Lock to block
Florida Atlantic wins its season opener vs. UAB with a late rally, sealing the victory when Owls linebacker Michael Lockley blocks a field goal on the last play of Thursday's game.
Originally published on
9/3/2010
by
Marcus Nelson
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - When UAB kicker Josh Zahn lined up for a potential game winning 28-yard field goal on the last play of Thursday’s season-opener for FAU most in attendance at Legion Field thought a Blazers victory was a foregone conclusion.
Not Owls senior linebacker Michael Lockley, who refused to believe the game had been decided.
Lockley, who lost his starting job after last year’s blowout loss to the Blazers, went up the middle and blocked Zahn’s kick near the line of scrimmage to preserve a 32-21 FAU victory.
“You can’t dream up a game like this,” Lockley said. “I timed my jump and God let me block it to win the game. I hit it, but I’ve hit balls before that have gone in. As soon as I hit it, I looked back and FAU fans cheering. It’s the greatest feeling ever.”
FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger warned the team not to give up during a timeout before Zahn’s kick.
“I reminded them that the game was still in their hands and there is no reason we can’t win the game,” Schnellenberger said. “All we needed to do was block the field goal…Whether the guy pushed it hard to the left I don’t know and I don’t care. We blocked it.”
The Owls trailed 28-12 midway through the third quarter but rallied back as their offense and defense shook off sluggish starts.
FAU took its first lead of the game on a 38-yard touchdown run by Alfred Morris with 2:22 remaining.
On UAB’s ensuing possession, UAB quarterback David Isabelle, who rushed for 214 yards, broke a 50-yard run to the Owls 7-yard line. Instead of taking shots at the end zone, UAB ran plays in the middle field to run the clock down.
The Owls called timeout to ice Zahn with :05 remaining as many on the FAU sideline took a knee and prayed.
“We just lost it on the sideline,” said Morris, who rushed for 103 yards on 16 carries. “I was just so excited.”
Starting an offensive line that had no player with starting experience, the Owls struggled offensively at the beginning of the game, but began to settle down enough for quarterback Jeff Van Camp to connect with wide receiver Lester Jean for touchdowns of 25 and 77 yards.
“We were just staying poised and staying focused,” Jean said. “We knew our defense is better than last year’s and they gave us plenty of opportunities.”
FAU’s defense also rose to the occasion a year after giving up 622 yards in a 56-29 loss to the Blazers that had many, including Lockley, seeking revenge this season.
“They beat us down last year and everybody knows that,” Lockley said. “It’s great to win. It’s the first game and it feels better.”
Quick Hooters: Jean’s 77-yard touchdown reception was the longest since the Owls moved to Division I-A in 2005. …Morris rushed for more than 100 yards for the seventh time in his career. …The three touchdowns thrown by Jeff Van Camp were a career high for him.
GameBrowser: FAU 32, UAB 31
- Game-changer: FAU defensive back Brentley Harstad’s 38-yard interception return for a touchdown gave confidence to the Owls defense, which had struggled to that point. After Harstad’s pick fired up the Owls, they toughened up the remainder of the game.
- Step forward: WR Lester Jean looks ready to be the Owls’ big play receiver this season after some nice catches including some when the Blazer defenders were all over him
- Step backward: Yes, the play that saved the game came from the ‘field goal block’ unit, but the kicking game struggled in the first half when the Owls had an extra point blocked that nearly proved costly
- Key stat: After giving up three touchdowns in the first half and another touchdown on UAB’s first possession of the second half, the Owls defense held the Blazers out of the end zone on the Blazers’ last seven possessions.
- At the end of the day: The Owls showed plenty of character by rallying to go ahead and staying focused enough when it appeared the Blazers would win the game on a field goal. Losing a game like this one would have been demoralizing, but winning it in exciting fashion will have the Owls hungry for more.