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Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Football Prepares for Shula Bowl No. 19
11/10/2020 5:39:00 PM | Football
Game Notes
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic University's football team enters the week riding a two-game win streak, but one thing was on the team's mind Tuesday morning: preparing for the 2020 Shula Bowl.
This year's game, the 19th annual event, will be played at FIU this Friday at 7 p.m. The game will be televised by CBS Sports Network and also will be carried on Fox Sport South Florida 640 AM.
The game began in 2002 when FAU head coach Howard Schnellenberger, who had served as an offensive coordinator under Don Shula with the Miami Dolphins, reached out to Shula to ask if the Hall of Fame Coach would lend his name to the game. The game would be played annually between FAU and FIU, the latter coached at that time by Don Strock, a former Miami Dolphin quarterback that played under Shula's direction.
FAU holds the all-time series record at 13-4 (with one FIU vacated game).
Taggart's Take
What is the importance of the Shula Bowl?"Our players, everyone let me know from day one, it [the Shula Bowl] is one of the most important games on the schedule. It is that game. Our guys, I'm just seeing how they were today [Monday] in practice and just walking around, they understand the importance of this football game and how locked in everybody has to be. We know that we are going to get their very best. They are talented enough that you can throw the records out when it comes to this game. You have to be the best team on game day. Everyone knows the importance of the game. It is a must win. There is going to be a sense of urgency around here like none other and how important it is to win this ballgame."
Video Recap
Coordinator's Corner
Defensive Coordinator Jim LeavittOn what he has learned about the FAU defense through the first four games:
"If we play hard and tackle well we have a chance. If we don't we are not going to be any good. We are a group of guys that have to play together. We are a group of guys that feed off of each other. It is not one guy. It is a group and if we continue to do that we have a chance to slow people down; if we don't, the walls will come crashing down. We can't forget that because if we do, it is for naught."
On FIU:
"Every offense has its challenges. This week they have the big running backs. They are very, very good at running the ball with the inside and outside zone. So, we will really be tested. They have a big offensive line, a draft prospect at left tackle. They have a center and a guard that are back and outstanding and the other right tackle and guard are huge. It is the biggest offensive line that we have faced with big running backs that run downhill. They are going to test us hard and if we don't hold up we aren't going to be very good."
Co-Offensive Coordinator Drew Mehringer
What have you learned about this group offensively through the first four games?
"I think that the first thing that you find out about this team, especially the guys that have been here, is that they find ways to win games. It is a group of guys that are accustomed to winning. We were talking about games from this past season and they were playing, I think WKU, and they were down a quick 14 points early in the first half, the previous year, and they come back. I think it is a resilient group. I think it is a group that finds a way to win. I think when the game is on the line, they really rally around each other and they support each other. They are a really tough group. There is a lot to be said for that."
How are you encouraged by the wide receivers?
"I think that my group is getting better every single week. I think with some of the new guys walking around our program, you are never 100 percent sure what they are going to be when you get underneath the lights and game time. Now with a few games underneath them, you can see what some guys can do, not ask them to do things that they can't. But you can also then put them in positions to go make plays for you. I think week to week they have gotten a little bit better each week. They are a competitive group. They have come up with some big plays for us to keep drives alive and stuff like that when we needed it. So I'm encouraged by them. Their job is to make the quarterback look good. Have we left a few plays out there? I think so. I think there is a lot of stuff that we have to improve on."
Graduate Student WR, TJ Chase
As a new player to the program, what are your teammates telling you about the Shula Bowl?
"The thing that sticks out to me is that we are playing for a trophy. Anytime that you are playing for a trophy, you have something to play for."
What is the energy like at practice knowing that the trophy is on the line?
"The energy is at a high level. We are focused on keeping the trophy here and bringing it back home with us, Friday night."
Tickets
Tickets for the 2020 season are on sale and can be purchased by calling 1-866-FAU-OWLS or online HERE.
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