Every Sunday during the football season OwlAccess.com writers Chuck King and Jake Elman dissect the previous day’s FAU football game in a feature we call “Four Down Territory.” Here’s our analysis of FAU’s 42-25 victory over Rice.
Biggest Surprise
King: A good running game requires a strong offensive line – something that FAU hasn’t enjoyed all year. Against Rice, FAU’s beat-up front five plowed the way to 336 rushing yards, including a program single-game record 252 from Devin Singletary. They also provided time for Driskel to look deep, something he hasn’t enjoyed this season. It was a great effort from a unit that deserves praise. And Singletary’s performance begs the question: Does FAU now have a running back controversy to go with its quarterback controversy?
Elman: That FAU actually won a game against an FBS school. Was this a pretty game? No, especially not with all of the penalties and the team only going 3-12 on third down, but a win is a win. Saturday finally felt like everything that was promised in fall camp – the defense being able to make big plays, the talents of the running game, Jason Driskel showing off some great vision in the pocket – came to fruition. It’s a shame it took until the first week of November for it all to come together. Is this something that came about due to the anger from last week’s loss, or did it just take two months for everyone to jell?
Player of the Game
King: Singletary was great, but Driskel was better. He didn’t pout after losing the starting role. Instead, he took the field for FAU’s third possession and led the Owls to a touchdown. He did the same thing on FAU’s next possession. Driskel’s deep throws weren’t perfect, but they connected frequently enough. He threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns, completing 65 percent of his throws. The quarterback battle should be fun this week.
Elman: I’m genuinely afraid of the Gregory Howell Jr.-Devin ‘Motor’ Singletary duo, especially with all of the progress the latter’s made over the past month or. With 252 yards, Motor set a school record as a true freshman and had his second game with over 100 rushing yards in three games. Back in the day, fans of Miami would say Run, Ricky Run for Ricky Williams, so we should probably come up with something similar for Singletary soon. Move, Motor, Move?
Controversial Call
King: The decision to start Daniel Parr at quarterback took longer than expected, then lasted shorter than expected. FAU coach Charlie Partridge said Parr had a great week of practice, even going so far as to say that Thursday was Parr’s best day of practice ever. Partridge and offensive coordinator Travis Trickett decided to try something new, and should be applauded for that. They also made the right choice in sticking with Driskel after that first touchdown. Now it appears that FAU will have a two-quarterback system the remainder of the season, playing both early then sticking with the hot hand. That’s exactly the system Partridge and Trickett wanted to avoid at the beginning of the season.
Elman: I don’t care how they do it, but these third down problems need to end soon. A win is a win, but don’t let that distract from the offense’s failures again to convert when they need a first down. This has been a problem all year and it’s both painful and amazing that even in early November, this is still a problem.
Extra Point
King: FAU’s football program experienced wins throughout the past week. On Tuesday the school selected an architect for its new football and athletic center. As the week rolled on the Owls picked up commitments from talented Miami-Northwestern teammates Billy Joseph and Tutu Atwell, Joseph being one of the highest-rated players ever to commit to FAU. The Daniel Parr era may have started on Saturday – albeit sluggishly. And FAU picked up a victory in which four touchdowns were scored by true freshmen. All-in-all, a pretty good week.
Elman: I can’t cook sweets that well, but major brownie points have to go for Jason Driskel and how he handled himself on Saturday. These guys are still college kids, many of whom have long been the best among their age groups, and it can often destroy their confidence when they’re benched or replaced. Driskel, however, rebounded from Partridge’s decision to give Parr the start, came in for his scheduled possession, and had his best game of the season with 317 yards, two scores, and no picks. This was the game that, if the coaches decide to have a QB battle next spring and fall, could really remind them of why Driskel was the starter for the bulk of this season.
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