Owls Fall to No. 17 Tulane

Saturday, November 18

Boca Raton, Fla.

Noon

Florida Atlantic

4-7 , 3-4

Tulane

10-1 , 7-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Tulane

Fla. Atlantic

Photo by: JC Ridley/FAU Athletics

11/18/2023 4:34:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Ben Paul

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University football team (4-7, 3-4 AAC) fell to No. 17 Tulane (10-1, 7-0 AAC), by a score of 24-8 on Saturday afternoon.

Like many games on the year, the day was highlighted by Biletnikoff Watch List member and Paul Hornung Watch List member LaJohntay Wester, who not only set the program's single-season reception yards record in this game, but also became the first Owl to record 100 catches in a season.

Senior Day

Prior to the game, the Owls' final home game of the season, 12 senior players were honored for their contributions to the program:

Tight end Carter Boatwright
Tight end Tre Jackson
Safety Kaelen Skipper
Quarterback Casey Thompson
Safety Armani Eli-Adams
Linebacker Xavier Peters
Offensive lineman Marquice Robinson (Captain)
Running back Kobe Lewis
Cornerback Romain Mungin
Defensive back Jarron Morris
Offensive lineman Chaz Neal (Captain)
Running back Larry McCammon (Captain)

Photo Gallery

Gallery: (11-18-2023) Tulane at Florida Atlantic

First Half

Highlight plays continued for the defense at big moments. On the game's opening drive, junior linebacker Courtney McBride brought down the opposing quarterback on a fourth-and-three in FAU territory, forcing a fumble recovered by freshman cornerback Fabian Scott.

The offense relied on Wester, as well as Burlsworth trophy nominee Tony Johnson, who were responsible for a combined 96 of quarterback Daniel Richardson's 104 yards. The Owls drove down the field multiple times but entered the locker room trailing 14-0.

Second Half

The Owls found their lone score of the afternoon when Richardson connected with tight end Kahlil Brantley, who made an impressive catch in the left corner of the end zone.

On the two-point conversion attempt, Richardson completed the pass to Devin Price to give Florida Atlantic eight on the scoreboard.

Offense

Richardson completed his first eight passes, finishing the day 24-for-31 for 202 yards
With 11 catches, Wester recorded his seventh game of the season with double-digt receptions. He finished the day with 86 receiving yards
Graduate running back Kobe Lewis showcased his pass-catching ability, going for 34 yards on four receptions

Defense

Graduate LB Jackson Ambush led the way with seven tackles
McBride upped his sack total to on the year. The defense as a whole has recorded 29 sacks, the most since 2019
Jaden Wheeler added a sack to his three tackles

Quotable

Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Tom Herman
"I am really proud of our fight. I know the scoreboard feels like it did the last couple of weeks, but we fought our tails off. We didn't execute and when you are playing the fourth best rushing defense in the conference, a 9-1 and a top 25 team, you have to play really well, not just hard but really well. We didn't do that to their level, but our guys never quit. Our guys fought from the beginning to end, and I am really proud of that. "

Junior Wide Receiver LaJohntay Wester
"We just have to execute. We left a lot of plays out there today and we missed a couple of assignments. The good thing about it is we can come in tomorrow go back to the drawing board, fix what we did wrong today, and prepare for Rice next week."

Up Next

One final game remains for the Owls, a road matchup against Rice next Saturday, Nov. 25. Kickoff will be at 1 p.m. EST.

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