The good news: Tom Herman is a heck of a football coach.
He was slightly better than he got credit for at Texas, was great at Houston, and is 5-1 in bowl games. Going 4-8 in his first season at Florida Atlantic was an aberration.
The bad news: This is another rebuilding season. There’s sort of a strange thing happening here. Florida Atlantic got plenty of players in the transfer portal, but the bad news is that there aren’t a ton of sure-thing high-end producers.
The good news: The American Athletic Conference is relatively awful compared to what it used to be. The Owl schedule is more than manageable.
The bad news: It’ll take a little while for everything gel, and it had better do it fast because three of the last four games are on the road, and a mid-October date at UTSA is a concern.
The good news: Even with all of the new parts, the defense should still be okay. The offense has to be more consistent and has to find something what works, as bad as things were, the Owls weren’t that far off from at least being 6-6.
The bad news: The offensive line and secondary are both very, very concerning right away. Both will need all of fall camp to get going.
The good news: Florida Atlantic is in Boca Raton. There are worse places to live, work, and play college football.
The bad news: Even with eight teams on the schedule that didn’t go bowling, this season will still be a grind. But back to the good news side, FAU should be better on …
Florida Atlantic Football Preview 2024: Offense
- The offense has to find something that consistently works. When the ground game ran for over 200 yards, the team won - 3-0 when it hit the mark. That means the offense has to commit to the bit.
The Owls averaged over six yards per carry against Rice and almost five yards per pop against UAB, but they didn’t run enough in either game and lost.
This year, it might take a little bit to get going with a totally revamped offensive line with an interesting mix of parts. Frederico Maranges is one of the best centers in the AAC, but the other four starters are all new.
- Almost all of the top runners are new. The line has to stop allowing so many plays behind the line and needs to use its bulk to pound away more. Zuberi Mobley is the leading returning rusher with just 62 yards, but Florida State transfer CJ Campbell will get plenty of chances to take over.
- Marshall transfer Cam Fancher has a new home. Off and on with the Herd, he’s a veteran who should be able to push the ball down the field a bit more. He can run enough to add something to the attack when the chances are there.
The receivers are also relatively new. BJ Alexander is the leading returning target with just ten grabs, but Marlyn Johnson (Buffalo) and Milan Tucker (Appalachian State) should produce right away being thrown into the mix, TE Zeke Moore needs more passes thrown his way.
Florida Atlantic Football Preview 2024: Defense
- The defense was far better than the offense, but it needed to be amazing for FAU to win. The team was 4-0 when allowing 17 points or fewer, 0-8 when giving up more.
The pass rush was good, the run defense decent, and overall, this side of the ball was fine - it allowed 24 points or fewer nine times; that should be good enough. Now there’s an overall and without enough new parts from the portal.
- The secondary gets the two good new guys. Overall there’s an interesting mix of defensive backs, but it’s really, really green. The two transfers know what they’re doing, through. Phillip Dunnam (Indiana) at safety and Kahzir Brown (Maine) at corner will be thrown into the mix right away.
The pass rush that has to help out. Marlon Bradley was good but missed half the season hurt, and the tackles need to overcome the lack of mass - 355-pound Evan Anderson is gone from the interior - with quickness and a rotation. Purdue transfer Prince Boyd needs to be a star right away at one tackle.
- The linebacking corps is the one area to relax about, at least a wee bit. Jackson Ambush should be an all-star coming off a team-high 89 tackles with a sack, and 236-pound former Auburn Tiger Desmond Tisdol made 71 stops last season for the Owls in the middle.
Key To The Florida Atlantic Football Season
Start hitting the downfield throws. The Florida Atlantic quarterbacks connected on 64% of their passes last year, but there was a big problem with how the passing game worked. There weren’t enough downfield completions, and there were too many interceptions.
Cam Fancher will throw picks here and there, but that’s the cost of doing business. That has to be offset by getting over ten yards per completion - FAU was a disastrous 9.76 yards per grab. Fancher and the Marshall passing game averaged close to 11.
Florida Atlantic Key Player
Cam Fancher, QB Jr. Sometimes players really do need a fresh start.
The two-year starter for Marshall was okay, but he threw 17 interceptions over the last two seasons with 21 touchdown passes. He’s not big, but he can run, he hit 65% of his throws last year, and he’s got the experience to be even sharper.
Florida Atlantic Football Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss
Top Transfer In: Phillip Dunnam, S Jr. There are others who might end up being more important to the Owl season, but Dunnam is the potential star of the secondary if he plays as expected. The Indiana transfer made 53 tackles with three picks and six broken up passes last season.
Top Transfer Out: LaJohntay Wester, WR Sr. The Florida Atlantic offense came up with 265 completed passes. Wester made 108 of them for 1,168 yards and eight scores, but now the all-star is off to Colorado. Others will rise up in his place, but he was the epitome of a No. 1 target. That’s no easy to find.
Florida Atlantic Key Game
Army, Sept. 7 The Owls will be coming off an opener at Michigan State, and then gets Army in the first game of the American Athletic Conference season, and for the Knight program. With FIU, at UConn, and Wagner up next, and then a week off, and then a winnable home game against North Texas, Florida Atlantic could start 5-1 with a win here.
10 Best Florida Atlantic Football Players
1. Jackson Ambush, LB Sr. 2. Daedae Hill, CB Sr. 3. Desmond Tisdol, LB Sr. 4. Cam Fancher, QB Jr. 5. Federico Maranges, C Sr. 6. Phillip Dunnam, S Jr. 7. Logan Lupo, P Jr. 8. Kahzir Brown, CB Sr. 9. Bryce Langston, DT Jr. 10. Marlyn Johnson, WR Sr.
- Time of Possession: Opponents 32:13, Florida Atlantic 26:40
- Field Goals: Opponents 16-of-21, Florida Atlantic 6-of-10
Florida Atlantic Football 2024 Win Total Prediction: What to Expect This Season
How this for analysis? What should you expect out of Florida Atlantic this season?
I … don’t … know.
There are so many new parts and players that this would normally scream 4-8 for a second season in a row, but the coaching should be strong and the schedule is WAY light.
The Owls will lose at Michigan State to start the season, but Army, FIU, at UConn, Wagner, North Texas. That has to be at least a 4-1 stretch after going to East Lansing, if not 5-0.
There will be a rough patch to deal with. At UTSA and USF are split up by a week off, and three of the last four games are on the road. FAU has to pull off a few surprises in there.
Everything about this season seems like it’ll need some glue, Scotch tape, and a few prayers to keep together, but the Owls will get to five wins with enough time to get to six. That last one to get bowl eligible will be a fight.
Set The Florida Atlantic Win Total At … 5.5
Likely Wins: Wagner
50/50 Games: Army, Charlotte, at East Carolina, FIU, North Texas, at Temple, at Tulsa, USF
Likely Losses: at Michigan State, at UTSA
2024 Florida Atlantic Football Schedule
Aug 31 at Michigan State Sept 7 Army Sept 14 FIU Sept 21 at UConn Sept 28 Wagner Oct 5 OPEN DATE Oct 12 North Texas Oct 19 at UTSA Oct 26 OPEN DATE Nov 1 USF Nov 7 at East Carolina Nov 16 at Temple Nov 23 Charlotte Nov 30 at Tulsa Missing: Memphis, Navy, Rice, Tulane, UAB
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