#30 Florida Atlantic Owls Preview

#30 Florida Atlantic Owls Preview

Anything less than a Sun Belt title would be considered a disappointment for the Owls since they won the title and a bowl game a year ago. Many of the offensive components are in place and Florida Atlantic figures to have an even bigger year, one where reaching double digits in wins is a possibility.

#30 Florida Atlantic Owls
Head Coach - Howard Schnellenberger
2007 Record - 8-5

2007 Review
I would call winning the Sun Belt title and scoring a Bowl win over Memphis in the New Orleans Bowl a successful campaign. Florida Atlantic has come a long way when you consider they captured a league title in just their second season of FBS play. This could be a situation like we see in South and Central Florida. The big schools like Florida State, Florida and Miami (Fla.) are no longer getting all of the talent in this football hotbed and what we saw in 2007 from Florida Atlantic may just be a small taste of what is to come.

Team MVP
If you've seen Florida Atlantic in action at all then you know this is a no-brainer as quarterback Rusty Smith is the catalyst of the offense. With nearly 3,700 yards passing and a TD to interception ratio of 32-9 you can see why Smith has the attention of many outside of the Sun Belt. Smith a legitimate pro prospect with enough of an arsenal surrounding him that he doesn't have to do it all…. just the majority.

Offense

Quarterback
I just talked about Rusty Smith being the team MVP and for good reason. While he doesn't possess a huge frame (210 pounds) he does stand 6-5 and has NFL quarterback size. Smith won't run for many first downs and has limited athleticism but he can make all the necessary throws to make it at the next level and is easily the most talented quarterback in the Sun Belt Conference. He put up some big numbers against some good schools a season ago with his best performance coming in the bowl game when he went 25-32 for 336 yards and 5 touchdowns. Smith hung 463 yards and 5 touchdowns on Big Ten Minnesota and went 18-33 for 290 and a touchdown against Florida. Backup Jeff VanCamp had some game action a season ago and has the same build as Smith. There would be a huge dropoff in play with VanCamp under center but he does have more mobility and a ton of arm strength.

Running Back
Charles Pierre holds down the job as the starting tailback and has since his freshman season. Now Pierre is a senior and while he is consistent he is far from spectacular but he is steady and creates opportunities for others. Pierre had 782 rushing yards in 2007 but failed to get over 17 carries in any game and didn't top 100 yards once as a junior. Another thing Pierre failed to do was catch a pass the entire season. That usually goes to DeIvory Edgecomb who backs up Pierre and caught 24 balls last year and fullback Willie Rose. Rose hauled in 38 passes and had 7 touchdowns through the air to go along with 333 on the ground and another touchdown. With the trio of backs the Owls have to offer it gives teams just enough to worry about at multiple positions on the football field to enhance Smith an the aerial attack.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Every good quarterback needs reliable targets and even better one star target that strikes fear into the heart of an opposing defense and is a clutch performer. Florida Atlantic has such a player in Cortez Gent after he compiled 1,082 yards on 64 catches as a sophomore in 2007. Gent saw the end zone nine times and he did it against bigger schools like Minnesota and Florida and both area teams he hung over 100 yards on. Conshario Johnson is back to start at the other wide receiver position although he is more of a middle of the field threat that specializes as a possession receiver is. Jason Harmon is a tight end who caught over 60 passes and could project as a fullback at the pro level as he only goes 215 pounds (not that light for a tight end in the Sun Belt). Chris Bonner will see plenty of action as the third receiver and he saw the end zone three times last year all on passes in the 15-30 yard range. This is a group that doesn't get enough recognition and all of Smith's primary targets are back so it should be another stellar campaign, one that could set some records for the school.

Offensive Line
The offensive line is steady and while they are small (even by conference standards) they do have some larger backups who could step in if needed. John Rizzo is an all conference performer at tackle and has played through numerous injuries. Rizzo has a wealth of experience at every offensive line position aside from guard so his versatility makes him irreplaceable along the line. At 295 pounds center Nick Paris is actually the largest starter and a player who showed remarkable improvement a year ago. Paris looks to be the most consistent run blocker on the team and is a leader. Look for current backups Lavoris Williams and Kevin Miller to push for a lot of playing time. This is a unit that only allowed more than two sacks in a game only once all last season so Smith feels safe in the pocket.


Defense

Defensive Line
One aspect about Florida Atlantic you have to like along the line is their size. They are undersized at a number of key offensive positions and along the offensive line but the defensive line is another story. The entire defensive line is back and while they have to improve stopping the run and need more pressure on the quarterback they do have some athletes that are capable of making big plays. Jervonte Jackson is a 310-pound defensive tackle that has a good burst off the snap and can cause penetration problems. Robert St. Claire is an effective lineman who can play the run and his 4 sacks led the team. St. Clair will even drop into coverage and give the Owls a 3-4 look at times. This defensive line isn't going to win any national awards but as far as how they stack up in the conference, this is an above average line with a chance to far better than people realize.

Linebackers
While this isn't the deepest area of the defense it probably has the most talent and most of that talent comes in the form of Franz Joseph. While most who talk about the Owls gush about Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Rusty Smith, many fail to realize that the Owls also have the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in Joseph. All Joseph did last year was post 131 tackles at middle linebacker, a total that led the entire conference. 12.5 of Joseph's tackles were for loss and he even added 3 sacks and a pair of interceptions. Andre Clark and George Allen round out an all senior linebacker starting corps Michael Lockley is a backup at all three linebacker positions and will be on the field in a number of Owl defensive packages.

Secondary
Corey Small and Tavious Polo are both back at the cornerback positions and they posted 12 interceptions combined a season ago. The interception number doesn't tell the whole story as Florida Atlantic ranked 70th against the pass and the secondary was marred by a number of missed tackles that resulted in big plays and/or touchdowns. With Kris Bartels and Taheem Acevedo gone at both safety spots this makes this the biggest problem area for Florida Atlantic entering the season. I feel you will see the pass defense get better and part of that will be directly related to a defensive line that should provide a more consistent pass rush than it did a season ago.


Special Teams
This is an area where Florida Atlantic could use some improvement. Kicker Warley Leroy was 15-18 inside of 40 yards last year but only 4-9 from beyond and many of his misses were not close. This could lead to Ryan Paros getting a shot as a kicker or we could see the Owls use both. The Owls could employ a two kicker system since they seem to use two punters in Mickey Groody and Keegan Peterson. Groody offers more touch while Peterson has the booming leg when distance is what the Owls are looking for. The coverage units were spotty and inconsistent a year ago, as were kick and punt returns. DeIvory Edgecomb could wind up as the kick and punt return man going into the season.

2008 Outlook
Anything less than a Sun Belt title would be considered a disappointment for the Owls since they won the title and a bowl game a year ago. Many of the offensive components are in place and Florida Atlantic figures to have an even bigger year, one where reaching double digits in wins is a possibility. Florida Atlantic could find themselves ranked at some point, that would be a first for the school. Seeing Florida Atlantic among the ranked teams over the next couple of seasons would not be a surprise when you think about what coach Howard Schnellenberger has done for schools he brought out of obscurity like Miami (Fla.) and Louisville.

To post a comment, you need to login or sign up.	Fan Comments