Stay In and Vote For The Best Play of the 2019 Football Season

Florida Atlantic University athletics recognized what the fans were missing at the end of March. They were missing brackets. They were missing their favorite team. They were missing the phrase "did you see that?"

FAU athletics had the answer for some of those things you miss. Athletics gathered 16 dazzling, delighting football plays to bring back that college spirit. And, fans were asked to "Stay In" and practice social distancing while voting for your favorite plays made by the 2019 Conference USA and Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl Champions. Although it's an election year and this may be frowned upon in most elections, for this one we said: "Vote Early – Vote Often."

Voting began Wednesday, April 1, with two posted plays per day on social media from Monday-Friday. Fans voted and 23 days later, the winner is the No. 4 seed: John Mitchell's leaping touchdown catch at Ball State.

BEST PLAY OF 2019

TOP-5 PLAYS THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE BRACKET

TOP-16 HIGHLIGHTS

Participating Plays
#16 Redshirt junior James Charles was one of four running backs to find the end zone in 2019. He did so five times, including his 15-yard TD run versus SMU in the 2019 Cheribundi Bowl win
Vs.
(Advanced) #1 Malcolm Davidson evades three in the backfield versus FIU to score one of his three touchdowns in the Owls' 2019 Shula Bowl win

(Advanced) #8 Senior defensive back Da'Von Brown lays a big hit to prevent a touchdown at Ball State
Vs.
#9 Deangelo Antoine makes a one-handed catch in the Owls' 2019 Shula Bowl win

#5 Senior receiver Deangelo Antoine reverses the field in his FAU coming-out party versus Wagner
Vs.
(Advanced) #12 Bringing it to the house with a 75-yard catch in the Conference USA title game, Deangelo Antoine recorded the Owls' longest play of the year and it matched the longest pass reception ever recorded in a C-USA Championship game

(Advanced) #4 "Randy Moss-type catch" made by junior wide receiver John Mitchell at Ball State. It was one of his three TDs on the day
Vs.
#13 Senior linebacker Rashad Smith did it all during his impressive four-year career. He led the Owls in total tackles in 2018 and 2019. He also was one of the team's best turnover artist with seven interceptions and six fumble recoveries, including one returned for a score against SMU in the 2019 Cheribundi Bowl

(Advanced) #3 A play that definitely turned around the game and possibly the season was senior cornerback Chris Tooley's scoop and score at WKU, made possible by an Akeleis Leroy forced fumble in the Hilltopper red zone
Vs.
#14 Sophomore running back Malcolm Davidson tallies his season-long run, a 57-yard score at Middle Tennessee

(Advanced) #6 C-USA All-Freshman team member Eddie Williams was dynamite on special teams, but the linebacker saved his best for last with a blocked punt recovery and score versus UAB in the C-USA Championship game
Vs.
#11 He led the nation with nine interceptions - junior Meiko Dotson's goal line INT versus Southern Miss

(Advanced) #7 He celebrated, yes he did – redshirt sophomore quarterback Nick Tronti catches a pass from wide receiver Brandon Robinson on a trick play for a 41-yard gain at WKU
Vs.
#10 Battling back from a broken ankle suffered on the Owls' eighth play of 2019, junior running back BJ Emmons rattles off his first touchdown in an FAU uniform in game No. 11, played at UTSA, the same night the Owls clinched C-USA Championship-game hosting opportunities

#2 Junior linebacker Akileis Leroy blocks a Middle Tennessee extra point attempt and then scores on a rare two-point defensive conversion
Vs.
(Advanced) #15 John Mackey Award winner and unanimous All-America selection Harrison Bryant notches his a third TD of the day versus Southern Miss.

ROUND TWO

(Advanced) #1 Malcolm Davidson evades three in the backfield versus FIU to score one of his three touchdowns in the Owls' 2019 Shula Bowl win
Vs.
#8 Senior defensive back Da'Von Brown lays a big hit to prevent a touchdown at Ball State

#12 Bringing it to the house with a 75-yard catch in the Conference USA title game, Deangelo Antoine recorded the Owls' longest play of the year and it matched the longest pass reception ever recorded in a C-USA Championship game
Vs.
(Advanced) #4 "Randy Moss-type catch" made by junior wide receiver John Mitchell at Ball State. It was one of his three TDs on the day

(Advanced) # 3 A play that definitely turned around the game and possibly the season was senior cornerback Chris Tooley's scoop and score at WKU, made possible by an Akeleis Leroy forced fumble in the Hilltopper red zone
Vs.
#6 C-USA All-Freshman team member Eddie Williams was dynamite on special teams, but the linebacker saved his best for last with a blocked punt recovery and score versus UAB in the C-USA Championship game

(Advanced) #7 He celebrated, yes he did – redshirt sophomore quarterback Nick Tronti catches a pass from wide receiver Brandon Robinson on a trick play for a 41-yard gain at WKU
Vs.
#15 John Mackey Award winner and unanimous All-America selection Harrison Bryant notches his a third TD of the day versus Southern Miss.

QUARTERFINALS

#1 Malcolm Davidson evades three in the backfield versus FIU to score one of his three touchdowns in the Owls' 2019 Shula Bowl win
Vs.
(Advances) #4 "Randy Moss-type catch" made by junior wide receiver John Mitchell at Ball State. It was one of his three TDs on the day

# 3 A play that definitely turned around the game and possibly the season was senior cornerback Chris Tooley's scoop and score at WKU, made possible by an Akeleis Leroy forced fumble in the Hilltopper red zone
Vs.
(Advanced) #7 He celebrated, yes he did – redshirt sophomore quarterback Nick Tronti catches a pass from wide receiver Brandon Robinson on a trick play for a 41-yard gain at WKU

SEMIFINALS

#4 "Randy Moss-type catch" made by junior wide receiver John Mitchell at Ball State. It was one of his three TDs on the day
Vs.
#7 He celebrated, yes he did – redshirt sophomore quarterback Nick Tronti catches a pass from wide receiver Brandon Robinson on a trick play for a 41-yard gain at WKU

CHAMPION

#4 "Randy Moss-type catch" made by junior wide receiver John Mitchell at Ball State. It was one of his three TDs on the day

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