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This Week's Practice Reports: FAU Football
8/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008
Press Conference with Head Coach Howard Schnellenberger and Players
Obviously, we are delighted that the University of Texas and Mack Brown have given us the opportunity to play their great Texas flagship program. I have had a lot of dealings with Texas over the years. They have been a first class top of the line program that plays with a great deal of enthusiasm and a great deal of sportsmanship as well as a high level of professionalism. I don't expect that to change.
I think it will be a knockdown drag out fight between two ambitious football teams. We hope to knock the ball loose more than they knock it loose from them more than they knock it loose from us. I hope that we intercept the ball more than they intercept it from us. I hope that our special teams can find an edge and produce a touchdown. If those things happen we may have enough offense to eek out a win. A one point win would be tantamount to total success for the week and put us in a great position for the following week. A 21 point loss is what is expected, obviously we don't expect that, but we have to be prepared for whatever the eventuality of the contest is. As long as we fight the good fight from the opening kick to the closing whistle, then we will have succeeded in our mission: experience, exposure and financial gain.
No Longer Called Advanced Training (a term Schnellenberger referred to the non-conference schedule until after the bowl game victory December 21, 2007).
They are called let's get after it, knock-down drag out, jaw-to-jaw, tooth-to-tooth, mortal combat and hoping the best team will win. We made that decision well before the Texas game. It came as a result of the tone set by winning the conference championship and the way we played against teams last year, where we matched more closely from that standpoint. This usually doesn't come at the completion of your eighth year of existence. That is when we made that change in philosophy.
Difference in line sizes
God made a lot of little guys. He didn't make a lot of large, big strong smart people. They are a premium. Our recruiting, though it has been over our heads or well beyond what we should be able to do, it has been hard to get the large group. It has been hard to get our fair share. But, we don't need our fair share. If we can just get a partial of someone else's fair share we could be deeper.
Reaching for the National Championship and Expectations...first game of the season against a ranked opponent
There is no disadvantage. The only disadvantage is if you allow it to be. You can't even consider it a disadvantage. The only thing that is material is where you start and where you end up and the journey between the two is where all the fun is. It is important that we get to our final destination as quickly as we can. Anything less than that would be neglect and stealing. People ask how I can say our goal is the national championship and I say how could it be anything less than for a national championship. You certainly want to improve as much as you can and never improve more than you think you can. You are lucky if you can achieve what you think you can. But not achieving what you think you can, if you are thinking high enough, it will still be an honest day's work.
The loss of Nick Paris
I don't think it will make a difference. I think (David) Matlock is just as good a center as he is. (Kevin) Miller is just as good at center as he is and I think if we put (John) Rizzo in there we would be strong. We had to settle down on who it will be so that the other guys can not be in changing position. We like for the guys to line up and practice yesterday, today and tomorrow in the positions that they are going to play. One of our blessings is that our offense, particularly from tackle to tackle, is so simple and it is interchangeable.
Rusty Smith
What are the initial impressions and their young defensive backs.
A lot of what is going on in the press is that they are weak in their secondary. I don't know how much film the press watch. I would say that I have watched more than them. Texas has a lot of great athletes on the field. They have the luxury of being the biggest school in the state of Texas. When they recruit they choose who they want. They have great athletes who can run very well, great ball skills and big guys up front that can run. So, I don't think you can say the secondary is the weak part of the defense. They are great athletes and they make plays on the football and are very skilled. We are going to have to execute no matter what.
Team's Confidence
Going into the off season with the win in the New Orleans Bowl was key to our confidence and momentum going into the off season. Because we won the conference and because we went into the New Orleans and won against Memphis we had the mentality that we are better than what we think we are. If everyone on the team realized the fact that we have athletes to compete with the best. If they trained like we know how to train and perform the best that they could possibly perform, then anything could happen.
Frantz Joseph
No more advanced training. Did you have to start with Texas
If you look back, we have started with Clemson, Kansas and Oklahoma State. The big school name is old around here. We have experienced it, been through it and know how to prepare for it.
Texas on film compared to some of the schools you just talked about
They are in the Big 12. So, to be in the Big 12 you have to have the things that allow you to be in the Big 12 like big lineman. All the teams in the Big 12 have big "0" linemen. They have a good quarterback and athletic receivers and running backs. They will have all the skills and positions to get the job done that night. It comes down to who wants it more that night.
Texas' loss of skilled players.
It is Texas. They have blue chip players. They will have new players that can do the same thing or even better. I look at this game as a great opportunity.
Practice Reports
Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008
The Florida Atlantic University football team continued preparations for the season opening game against No. 10 University of Texas with a two and half hour practice at the Tom Oxley practice field.
Tight End Jamari Grant was a pass receiving presence today with several confident catches in traffic, as quarterback Rusty Smith continued to throw crisp passes. Linebacker Andre Clark read several plays well and broke them up in the back field. Tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. a pre-game press conference will be held at Florida Atlantic University with Head Coach Howard Schnellenberger, quarterback Rusty Smith, linebacker Frantz Joseph, and running back Charles Pierre available for comments.
Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008
The Florida Atlantic University football team returned to the practice field on Sunday for a lighter than normal practice in preparation for the season opener on August 30 against the University of Texas.
Sunday's practice was without shoulder pads and was almost entirely team drills. The offense worked on situations against the blitz, first down, and third and long situations. The defense worked on a number of plays against the scout team simulating Texas' offense. Practice concluded with the first and second team offenses and defenses working a two-minute drill. Rusty Smith concluded the first team two-minute drill with a touchdown pass to Cortez Gent. Jeff VanCamp then drove the second team 70 yards for a score with a touchdown pass to Rob Housler over the middle.
Players Mentioned
LB
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WR
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TE
/ Football
TE
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LB
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OL
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RB
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QB
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QB
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