Pounding paydirt
Notebook: Owls score first touchdown of the season vs. South Carolina
Originally published on
9/20/2009
by
Marcus Nelson
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Florida Atlantic didn’t earn its first victory of the season on Saturday against South Carolina, but the Owls did have one first in their 38-16 loss to the Gamecocks.
With just over 4 minutes to go in the first half, the Owls scored their first touchdown of the season when receiver Chris Bonner made it to the end zone on a 23-yard pass from Rusty Smith.
"We put the ball in the end zone which is better than we did last week,” Smith said.
The Owls added their second touchdown right before halftime when Smith found Jamari Grant and threatened to score early in the fourth quarter, but failed to convert a 4th and 1 play from the South Carolina 4 when Smith didn't see a wide-open Darian Williams and threw an incomplete pass through the back of the end zone.
Extra painful: South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said a crucial moment of the game was the when FAU kicker Ross Gornall missed an extra point just before halftime following Grant's touchdown which would have tied the game at 17.
“One of the biggest plays was blocking the extra point,” Spurrier said. “Do you realize how many teams lose with blocking the extra point? Just look at us (in the past). It was huge.”
Gornall made his only field goal attempt of the game, a 37-yarder in the first quarter, his career-longest.
Lineup Notables: Wide receiver Lester Jean made his first start of the season in place of senior Cortez Gent, who was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. ...Defensive tackle Andy Czuprynski, who sprained his ankle early in pre-season training camp, saw his first action of the season, recording a tackle late in the game. ...Tight end Jamari Grant suffered an ankle injury and was on crutches at the end of the game.