Jason Harmon's two catches for 17 yards in the Texas vs. The Nation game on Saturday in El Paso, Texas may not have been impressive, but his workouts in the week leading up to the game were.

And looking good in those workouts is really what's most important.

Prior to the start of practice only three NFL scouts had scheduled individual interviews with Harmon (right, photo by Ralph Notaro), a late addition to the Nation roster. By the time the week concluded seven more teams wanted to learn more about Harmon.

Practice, not the game, is when scouts get their best looks at players and Harmon made an impression.

"They told me they loved my hands," Harmon said on Sunday. "They noticed that I had the best hands out there - that I was really impressive."

While the game's announcers consistently hyped Harmon as an H-back who could line up in the backfield, tight on the line or split wide, Harmon said most of the teams he talked with considered him a wide receiver at the next level.

While he's not opposed to playing fullback, Harmon did not line up in the backfield during the game. Scouts also told Harmon he would need to add plenty of pounds if he intended to stay at tight end.

"I like playing receiver," Harmon said. "I've not really played H-back so I don't know what to expect with that."

The main drawback for Harmon at wide receiver is a perceived lack of speed. The scouts did not time individual players during workouts in El Paso. Harmon said many scouts told him they will be in Boca Raton with stop watches in hand for FAU's pro day on March 4.

Rusty's mixed bag: Quarterback Rusty Smith's afternoon did not go as he would have liked, but there were some positives. With a 1:29 remaining in the first half, the Smith-led nation took over the ball at their own 1. Smith marched them to the Texas 13, allowing the Nation to kick a field goal as time expired.

Even that drive had its disappointments, though. Smith missed an open receiver near the goal line that could have resulted in a score - a connection that likely would have been made had the quarterback and receiver enjoyed more familiarity. He also nearly connected on a TD pass to Harmon, but his hometown tight end couldn't corral the football in the end zone.

The rest of the afternoon was forgettable. Smith's first two passes were incomplete, although the first one was dropped by former Atlantic High School and Florida State wide receiver Preston Parker. Smith fumbled the first snap on his second series. The ball was scooped up and returned for a touchdown.

He didn't enter the game in the second half until the closing minutes of the game. The Nation once again had the ball on its own 1, but this time Smith stepped on the end line while trying to evade a pass rusher, which by rule is a safety. He also took the snap on the final play of the game, but handed off.

Smith finished the afternoon 5-12-63 yards. Harmon said Smith garnered the attention of many scouts during the week.

"Rusty looked pretty good," Harmon said. "In practice the receivers were dropping a lot of his passes. The receivers out there didn't have the best of hands. Everytime he put it on the money they dropped it."

Owl Links
A check of what's being written about FAU

At FAUOwlAccess.com we covered the men's basketball loss to Denver and the women's victory over the Pioneers.

Here is a look at the game from the Denver Post's perspective.

Here is the Sun-Sentinel's.

Owl Cal
Your daily look at the FAU sports schedule

Wednesday
Women's basketball vs Louisiana-Lafayette 7 p.m.

Thursday
Basketball vs. Louisiana-Lafayette 7 p.m.