Posts from August 2010

FAU's official depth chart is out for Thursday's opener at UAB.

Also out is the official injury report on the game. The only player listed on it is C Jordan Sessa. However, LT Sam McCroy, who hadn't practiced the last few days after being hurt, was back at practice Thursday, but not listed on the depth chart.

Also it lists David Kooi on the same line as Graham Wilbert.

But here it is, FAU's official depth chart for the first game of the season....

FAU OFFENSE

LT 64 Max Karrick
 63 DeAndre Williams

LG 56 Andy Czuprynski
 62 Chris White

C 65 Mike Nweze
 50 Jimmie Colley

RG 52 Chris Newbold
 51 Erik Hansen

RT 55 Joe Bailey
 64 Max Karrick

TE 81 Rob Housler
 85 Darrian Williams

QB Jeff Van Camp
 7 David Kooi

FB 8 Xavier Stinson
 36 David Muniz

RB 32 Alfred Morris
 4 Jeff Blanchard

ZWR 1 Avery Holley
   2 DeAndre Richardson

XWR 3 Lester Jean
 87 Byron Hankerson

FAU DEFENSE

LDE 92 Kevin Cyrille
 31 Cory Henry

LDT 58 Dino Cox
 94 Andrew Stryffler

RDT 96 Jimmy Jean
 93 Jarvis Givens

RDE 98 Jamere Johnson
 99 Daniel Jospeh

SLB 21 Malik Eugene
 48 Yourhigness Morgan

MLB 45 Michael Lockley
 11 David Hinds

NB 24 Brentley Harstad
 5 Tavious Polo

CB 5 Tavious Polo
 34 Keith Reaser

FS 27 Marcus Bartels
 24 Brentley Harstad

SS 38 Ed Alexander
 18 Tony Rodriguez

CB 9 Tarvoris Hill
 26 Curtis Cross

SPECIALISTS
P 17 Mickey Groody
 20 Ross Gornall

PK 20 Ross Gornall
 34 Vincent Zaccario

LS 74 Tim Raber

PR 1 Avery Holley
 5 Tavious Polo

KOR 5 Tavious Polo
 4 Jeff Blanchard

There’s no doubt that Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger had an impact on the sport of football in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Now the best player in the biggest game between state’s flagship universities, Louisville and Kentucky, will win the Howard Schnellenberger Award.

Louisville, KY (August 31, 2010) -- The Louisville Sports Commission today announced the creation of the Howard Schnellenberger MVP Award that will be presented annually to the most valuable player on the winning team in the University of Louisville - University of Kentucky football game. The announcement was made in conjunction with the athletic departments at both universities and the blessing of Schnellenberger, who has ties to both programs and remarkable football credentials.
 
"It is a source of great pride for me to become a part of the Governor's Cup Football Game," Schnellenberger said. "This intense rivalry has become the defining game for collegiate football within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. My hat's off to the Wildcat and Cardinal teams, coaches and fans."
 
Schnellenberger was recruited to UK out of Louisville Flaget (fla-jay') High School by the legendary Bear Bryant, earned varsity letters in 1952-53-54-55 and was an All-American tight end for the Wildcats under Blanton Collier as a senior. Schnellenberger was an assistant coach at UK under Collier in 1959 and 1960. As the head coach at UofL for 10 years (1985-1994), Schnellenberger is credited with rejuvenating the football program and boosted support for a new, on-campus stadium. He led the Cardinals to victories in the Liberty and Fiesta Bowls.
 
The annual renewal of the intrastate rivalry between the Cardinals and the Wildcats will be played September 4 at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville. The Howard Schnellenberger MVP will be selected by a vote of the working press covering the game as identified by the sports information directors from each school. Voting will take place near or at completion of the game at the discretion of the SIDs.
 
Schnellenberger currently is head coach and director of football operations at Florida Atlantic University, having built the Division I program from scratch starting in 1998. At Miami, Louisville and FAU, Schnellenberger-coached teams are a remarkable 6-0 in bowl games. Schnellenberger was an integral part of four national championships in college football and two Super Bowl victories. He coached the University of Miami to the 1983 national championship and was offensive coordinator under Bryant at Alabama for national titles in 1961-64-65. He was the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under Don Shula, including the 17-0 season in 1972, and assistant for the Los Angeles Rams under George Allen. 

It wasn’t too long ago when there were questions raised about the length of FAU’s training camp.

Why was it starting so late? Would there be enough time? Does going through 50 training camps in your career really make you qualified to determine the length of training camp?

With regular-season practices underway, the FAU depth chart is beginning to solidify and take on extra importance.

WR 3 Lester Jean / 83 Marcus Cunningham

WR 1 Avery Holley / 2 DeAndre Richardson

LT 64 Max Karrick / 63 DeAndre Williams

LG 56 Andy Czuprynski / 62 Chris White

C 50 Jimmie Colley / 52 Chris Newbold

RG 51 Erik Hansen / 72 Ricaldo Henry

RT 55 Joseph Bailey / 71 Chris Chappell

TE 81 Rob Housler / 85 Darian Williams

QB 12 Jeff Van Camp / 14 Graham Wilbert

FB 36 David Muniz /  8 Xavier Stinson

RB 32 Alfred Morris / 4 Jeff Blanchard

DE 99 Daniel Joseph / 98 Jamere Johnson

DT 58 Dino Cox / 91 Andrew Styrffler

DT 93 Jarvis Givens / 96 Jimmy Jean

DE 92 Kevin Cyrille / 31 Cory Henry

WLB 42 Alex Pattee / 42 Yourhigness Morgan

MLB 45 Michael Lockley / 11 David Hinds

SLB 21 Malik Eugene / 44 Toney Moore

CB 9 Tarvoris Hill / 34 Keith Reaser

SS 27 Marcus Bartels / 18 Tony Rodriguez

FS 38 Ed Alexander / 24 Brentley Harstad

CB 5 Tavious Polo / 26 Curtis Cross

• Senior Fullback David Muniz is still ahead of Xavier Stinson. This probably has more to do with Stinson missing time than anything else, but if the UAB game was today, it looks like Muniz would get the start.
• Center Jimmie Colley took most of the snaps with the starters Sunday, but Mike Nweze also had significant work with the 1s. Colley returned last week, but that may not have been enough time to get ready for the Blazers.
• True freshman wide receiver Marcus Cunningham, pictured,  is battling with Byron Hankerson for the No. 4 receiver, but even if Cunningham is at No. 5 that’s high enough on the depth chart to see playing time. He’s my pick, besides grey-shirt Cory Henry, for the first true freshman to see action this season.

• The Sun-Sentinel concludes the Owls are lacking experience at tight-end
• UAB's goal for this season is to make it to a bowl game, according to The Birmingham News

The good news just keeps coming for senior fullback David Muniz.

• The Palm Beach Post’s college football special section is out today. Check out some of their stories here

It’s the weekend, but it’s Monday. Tomorrow, of course, is Tuesday and so on and so on at least as far as the FAU football team in concerned.

• The Sun-Sentinel updates Jarvis Givens practicing with the starting unit and a report on the scrimmage
• The Daily News Journal has coverage of the suspension of QB Dwight Dasher

Slipped away from FAU’s practice the other day to take part in an ESPN 760 fantasy  football draft.

Don’t worry, I understand that the only thing worse to listening to someone drone on and on about a fantasy team is listening to someone talk about their bad beat in poker, so I won’t bore anyone with how bad my team is.

Do want to share one cool little nugget from the evening, though. ESPN 760 brought a draft board to Bru’s Room in Delray Beach, which is where the event was held. Each time someone made a selection, an ESPN staff member pealed the player name off a pre-made sticker sheet that came as part of the kit they were using and affixed it to the board.

Well, we got late enough in the draft that I decided to have a little fun. Stephanie Prince took the photo of me making my 13th-round choice: Rusty Smith.

Two interesting things happened then. The first was that people got vocal. One person sitting at the table yelled, “Oh, the hometown boy.” Another said “Way to support FAU.” To my knowledge, neither of these people ever attended FAU, which means Smith – and FAU football for that matter – has achieved recognition outside of mere “homers.”

Immediately following those responses, Prince peeled Smith’s name off the player list and put it on the board. The radio station didn’t make the draft kit. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure Smith would even have a sticker so the fact that his name was there provided a mix of surprise and satisfaction.

Face it. You haven’t made it in the sports world until you are on someone’s fantasy team. Welcome to the big time, Rusty. The NFL should be a piece of cake going forward.

> Owl Links:  Articles of interest to FAU fans.
FAUOwlAccess.com provided the kind of coverage of Thursday’s bonfire that FAU fans have come to expect. Video from the bonfire was included in the 3-2-See video, and more outtakes were included in this video that was the first to hit the web.  We also provided a photo gallery from the night, and this story containing Graham Wilbert’s comments about being named the No. 2 quarterback.

And since it was a Thursday, that also meant another edition of Owl Talk hit the net. Brian Rowitz talked with Alfred Morris, Tavious Polo and soccer player Janelle Blake.

Other linkage...

• The Sun-Sentinel also looked at Schnellenberger’s decision to name Wilbert  as Jeff Van Camp’s backup.

Standing not too far from where next season there should be a near-completed on-campus football stadium, FAU Howard Schnellenberger put the torch to what bears a close resemblance to UAB’s dragon mascot.

I  will be making myself scarce tonight and I have locked up anything that says “UAB” on it, especially that diploma that took me almost seven years to get.

• The Sun-Sentinel reports that Graham Wilbert is the backup QB
• The Birmingham News says UAB is working on its punting game

A trip to the dentist’s office doesn’t top many people’s lists of Fun Things to do on a Day Off, but judging by the jocularity among FAU players, it wasn’t the worst part of their day either.

Monday afternoon many FAU players took a field trip of sorts to Dr. Richard Staller’s Delray Beach office. A supporter of the FAU program since its inception, Staller helps the Owls by providing high-tech custom mouth guards for all the football players.

The group in his office on Monday consisted mostly of freshmen. The top photo shows wide receiver DeAndre Robinson getting examined by Staller. That’s offensive lineman Blake Parrish with one of Staller’s assistants in the bottom photo preparing to bite down on the stuff that creates the mold for the mouth piece.

It’s a fairly interesting process. I was there to record it for a video package that will be featured in the coming weeks.

Don’t forget to floss…

Owl links: Stories of interest to FAU fans.
We’re getting lots of interesting feedback on the story about Martin Wright’s second chance. In a couple of years we may look back and say that this was the biggest story from 2010’s fall camp. If you haven’t read it yet, grab a cup of coffee and get to it. Then let us know what you think of it.

By now you’ve probably already read Tuesday’s practice report and seen the play made by Tarvoris Hill in the 3-2-See video, but if not they are all on this page.

Other linkage:

• The Sun-Sentinel looked at the depleted offensive line.
• The Palm Beach Post writes that Alfred Morris is ready for a repeat performance.
• The DNJ reports Dasher may have used loan for high-stakes poker

FAU announced Tuesday night that Graham Wilbert is the No. 2 quarterback after training camp entering the UAB game.

There were many people upset at the end of Saturday’s FanFest that the scrimmage ended earlier than they would have liked.

Other linkage...

• The Sun-Sentinel looks at two freshman WRs

Pablo Bertone’s first few days at FAU won’t be fodder for the next raucous movie about wild college life.
 
“I was alone,” said Bertone, an incoming freshman on the basketball team. “I didn’t meet anyone on campus at first.”
 
Bertone, shown in the photo filling out forms for the sports information department on Sunday, arrived in Boca Raton on Wednesday while the rest of his soon-to-be teammates were in the midst of their European tour.
 
Bertone expected to with his new teammates on the 10-day romp through Belgium, Holland and France, but issues with the Argentina native’s paper work kept him from being able to enroll in the final summer session. That lack of enrollment, Bertone said, precluded him from being able to join the rest of the Owls.
 
If he couldn’t go to Europe, Florida wasn’t a bad second choice. Bertone, 20, played prep school basketball at Philadelphia’s Rise Academy last year. After spending two years in the Northeast, Bertone was looking to get to a place that felt more like home.
 
 “When I got used to the life (in America) I felt so far from home and my customs,” said Bertone, who had visited the Sunshine State a few times before committing to FAU. “Every time I came to Florida I felt like I was home. There are a lot of Argentinian people. If you want to eat something  typical, I can get it. If I want to go home  I can do it in one flight.”
 
Bertone, who says he had offers from Temple, Rice, Northeastern and Niagara, is glad to be in Boca Raton.
 
“I had some other offers, but I couldn’t say no to FAU,” Bertone said.

I admit it. I have had this day circled on my calendar for quite some time.

• FAU defense is better than last year’s, according to the Sun-Sentinel
• UAB turns its focus toward FAU, according to The Birmingham News
• No timetable for Dasher investigation, the Daily News Journal reports

After ticket sales for the FAU-Michigan State game at Ford Field on Sept. 11 got off to a sluggish start Spartan fans pointed to high ticket prices as one of the main reasons less than 10,000 tickets were sold as of last week.

Florida Atlantic senior running back Jeff Blanchard did more than just score the only touchdown in Saturday’s abbreviated scrimmage at FanFest.

• The Sun-Sentinel saw the scrimmage this way
• A fantatstic piece on Austin Jensen, who is still recovering from that serious auto accident, from the Bradenton Herald

There was thunder and the lightning was visible in the distance, but it wasn’t a storm in the area that caused FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger to end Saturday’s FanFest scrimmage early.

Instead it was tsunami of injuries to the offensive line that had Schnellenberger convinced he had seen enough.

After the scrimmage, Schnellenberger said he called the contest early because he was running out of able bodies on the offensive line, especially after center Mike Nweze had to be helped off the field in the first half and didn’t return.

“I cut it short, even though it wasn’t as short  as you may might think since we have so many plays in the first half,” Schnellenberger said. “We were down low on offensive lineman. I gave them each a chance to score in the second half, but neither one of them did.”

Schnellenberger said he didn’t know the extent of Nweze’s injury, but was concerned after his top four centers have missed most of training camp, including projected starter Jordan Sessa, who is not expected to return this season.

“It’s a hurtful time to have another center go down,” Schnellenberger said. “We don’t know what Nweze’s situation is, but he couldn’t finish the scrimmage.”

In his place, senior Ed Wertepny was thrown into snapping with the starting unit and did quite well. Wertepny, is the Owls’ sixth center used this training camp – but who’s counting?
 

I’d heard from plenty of people who want to go to today’s FanFest scrimmage but can’t make it. Good news for you. ESPN 760 will be broadcasting the scrimmage live, which means it can be heard on your car radio or across the net on ESPN760.com.

Ken LaVicka will be on hand to handle play-by-play and on-site producer Brian Rowitz is promising plenty of guests.

Basically, it will be just like being there, only without all that sun burn.

These guys do a great job covering FAU, so if you can’t make it to the scrimmage, make sure you tune in. And don’t forget that FAUOwlAccess.com will be providing twitter updates throughout the entire event.

For those who are getting ready to head to the scrimmage, make sure to stop by the FAUOwlAccess.com tent and say hi.
 

At today’s FanFest, Owl fans will get a look at the 2010 edition of this FAU football team, most for the first time.

• Defensive line shuffling: This week in practice there have been many combinations used up front. Some were due to players missing practice because of injuries, some were not. At defensive end Kevin Cryrille, Daniel Joseph and Jamere Johnosn have been splitting time with the starting unit. True freshman Cory Henry isn’t to far behind either.
• Center settling down: There weren’t too many fans at the first scrimmage, but most of them wouldn’t have stuck around very long after watching an offense struggle with getting the center-quarterback exchange. Guard Mike Nweze has taken snaps at center this week and had made progress. There will still be plenty of miscues, but probably fewer than last week    
• Different defensive formations: While FAU will stick to its base defense of a four-man front and four defensive backs, the Owls have been experimenting with their nickel package with a three-man front putting Dino Cox at nose tackle. FAU will likely use these formations again today some of the time.

• MTSU QB Dwight Dasher, the pre-season Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, is under investigation in a case which includes stolen checks

It’s not over. Did we really believe it was?

As most of you already know, FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger traveled to Detroit last night to help promote the Owls’ Sept. 11 game against Michigan St. in the Motor City.

Schnellenberger actually flew up there last night so that he could appear on one of the local morning shows.
Here is the video from this morning:

Looks like the producers weren’t too intent on locating FAU highlights. Nothing screams FAU is coming to town like showing Michigan/Michigan St. highlights.

After the morning show, Schnellenberger attended a press conference designed to help generate interest. Here is the video from that.

Schnellenberger hoped to be back in Boca Raton for the Owls’ afternoon practice session. All in a day’s work for a grandfatherly coach…
 

Today is a significant day in FAU training camp. It’s the last “3-A-Day” session and that means the light is at the end of the tunnel for players and coaches.

• Perhaps no player has improved in the last few days of camp as center Mike Nweze. The snaps are starting to get better and that helps the offense have more productive practices. If the two centers with ankle injuries – Jimmie Colley and Ryan Houston – aren’t cleared to play soon, I don’t see why Nweze couldn’t be the opening day starter for the Owls.
• School starts on Saturday and today is a day for many of the freshman to be moving in, but two prized freshman in the Owls’ recruiting class still aren’t here. It looks like defensive lineman Willie Huggins will join defensive lineman Jerome McClain in not enrolling at FAU in the fall, although some around the Oxley aren’t ready to give up on them just yet. Stranger things have happened, I guess.
• It is strange when you go to a practice and Howard Schnellenberger isn’t there. By now you know that Schnellenberger will be at a press conference in Detroit today to drum up attention for the FAU-Michigan State game on Sept. 11. I think with less than 10,000 tickets sold, that shows the importance of that game for FAU's program.

• The Palm Beach Post looks at what FAU can gain out of the game vs. Michigan State in Detroit
• The Sun-Sentinel reports that FAU is looking at later kickoffs for its games
• The Detroit Free Press has a piece from Jamie Samuelson, who looks at the FAU-MSU game
• UAB projected starting WR Nick Adams is out for the season with a foot injury, The Birmingham News reports.

While FAU is hoping to sell plenty of tickets to the Sept. 11 game at Ford Field vs. Michigan State, the fact is very few tickets have been sold.

There have been a few public appearances by players wearing FAU’s new game uniforms at events, such as Media Day when QB Jeff Van Camp had the new threads on (photo). At first glance there doesn’t appear to be much difference between the new ones made by adidas and last year’s Nike uniforms.

• The Palm Beach Post had updates on the Owls’ fullbacks
• The Sun-Sentinel reports FAU is still spending almost $200,000 in Detroit
• The Tennessean updates the progress of Rusty Smith
• The Birmingham News has a story on UAB cornerback T.J. Ballou
• SunStateFootball.com reports Naples Gulf-Coast offensive lineman Anthony Spano , who was considering FAU, has committed to Marshall

It’s the third of four of the ‘3-A’Days’ practice sessions for the Owls this morning, with the last one scheduled for Thursday.

• Drove by the stadium site on the way in. Most of the work being down now looks like re-clearing the ground that was cleared back in January. However, some of the asphalt that used to be parking spaces has been pounded into little pieces and cleared as well.
• The Plantation-American Heritage football attended part of the morning practice along with former FAU running backs coach Michael Gribetz
• Star of the morning practice? How about redshirt freshman defensive back Winfred Strickland who broke up or intercepted four of the five passes thrown at him during a late morning drill, earning the praise of DB coach Dick Hopkins.

You used to be able to depend on death, taxes and FAU home football games starting at 4 p.m.

• Sept. 25 vs. North Texas 7 p.m.
• Oct. 30 vs. FIU, 4 p.m.
• Nov. 13 vs. ULL 7 p.m.
• Dec. 4 vs. Troy 2 p.m. (ESPNU)

Other linkage...

• The Palm Beach Post reports on offensive linemen Erik Hanson and Max Karrick sitting out
• The Sun-Sentinel breaks-down Friday's scrimmage

During pre-season training camp, coaches don’t get much time away from The Oxley Center. Since I could barely keep my eyes on the Titans-Seahawks game late Saturday night, I figured Howard Schnellenberger may have turned in before former FAU quarterback Rusty Smith took the field in his NFL debut shortly after midnight Sunday morning.

There’s no rest for the weary as the FAU football team rose around 5:30 a.m. to make it to the Oxley to get ready for the 8 a.m. practice.

• The Owls spent time working on punting early in the workout. It could be just me, but I see more emphasis on the kicking game. That’s probably a good thing after the many breakdowns last year.
• There is a great deal of concern about the offensive line and rightfully so. But these players lack experience not potential. I could see several of these guys being solid lineman in the future. The question mark is whether that will happen this year or in the next few years.
• Everyone around the Oxley wants to talk about the performance of one Russell Edgar Smith III in Saturday night’s Titans game. Everybody seems pleased with his performance and apparently some texts were exchanged meaning Rusty hasn't forgotten his roots. With that game ending in the wee hours of Sunday morning, there are plenty of bleary-eyes among the staff.

• The Palm Beach Post wrote a feature on RB Jeff Blanchard
• UAB held its first scrimmage, The Birmingham News reports

It’s hard for an offense to get much accomplished when the center-quarterback exchange can’t be completed successfully. And when play after play was blown dead before it can develop, the rest of the offensive players don’t get the work they need to get in.

• The Palm Beach Post had this write-up of the scrimmage
• The Sun-Sentinel also had a recap
• Troubled WR Jarboe dismissed from Troy

FAU reliever Glen Troyanowski’s wait to receive an MRI test at the Gulf Breeze office of noted sports surgeon Dr. James Andrews became a little easer to understand once he received a glimpse of the patient ahead of him: Brett Favre.

“I wasn’t really expecting to see him,” said Troyanowski, in a telephone call from the airport wile awaiting his trip back to South Florida. “I thought it would be more private, but he walked right by me in the waiting room. I was sort of in awe”

Favre’s on again-off again retirement has been one of the biggst football stories in the NFL off season. The future Hall of Fame quarterback reportedly underwent surgery on his ankle several months back and the lack of progress with that ankle appears to be what is keeping him from rejoining the Minnesota Vikings.

Always inquisitive, Troyanowski said he asked Andrews for Favre’s diagnosis, but didn’t learn any insider info.

Troyanowski met with Andrews because he’d been experiencing soreness while recovering from March’s shoulder surgery. Like Favre, Troyanowski underwent an MRI. It showed no serious setbacks.

He expects to miss all of fall baseball, but should begin throwing again by early 2011. That could lead to an interesting battle for the closer’s role come spring time. Last season Andy Mee inherited that role after Troyanowski’s injury and went on to lead the Sun Belt Conference in saves.
 

FAU players and coaches figured the final session of Thursday's Three-A-Day practice to be hot. They didn’t expect that the morning sessions would actually be worse.

When the sun rose over the Oxley Center on Thursday it began to burn away the thick layer of morning dew that soaked the practice field. The resulting sauna nearly melted players and coaches alike.

“This morning it was so humid, even the coaches knew the first two practices were the toughest of the day,” defensive tackle Dino Cox said. “We’re used to practicing in the sun, but when it’s humid with the morning dew, it’s real tough.”

Most Owls were dragging by the end of the final session, but nearly all of them said the early morning heat offered the toughest test.

“We were surprised,” said freshman wide receiver Marcus Cunningham, who stayed late to work with quarterback Graham Wilbert and was one of the last players to leave the field. “The whole team was surprised that at that early in the morning it was that hot.”

Cunningham (photo) wanted some extra work, in part, because it looks like he will play a larger-than-expected role in today’s first scrimmage.

Already short on receivers heading into camp, the Owls have seen Avery Holley slowed by a hamstring issue and yesterday FAUOwlAccess.com’s Marcus Nelson reported that junior college transfer Paul Moore will need surgery on his hand. When camp started Moore was running ahead of Cunningham and fellow freshman Jerrard Hunter on the depth chart, but those who have been following our practice updates on Twitter over the past few days already knew that Cunningham has been moving up the depth chart.

Case in point, our Tweet from Tuesday:

The coaches really seem to be working to get WR Marcus Cunningham ready 5:53 PM Aug 10th via mobile web

FAU would have liked to redshirt Cunningham this season. While that still could happen, if Holley is limited or even held out of the scrimmage, Cunningham will likely be running with the second team.

“It’s going to be tough, but (I’ll) just keep fighting through it,” said Cunningham, who hasn’t been given much time to master the playbook.

> Owl Links: Links of interest to FAU fans
FAUOwlAccess.com was present for every minute of all three sessions on Friday, delivering a feature story on Cunningham’s fellow wide receiver DeAndre Richardson, who will draw the start in the scrimmage if Holley can’t go. Our coverage also included the now standard Hard Knox and the Ox practice report, 3-2-See video and Photo Gallery.

• The Palm Beach Post has an update on the center situation
• The Sun-Sentinel reports FAU linebackers want to hang onto jobs

After missing almost the first week of practice, Owls signee DL Jerome McClain posted a message on his Facebook page that said he is headed back to Pensacola and will be back to enroll in school in January. If McClain, who hasn’t taken the field due to eligibility issues, sticks to that plan. it would work out for the Owls and probably would benefit him as well as he could practice next spring.
 

However, there is always the chance that he changes his mind and other schools start calling him. It’s a long time until January.
 

McClain, pictured chasing the quarterback, was one of Owls’ most highly recruited players and turned down offers from Florida International, Illinois, Southern Methodist and Memphis to sign with FAU.
 

In addition to McClain, two other members of FAU’s most recent signing class are also having problems.

David Lozandier, a strong safety from North Miami, won’t enroll in the fall, FAU officials said and Willie Huggins, a defensive lineman from Clewiston, also has not been cleared to play due to eligibility issues.
 

It’s believed that Huggins or McClain may be cleared to play soon, but it won’t be too many more days before it would be considered counterproductive to have them start practicing. 
 

It’s pretty apparent what the theme of the day will be today.

• FAUOwlAccess.com may have been the only media outlet to make it to the 8 a.m. practice, but there were plenty of NFL scouts who were wtaching. Among those in attendance were scouts from the 49ers, the Lions, the Cardinals, the Seahawks, the Ravens and the Falcons.
• It would have to be considered a productive practice since no centers were injured. It looks like Chris Newbold, will be moved from right tackle to center until some of the regulars get back.
• A typical morning practice in sweltering heat - I can tell what several players had for breakfast. Defensive lineman Karl James had a little trouble with the conditions.
• Will try and pin down why WR Avery Holley is limited at practice, but is it any surprise? It looks like the Owls are really working on getting redshirt freshman DeAndre Richardson ready for action and it also seems true freshman Marcus Cunningham is being pushed a little more than I thought.

We couldn’t wait until football training camp got here, but with the rain and the moving of a few practices to the Track and Field Complex, the last few days have been a little slow.

• The Sun-Sentinel says the defense will simplify things 

Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger made it clear after Monday’s practice that he wants to see more out of senior tight end Rob Housler.

“Housler sure needs a lot of work. He doesn’t look like the same guy right now. I can’t put my finger on it, but I expect him to be back and be one of the most productive and best, experienced players.”  

“He’s just been a little slow to get into the swing of things. I thought he had a pretty good day today. He didn’t have a great day (Sunday) but he’ll be fine. It’s probably that we expect so much from him and we need him to do things from a leadership standpoint. But he’s certainly got some people behind him, so he can’t rest on his laurels."

• Get the latest on the 3-way battle at quarterback at UAB from The Birmingham News

It appears Florida Atlantic is ramping up its marketing efforts in Detroit to promote the Owls' game vs. Michigan State in Detroit on Sept. 11 at Ford Field.

FAU is allocating nearly all of its marketing budget for the season for the game vs. the Spartans at Ford Field because, as the Owls are technically the home team, FAU has the most to benefit financially from the game.

• The Birmingham News reports that UAB will skip two-a-days while preparing for the season.

I know there are some that will say that FAU had to get its important first day of practice in Saturday even if that meant working out in view of a forming funnel cloud.

The NCAA has set the number of practices prior to the first game. The window varies according to when school begins and when the team opens the season. Once school begins, teams are allowed one per day and fall into the 20 hour rule as well as the mandatory day off. That is important to understand and here is why. For example, a school on the quarter system begins classes prior to a school on the semester system. Schools vary across the country when they begin so to compare is comparing apples to oranges. The clock starts when schools starts and compliance must count backwards to get the practice start date. There are several schools across the country that are already in camp and that is because they begin school earlier not because of when they open the season.
 
Days-off: Some schools build in days off. When they are off, they are off. Players are not supposed to be required to do anything on their day off. FAU elects not to schedule a day off prior to when school starts. That way they can meet with the team and lift should their practice schedule be altered due to weather. A day off is also a reward for working hard rather than being built in.
 
It is a system put in place to provide as much contact with the players under NCAA rules and a system that tests the players as much as possible under NCAA rules.
 
Should you ever doubt the strength of FAU’s preseason and the reasons and culture that is instilled in FAU’s preseason, take the time to watch “Junction Boys” a movie based on Paul “Bear” Bryant and the preseason workouts at Texas A&M. You can draw a direct line from that movie to Howard Schnellenberger, FAU’s head coach, who was an assistant coach under Bear Bryant during his days at Alabama.

As the Owls prepare to take the practice field for the first practice of the season, here’s my educated guess of what the two-deep depth chart looks like.

> OFFENSE
X Lester Jean
Byron Hankerson

Z Avery Holley
DeAndre Richardson

LT Sam McCroy
DeAndre Williams

LG Andy Czuprynski
Ryan Houston

C Jordan Sessa
Jimmie Colley

RG Eric Hansen
Mike Nweze

RT Joe Bailey
Chris Newbold

TE Rob Housler
Darian Williams

QB Jeff Van Camp
David Kooi OR Graham Wilbert

RB Alfred Morris
Jeff Blanchard OR Willie Floyd

FB Xavier Stinson
David Muniz

> DEFENSE
LDE Kevin Cyrille
Cory Henry

LT Dino Cox
Andre Stryffler

RT Jimmy Jean
Jarvis Givens

RDE Daniel Joseph
Jamere Johnson

SLB Malik Eugene
Yourhighness Morgan

MLB Michael Lockley
David Hinds

WLB Alex Pattee
Randell Johnson

CB Tavious Polo
Keith Reaser

SS Marcus Bartels
Tony Rodriguez

FS Ed Alexander
Brentley Harstad

CB Tarvoris Hill
Curtis Cross

Almost every day until Dec. 3 will be centered around FAU football practice. There are travel days, gamedays and even the occasional (but rare) off days for the team but mostly there is practice.

• The Sun-Sentinel noted the 10-year anniversary of the FAU football program.
• The Birmingham News has notes from UAB's practice on Friday, the Blazers' first in full pads

The coaches’ pre-season poll came out today and no, I don’t see the Owls on it, but a few teams they play are.

While Howard Schnellenberger and players were pumped up for FAU’s well-attended Media Day on Thursday, things weren’t going so well for a couple of former Owls in Nashville and Jacksonville.

• Palm Beach Post: FAU intent on improving, but eyeing the near future with a new stadium
• Sun-Sentinel: Media Day gets defensive at FAU
• Miami Herald: Schnellenberger, Owls see room for improvement
• TC Palm: FAU sees bright future on horizon as proposed new stadium moves forward

It appears FAU’s bleak outlook for its offensive line is taking another hit.

There is a good chance FAU will feature a combination of Alfred Morris and Jeff Blanchard in the same backfield after all.

This time it will be with Blanchard as the fullback.

• Last week, we were the first to tell you that freshman  DL Jarred Williams had left the team. Well, it looks like he's surfaced at South Alabama, according to the Mobile Press-Register.
• The Sun-Sentinel says FAU's offensive playbook will be smaller this season
• UAB holds first practice in pads
   

Just saw FAU is doing its popular women’s football clinic again this year.

Cornerback Tavious Polo’s grand entrance onto the college football scene only served to set him up for disappointment. After intercepting seven passes en route to being named a freshman All-American, a decrease in production was predictable, if not expected.

One interception per year as a sophomore and junior, however, was more than simply an off-year, and has many wondering whether Polo still possessed the skills and the moxie to play what can be an unforgiving position.

Watching his play over the summer leads me to believe his senior season will be more like his first year. I’m not the only one who feels this way.

“He’s challenged himself,” FAU defensive backs coach Dick Hopkins said. “He has something to prove to himself.”

Watching him play this summer, it’s obvious that Polo (photo, in white) still has confidence in his ability. He also should benefit from an improved pass rush that will force quarterbacks into mistakes and a simplified defensive scheme where he can rely more on his instincts.

Like many, I was surprised Polo earned pre-season All-Sun Belt honors, but not because I doubted his abilities. I simply figured that after a couple years of sub-par seasons numbers-wise he would simply be overlooked. The voters in the poll – the same coaches who have to game plan against FAU – obviously feel the talent is still there.

When I told Polo earlier this summer that he’d been named to that pre-season All-Sun Belt squad, he seemed surprised – and somewhat ambivalent.

He said, essentially, that being All-Sun Belt wasn’t that big a deal. At the end of the season, he intended to be an All-American.

The moxie is still there.

> Owl Links: Your daily guide to what is being written about FAU
To learn more about Polo and the rest of the defensive backs – including an interesting decision as to who will enter camp as the nickel back – check out Monday’s position primer on FAUOwlAccess.com.

Other linkage...

• Jeff Van Camp’s hometown newspaper offered this profile on FAU’s starting QB.
• Three weeks ago FAUOwlAccess.com told readers Richard Lage would be the new defensive tackles coach. Monday, Lage’s hiring was officially announced. Here is the Sun-Sentinel’s story. 
• UAB opened practice on Monday, and The Birmingham News rported DE Tim Davis, a three-year starter is out for the season.
• Troy was to open practice Monday, but weather forced the Trojans to hold just a walk-through andthe first practice will be today, the Dothan Eagle reports.
  
  
   

Nearly three weeks ago FAUOwlAccess.com readers learned that Richard Lage would be the new defensive tackles coach. Today, everyone else knows.

FAU finalized the announcement with a press release today, which means Lage will be in place when camp opens later this week.

Here’s the statement from coach Howard Schnellenberger contained in the release:

“We are delighted to have Richard as a part of the staff,” said Howard Schnellenberger, FAU’s head football coach. “He has experience and worked with Dale Williams, FAU’s offensive line Coach. Coach Lage has coached at every level and has a great deal of experience with the defensive tackles and the defensive side of the ball. He will also recruit the Jacksonville and south Georgia area.”

Lage has been coaching football for 18 years, most recently at Midwestern St. in Texas. Here is the article Marcus wrote about him in mid-July, complete with comments from his former head coach.

The competition for the starting spots on the offensive line may be the most important showdowns in this fall camp. However, the battles for the linebacker spots are the most interesting.

Defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Kurt Van Valkenburgh has plenty of pieces to manipulate and it will be interesting to how he integrates some of the new guys with the experienced players.

In particular, I’ll be watching to see how the middle linebacker battle between Michael Lockley and David Hinds plays out. Both players showed at times last year they belonged on the football field.

While one will earn the starting spot this fall, it’s probable there will be times when both players are on the field at the same time – particularly during the nickel defense.

Hinds or Lockley may also spend time at one of the outside linebacker spots in the Owls’ base 4-3 defense.

“They are going to have to be ready to play more than one position – at least a couple of them - and be able to go so we can put the best three out there at the same time,” Van Valkenburgh said.

Identifying the best three won’t be easy. This unit could have more raw talent than any other position on the field.

Senior Malik Eugene continues to gain confidence and should benefit from a more attack-style defense. Yourhighness Morgan looked like a playmaker in limited duty last season and during the spring. Randell Johnson (photo) has the size and athletic ability to make freakish impact plays immediately. Alex Pattee really stepped into the starting role during the spring. And Toney Moore has the talent to be the best of all of them.

“In our defense you have to have good linebackers, and we’ve had a tradition of great linebackers,” Van Valkenburgh said. “They have to step up and be a part of it right now.”

On more than one occasion last season Van Valkenburgh told me he couldn’t wait until these young guys took the field. That sun is about to rise.

Eight different linebackers are likely to see the field at some point this season. There may be different units for passing, short yardage, goal line and base. Van Valkenburgh has a lot of pieces to work with. It will be interesting to see what picture the puzzle presents in a month.

> Owl Links: Your daily guide to what is being written about FAU
On FAUOwlAccess.com, we continued our Position Primer series by examining the make-up of the linebacker corps heading into pre-season camp.

Other linkage...

• Another ranking of Sun Belt coaches, this one by Josh Parrott of the Lafayette Daily Advertser, has Schnellenberger third behibnd Troy's Larry Blakeney and MTSU's Rick Stockstill