head coach at .700.


FAU Notables

FAU will enter the game with a stingy defense, led by senior cornerback and Montgomery native Zyon Gilbert. Gilbert has been an instrumental leader for a team that made the transition to first year head coach Willie Taggart nearly a year ago. A total of six Owls originally hail from the state of Alabama.

As a team, the Owls hold the 16th best total defense mark in the nation at 326.4 yards per game while ranking 33rd on 3rd down conversion percentage (36.9) allowed. They have also remained disciplined throughout the season averaging only five flags thrown against them (25th nationally) per outing.

This marks the program’s fifth bowl since 2007, the first season FAU was eligible to play in a bowl game, and third bowl game in four years. Previous Bowl appearances: 2007 New Orleans Bowl (FAU 44, Memphis 27), 2008 Motor City Bowl (FAU 24, Central Michigan 21), 2017 Boca Raton Bowl (FAU 50, Akron 3), 2019 Boca Raton (FAU 52, SMU 28).

Coach Willie Taggart will be leading just his second bowl contest as a Head Coach while looking to even his mark at 1-1.


Game Information

TV: ESPN

Radio: 640 The Hurricane

Stats: Here

Opening Line: FAU +10

We've made it! It's a special BOWL GAMEDAY!

The first ever Montgomery Bowl will kickoff at 7pm on ESPN.

🎳IT'S BOWL GAMEDAY!🎳@FAUFootball & @MemphisFB will square-off TONIGHT in the first ever @MontgomeryBowl! Kickoff is set for 7pm on @ESPN. Let's REPEAT #FAU's HISTORIC #NolaBowl victory over #Memphis in 2007! #GoOwls 👌 pic.twitter.com/7mjoINczTy

— FAU Owl's Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) December 23, 2020

Yes and for what it’s worth, I got some Swag from Montgomerybowl.com to commemorate this year’s team. Win or lose, gotta be happy about a bowl appearance. We would have killed for this during the Partridge years!!!!!

LawOwl said

Yes and for what it’s worth, I got some Swag from Montgomerybowl.com to commemorate this year’s team. Win or lose, gotta be happy about a bowl appearance. We would have killed for this during the Partridge years!!!!!

Posted On: Dec 23rd 2020, 4:08 PM #399304

Very well said! In a covid year too. I see our program ascending starting in 2021.

FAU will be in the white-red-white combo for the second straight bowl game. With tomorrow being Christmas Eve, I am coining this look to be called "the candy cane."  

Just like in the 2019 @BocaBowl, @FAUFootball will be rocking the ⚪️🔴⚪️ candy cane look for this year’s @MontgomeryBowl. Let’s see what gifts #FAU has in store this year! 🎁🎄

Kickoff is an hour away! #GoOwls👌

📸: @FAUEquipment pic.twitter.com/0SbiiEdVBv

— FAU Owl's Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) December 23, 2020

LawOwl said

Yes and for what it’s worth, I got some Swag from Montgomerybowl.com to commemorate this year’s team. Win or lose, gotta be happy about a bowl appearance. We would have killed for this during the Partridge years!!!!!

Posted On: Dec 23rd 2020, 4:08 PM #399304

LOVE THAT, LawOwls! Plus, this bowl game is a one-off event that takes the place of the Fenway Bowl. Yes… there will be a bowl game at Boston's Fenway Park. But due to COVID concerns, the game was moved South and renamed the Montgomery Bowl for this one year, before moving back to Boston next year.

That means we could be the first, last, and only champions in Montgomery Bowl history!

There's something about FAU and bowl games that force the Owls to become incredibly shorthanded..

No Leighton McCarthy, Caliph Brice, nor Willie Wright tonight. This adds on to BJ Emmons' absence. BUT, Malcolm Davidson MAY be playing tonight. I'm working on getting more information for you all about his status after Taggart said he would not play earlier this week.

JUST IN: Leighton McCarthy, Caliph Brice, and Willie Wright will not play in tonight's bowl game.

Thank you for a great season @__mccarthyii, @iamcaliph_, and @_Bigdawg05! Hope to see you three in #FAU uniforms again next year! If not, thank you for the memories.

— FAU Owl's Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) December 23, 2020

Tronti leads the offense onto the field and he is joined by Malcolm Davidson.

AND HERE WE GO! #FAU will start the @MontgomeryBowl with the ball on their own 25-yard line. And it's @Nickyt616 who leads the Owls onto the field with @duke__11. Good to see Malcolm Davidson back out there!

— FAU Owl's Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) December 24, 2020

So much for Taggart saying Davidson would not play

 

Logan Peterson sighting!

 

No dice on the offense's first possession. Hopefully the defense can improve from their last time out at USM. It'll be tough against this talents Memphis offense.

A decent #FAU drive stalls near midfield. #CUSA All-Academic punter @matthayball15 pinpoints the pigskin to the #Memphis 12-yard line. 🇦🇺🎯

Time to see what this defense has in store! 💪💪

— FAU Owl's Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) December 24, 2020