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Owls Prepare for UTEP, Taggart Talk
10/17/2022 5:20:00 PM | Football
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic University football (3-4, 2-1 C-USA) will pack its bags and head to Texas. The Owls will play their third-consecutive Texas opponent and make their second trip to the Lone Star State in four weeks to face fellow Conference USA member UTEP (3-4, 1-3 C-USA) this Saturday, Oct. 22 at 3 p.m. EST.
The game is scheduled to air on ESPN+ and on Fox Sports South Florida 640 AM. Ken LaVicka and Kris Bartels will provide the radio coverage.
On what to improve on after the win against Rice
"I thought, offensively, capitalizing on the takeaways that we got. The defense did a great job of getting the ball back for us and getting us in good field position. We didn't take advantage of those opportunities. We had plenty of them which could have made the game totally different for us if we were able to capitalize. I thought we did a great job of controlling the clock, which was really good for us. I thought that helped our defense, but our defense did a great job of helping themselves by getting off the field on third down, which the first half of the season was really bad for us. They worked hard during the bye week, and it paid off for us in that game, getting off of the field on third downs. I think if we can continue to play where we dominate the time of possession, the defense can get us takeaways, and get off the field on third down, and then the offense starts clicking and taking advantage of it, that's the kind of ball we like to play and we should be able to play. And even though we didn't score many points, we scored enough to win the ball game. I thought our guys didn't flinch in the last game when there were plenty of opportunities where they could have reverted to old ways. They just stayed the course and kept fighting and made the plays that needed to be made when they needed to be made. That's what winners do. They find a way to make those plays."
On the defensive performance
"I was really happy with the way our defense responded. We said we wanted to shut down the run. Our guys did a great job of shutting down the run, more importantly getting off of the field on third down, that was huge for us."
On Sophomore DL Evan Anderson returning from injury
"I thought he made his presence known when he was out there. Having 'Big Ev' out there, those holes weren't as big as they had been. He did a good job being in there and controlling his gaps. He made some plays when he was there. For the limited number of plays that he played, I was really impressed with what he did for us."
On Redshirt Junior RB Johnny Ford
"It was really the first game where he had a whole week of practice and was able to go out and execute the plays we had for him. We feel like we have a running back room that's really talented. Johnny is different than the other two running backs. He can do a lot of different things for us. We're going to continue to be creative in how we use Johnny knowing that we have two other good backs that can give us what we need. We have to continue to get Larry (McCammon) the ball and Zuberi (Mobley) needs a lot more carries. We just have to continue to try to be creative offensively and try to get those ballplayers the ball and being creative in how we do it so they can make plays for us."
On preparing for UTEP
"It'll be another one of those games, from a possession standpoint. You might not get as many because of how they control the ball and try to run the football. Defensively, they're stout up front. They have their entire defensive line back from last year and a couple of linebackers from last year. You look on defense at how many honorable mentions they have from last year's team…On the road it's going to be another challenge for our guys, but it'll be a challenge that our guys will be up for, knowing that we have to play a clean game again to go and try to get a victory on the road."
On overcoming adversity to win
"It goes back to our keys to victory. We know the way to win. It's just a matter of us going out there and doing it each and every week, being consistent and playing winning football, not turning the football over, getting off of the field on defense and then getting takeaways."
For free mobile listening of all game broadcasts and coaches shows, FAU fans can download the Varsity Network app for iPhone or Android. The app features instant access to free gameday audio streams and the ability for fans to receive push notifications to remind them of games starting or upcoming audio broadcasts. Local fans can tune in to Hubbard Radio (Fox Sports South Florida 640 AM) to follow the team.
FAU Television Inside the Owls Burrow
This week's show will include a sit down with Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Willie Taggart. Show host and producer Frank Forte will review last week's win over Rice with Taggart and the duo will preview the upcoming game at UTEP. Nicholas Marino will be featured in the "Pads Off" segment while coaches Derrick Gibson and Donte' Pimpleton will be introduced.
The game is scheduled to air on ESPN+ and on Fox Sports South Florida 640 AM. Ken LaVicka and Kris Bartels will provide the radio coverage.
QUOTABLE
Hagerty Family Football Head Coach Willie TaggartOn what to improve on after the win against Rice
"I thought, offensively, capitalizing on the takeaways that we got. The defense did a great job of getting the ball back for us and getting us in good field position. We didn't take advantage of those opportunities. We had plenty of them which could have made the game totally different for us if we were able to capitalize. I thought we did a great job of controlling the clock, which was really good for us. I thought that helped our defense, but our defense did a great job of helping themselves by getting off the field on third down, which the first half of the season was really bad for us. They worked hard during the bye week, and it paid off for us in that game, getting off of the field on third downs. I think if we can continue to play where we dominate the time of possession, the defense can get us takeaways, and get off the field on third down, and then the offense starts clicking and taking advantage of it, that's the kind of ball we like to play and we should be able to play. And even though we didn't score many points, we scored enough to win the ball game. I thought our guys didn't flinch in the last game when there were plenty of opportunities where they could have reverted to old ways. They just stayed the course and kept fighting and made the plays that needed to be made when they needed to be made. That's what winners do. They find a way to make those plays."
On the defensive performance
"I was really happy with the way our defense responded. We said we wanted to shut down the run. Our guys did a great job of shutting down the run, more importantly getting off of the field on third down, that was huge for us."
On Sophomore DL Evan Anderson returning from injury
"I thought he made his presence known when he was out there. Having 'Big Ev' out there, those holes weren't as big as they had been. He did a good job being in there and controlling his gaps. He made some plays when he was there. For the limited number of plays that he played, I was really impressed with what he did for us."
On Redshirt Junior RB Johnny Ford
"It was really the first game where he had a whole week of practice and was able to go out and execute the plays we had for him. We feel like we have a running back room that's really talented. Johnny is different than the other two running backs. He can do a lot of different things for us. We're going to continue to be creative in how we use Johnny knowing that we have two other good backs that can give us what we need. We have to continue to get Larry (McCammon) the ball and Zuberi (Mobley) needs a lot more carries. We just have to continue to try to be creative offensively and try to get those ballplayers the ball and being creative in how we do it so they can make plays for us."
On preparing for UTEP
"It'll be another one of those games, from a possession standpoint. You might not get as many because of how they control the ball and try to run the football. Defensively, they're stout up front. They have their entire defensive line back from last year and a couple of linebackers from last year. You look on defense at how many honorable mentions they have from last year's team…On the road it's going to be another challenge for our guys, but it'll be a challenge that our guys will be up for, knowing that we have to play a clean game again to go and try to get a victory on the road."
On overcoming adversity to win
"It goes back to our keys to victory. We know the way to win. It's just a matter of us going out there and doing it each and every week, being consistent and playing winning football, not turning the football over, getting off of the field on defense and then getting takeaways."
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
FAU Coaches Radio ShowFor free mobile listening of all game broadcasts and coaches shows, FAU fans can download the Varsity Network app for iPhone or Android. The app features instant access to free gameday audio streams and the ability for fans to receive push notifications to remind them of games starting or upcoming audio broadcasts. Local fans can tune in to Hubbard Radio (Fox Sports South Florida 640 AM) to follow the team.
FAU Television Inside the Owls Burrow
This week's show will include a sit down with Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Willie Taggart. Show host and producer Frank Forte will review last week's win over Rice with Taggart and the duo will preview the upcoming game at UTEP. Nicholas Marino will be featured in the "Pads Off" segment while coaches Derrick Gibson and Donte' Pimpleton will be introduced.
TICKETS
To purchase FAU tickets, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS or click HERE or HERE. Call the FAU ticket office, today, to secure your tickets. Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com, or through football's Twitter and Instagram accounts @FAUFootball.Players Mentioned
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