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Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Football Gets Set for Final Regular Season Home Game
11/17/2020 4:18:00 PM | Football
BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University football team returned to practice field on Tuesday after securing the 2020 Shula Bowl and turned their attention towards their next opponent, UMass.
The Owls are scheduled to play the Minutemen at 8 p.m. Friday at FAU Stadium in a game that was recently added, replacing one of the four games canceled due to COVID-19. The game will air on CBS Sports Network and on Fox Sports South Florida 640 AM.
It will be the first meeting between the two schools.
Thoughts on the defense's performance at FIU:
"Well, obviously they had the two big plays. And it is not the players' fault. I don't to be one of those coaches – I see coaches sometimes say 'I'm the coach it is my fault.' I don't want to do all that either. I have to teach them. The 77-yard run was a stake right through out heart. Sometimes you give up a big pass, not good, but they ran right through the middle of the defense and that is a hard one to swallow. I tell the guys every game, you deal with adversity and how you deal with adversity is key and that was adversity. What happened after that is, our offense turned the ball over. And, this is what I'm really proud of: the defense came back and held them to three downs and a field goal. That spoke volumes to me. We were bad on that run and I have to teach better, but the fact that they were resilient and came back – I'm really proud of that. As a coach, you tell them to play one play at a time. Don't let it linger, good or bad."
Co-Offensive Coordinator Drew Mehringer
On Javion Posey's Shula Bowl performance and would he benefit from an offseason, especially with his passing game and over throws:
"We all need an offseason, in some aspects. I think we have to find things that he does, and he does throw well. I think if you watched that tape, he kind of goes right, left and back to Willie [Wright] on that particular play. So just making sure he feels comfortable in there, reducing what we ask him to throw and I think he will be fine…I think he will be fine throwing the football, we just need to be smart with what we do with him…The offseason will eventually help him. It is just creating time, reps and meeting time with him. I think Coach [Clint] Trickett has done a really good job with him."
On LaJohntay Wester's performance last Saturday:
"You know that was [Javion] Posey's first touchdown pass and LaJohntay's [Wester] first touchdown catch, on the same play. I thought that was pretty cool for the offense and those guys rallying around them. LaJohntay continues to grow. I thought the cool thing about him, he is a freshman, but he doesn't act like a freshman. He doesn't practice like a freshman and he doesn't come out there wide-eyed, like oh my gosh. He comes out ready to compete and thinks that he can compete with anybody out there. I'm going to credit Willie Wright, who has really put his arm around him and help him grow, with this is the expectation of college football practice. Because of that LaJohntay walks out on the field not scared of anybody. He is not afraid of contact or how big you are. He thinks that he can win every single time that he goes out there. I'm excited for him to see some success already in his career."
Gallery: (11-17-2020) Football 11-17-20
The Owls are scheduled to play the Minutemen at 8 p.m. Friday at FAU Stadium in a game that was recently added, replacing one of the four games canceled due to COVID-19. The game will air on CBS Sports Network and on Fox Sports South Florida 640 AM.
It will be the first meeting between the two schools.
UMass Preview
Coordinator's Corner
Defensive Coordinator Jim LeavittThoughts on the defense's performance at FIU:
"Well, obviously they had the two big plays. And it is not the players' fault. I don't to be one of those coaches – I see coaches sometimes say 'I'm the coach it is my fault.' I don't want to do all that either. I have to teach them. The 77-yard run was a stake right through out heart. Sometimes you give up a big pass, not good, but they ran right through the middle of the defense and that is a hard one to swallow. I tell the guys every game, you deal with adversity and how you deal with adversity is key and that was adversity. What happened after that is, our offense turned the ball over. And, this is what I'm really proud of: the defense came back and held them to three downs and a field goal. That spoke volumes to me. We were bad on that run and I have to teach better, but the fact that they were resilient and came back – I'm really proud of that. As a coach, you tell them to play one play at a time. Don't let it linger, good or bad."
Co-Offensive Coordinator Drew Mehringer
On Javion Posey's Shula Bowl performance and would he benefit from an offseason, especially with his passing game and over throws:
"We all need an offseason, in some aspects. I think we have to find things that he does, and he does throw well. I think if you watched that tape, he kind of goes right, left and back to Willie [Wright] on that particular play. So just making sure he feels comfortable in there, reducing what we ask him to throw and I think he will be fine…I think he will be fine throwing the football, we just need to be smart with what we do with him…The offseason will eventually help him. It is just creating time, reps and meeting time with him. I think Coach [Clint] Trickett has done a really good job with him."
On LaJohntay Wester's performance last Saturday:
"You know that was [Javion] Posey's first touchdown pass and LaJohntay's [Wester] first touchdown catch, on the same play. I thought that was pretty cool for the offense and those guys rallying around them. LaJohntay continues to grow. I thought the cool thing about him, he is a freshman, but he doesn't act like a freshman. He doesn't practice like a freshman and he doesn't come out there wide-eyed, like oh my gosh. He comes out ready to compete and thinks that he can compete with anybody out there. I'm going to credit Willie Wright, who has really put his arm around him and help him grow, with this is the expectation of college football practice. Because of that LaJohntay walks out on the field not scared of anybody. He is not afraid of contact or how big you are. He thinks that he can win every single time that he goes out there. I'm excited for him to see some success already in his career."
Inside the Owls' Burrow
This week's Owls' Burrow, host and producer Frank Forte will go 1-on-1 with head coach Willie Taggart. The duo will review last week's Shula Bowl win and will look forward to this week's UMass game. Plus, the show will be an opportunity to get to know Michael Irvin II in "Pads Off" and Forte will feature this season's leading receiver TJ Chase, a graduate student. The 20th season moment will be a look back at Rusty Smith's record-setting career, becoming the first FAU player taken in the NFL Draft. The show is scheduled to air Thursday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. and Friday, Nov. 20 at 11:30 a.m.Tickets
Tickets for the 2020 season are on sale and can be purchased by calling 1-866-FAU-OWLS or online HERE.Players Mentioned
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