Owls never gave up in 2008
FAUOwlAccess.com takes a look back at the 2008 Owls football season. There were plenty of ups and downs, but Florida Atlantic rallies to win its second consecutive bowl game.
Originally published on
1/20/2009
by
Chuck King
The Florida Atlantic football team entered the 2008 season with its highest expectations ever.
Deservedly so.
The Owls were coming off a surprising Sun Belt Conference title and their first bowl victory. Most of the nucleus from the 2007 team returned, most notably Sun Belt Player-of-the-Year candidate quarterback Rusty Smith.
Instead of building on the successes of 2007, however, FAU sputtered early in the season and struggled in its most important Sun Belt games. The season-opening 42-point loss at national title-contender Texas wasn't unexpected. When the Owls rebounded nicely the following week against UAB, order appeared to be restored.
But FAU was unable to build momentum. The Owls lost their next four, including one on a "Hail Mary" at Middle Tennessee in the Sun Belt opener.
After falling to 0-2 in the conference, FAU recovered enough to become a factor in the Sun Belt race. A poor second half at Arkansas State ended hopes of a title repeat, leaving the Owls to wrestle Florida International to avoid a sub-.500 season.
That game turned into a microcosm of the Owls' season. At times FAU looked unstoppable. At others, they looked overwhelmed. FAU twice trailed by 14 points in a fourth quarter that saw the schools combine for eight touchdowns. Smith's 9-yard touchdown strike to Cortez Gent proved to be the lone overtime score, giving their Owls their 6-6 regular season record.
Despite being bowl eligible, most who follow FAU expected the Owls to stay home for the holidays. The Motor City Bowl ultimately saw the value of bringing a Howard Schnellenberger - coached team north. The Owls responded with their second straight bowl victory, building a 11-point fourth quarter lead before pounding away the final minutes on the ground in a 24-21 victory over Central Michigan.
Season High Point
The Owls' second consecutive bowl victory certainly provided a celebratory end to the season for the players, but the real high point for the program was simply getting the invitation. It showed that FAU is gaining recognition in the national theater. That invite will help immensely in recruiting, which, in turn, should continue to elevate the program's profile.
Also considered: Motor City Bowl victory, Comeback against FIU.
Season Low Point
The losses to traditional powers at the beginning of the season were explainable, if not expected. The loss at Arkansas State was not expected and the Owls' play - especially in the second half - was inexcusable. The poor showing destroyed any chance the Owls had at defending their conference title and left players, coaches and fans feeling like the only bowling possibilities involved wearing funny looking shoes.
Also considered: Hail Mary loss to Middle Tennessee, Home loss to Troy.
Season Turning Point
Usually you can point to a game and say, that's where the Owls put it all together or really lost it. This year, that point didn't really come until after the season ended. Face it, even after FAU's monumental comeback victory over FIU, most still considered the season to have lacked substance. How different does the season look now after the fanciful lobbying efforts by FAU athletic department officials? The work those folks did to convince a bowl committee that FAU was a viable team rescued the 2008 season, turning a negative into a positive - a strong positive at that.
Also considered: Three-game conference winning streak, Fourth quarter against FIU.
Team MVP
It's tempting to look to at the record-breaking season assembled by linebacker Frantz Joseph as being the Owls' most significant, but that would be disingenuous. The fact is, if Smith played well, the Owls played well. How many other quarterbacks in the nation could have produced that fourth quarter against FIU? Smith made an underachieving early season stretch seem like it happened in the Mesozoic Era with his 306-yard, two touchdown performance in the Motor City Bowl.
Also considered: Frantz Joseph.
Most Improved
The easy answer is tight end Rob Housler, whose four touchdowns tied four fourth most on the Owls. Housler caught 32 passes for 519 yards this season, after catching just seven for 80 in his first two seasons. But don't overlook the improvement of fellow tight end Jamari Grant, whose 45 catches and 642 receiving yards arguably made him the most reliable receiver on the team. Tight end was a position of concern after the Owls lost Jason Harmon's 63 catches and five touchdowns to a knee injury during the spring game. All three will be back in 2009. Could make for some interesting three-tight end sets.
Also considered: Willie Rose, Chris Bonner, Carldayle Brantley.
Biggest Disappointment
Cornerback Tavious Polo followed his 7-interception freshman season with just one pick in 2008. It wasn't like quarterbacks were avoiding Polo. Much of the time he wasn't even on the field, drawing the start in only four games. To be fair, Polo's freshman numbers required a great deal of luck. This year that luck balanced out. Polo will still be expected to be a major factor in the secondary for the next two seasons.
Also considered: Cortez Gent, Rusty Smith.
Biggest Hole to Fill
The Motor City victory marked the final game in the careers of Charles Pierre and DiIvory Edgecomb. The Owls will enter spring practice looking to replace both running backs. Can Willie Floyd stay healthy? Will an incoming freshman dazzle? Stay tuned.
Also considered: Nick Paris' leadership, Frantz Joseph's intensity, Gary Nord's coaching.
Watch the Owls 2008 season highlight video.