BOCA RATON – FAU football players saw something this morning they’d been waiting for all camp.
The practice schedule showed a few periods dedicated to preparation for their opening opponent, Navy.
“I was excited,” safety Andrew Soroh said.
Unlike most of the pass-happy spread offenses FAU will face in Conference USA play, Navy’s Flexbone is a ground-heavy attack that makes defenses pay for undisciplined play.
By starting Navy prep on Thursday, FAU’s defense will have two weeks to prepare for the Midshipmen’s unusual looks.
“We gave the kids a few things on Navy today so they could start working on that because, obviously, on one side of the ball they are completely different than anything we do.”
After 18 fall practices dedicated to learning Chris Kiffin’s aggressive defense, switching to the type of defense better designed to stymie Navy requires a new approach.
“You’ve got to take the heat out of it and have a good mindset coming out,” linebacker Rashad Smith said. “You’ve got to read your keys and do what you’re told.”
The early shift toward FAU’s Sept. 1 opener against Navy lets players know that the end of camp is near. With some fall semester classes beginning as early as Saturday, FAU players will officially have to adjust their schedules to to accommodate schoolwork following Saturday’s scrimmage, which is open to students but not the general public.
Beginning Monday, the Owls schedule will better resemble their regular-season schedule.
“Even though we’re still in camp, we’re still tying to get ahead of the Navy prep,” Soroh said. “I feel like it’s good that we’re starting to work on that.”
HARD KNOCKS at the OX: Thursday’s Practice Report
Making Plays: The cornerbacks continue to make plays. On Thursday, Raekwon Williams picked off a Daniel Parr pass that, truth be told, didn’t require much effort. One play after dropping what appeared to be a sure interception, Chris Tooley got his pick on a deflected pass. …A Parr deep pass that Bobby Mitchell caught in traffic led to a 10-yard Parr-to-Harrison Bryant TD connection. …Defensive tackle Kevin McCrary notched a sack of Jason Driskel, ending a late-and-long situational drive.
Tracking the Depth Chart: Leighton McCarthy continues to get snaps with the first and second teams. An undersized defensive end who was a sack master in high school, McCarthy is the kind of player FAU could employ as a DE/LB hybrid against Navy. “He gives you a guy who can drop, a guy who can play in space for a defensive end,” FAU coach Lane Kiffin said. “He’s also 205 pounds, He should be able to. That’s the good part. The bad part, obviously, is we’ve got some size issues to play at that we’ve got to protect. We’ve got to move him around and keep him away from certain match-ups.”
Newcomer Watch: Nickelback Quran Hafiz’s sack prevented Parr from finding an open Nate Terry in the end zone. …Safety James Pierre picked off a De’Andre Johnson pass that sailed through the hands of wide receiver Willie Wright.
QB Battle: Johnson was back taking a full complement of snaps after being essentially sidelined for the past three practices while “getting my body right.” Johnson worked primarily with the third team, with Driskel and Parr ahead of him.
Instant Message: “As you can probably imagine, I would say the MVP would be Tim Bonner, except for his just kept going. We had to cut him off. They usually go like a minute or two. He went like 15 minutes. We had to cut him off. He loves the attention.” – FAU coach Lane Kiffin picking the best of performer in Wednesday’s Rookie Show talent show.
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