College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Florida Atlantic Owls season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Florida Atlantic Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 11-3 overall, 7-1 in C-USA
Head Coach: Willie Taggart, 1st year
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 45
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 13
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 85
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Florida Atlantic Owls Offense 3 Things To Know
– It sort of flew under the radar, but the hire of Willie Taggart was fantastic for the defending Conference USA champs. Unlike the Florida State situation, he doesn’t have to do a rebuild – he’s inheriting a heater from Lane Kiffin, and it starts with an offense that led the league with 449 yards and 36 points per game.
CFN in 60 Video: Minnesota Preview
Florida Atlantic at Minnesota, Sept. 3
– Chris Robison has had an interesting college career – starting out at Oklahoma and being a bit questionable going into last season – but he was fantastic.
The 6-1, 200-pounder threw for over 3,700 yards with 28 touchdowns and just six picks. Former Indiana Hoosier Nick Tronti is back as the No. 2 man, and there’s more talent waiting in the wings, including Willie Taggart Jr.
And here come the receivers.
Star TE Harrison Bryant is gone to the Cleveland Browns, and top WR Deangelo Antoine is done. 6-4, 220-pound senior John Mitchell is back after catching 38 passes for five scores, and speedster Willie Wright returns. But the new guys are the stars.
Michael Irvin II is coming in from Miami to push for Bryant’s old job. TJ Chase was a huge get for Clemson, and now he’s an Owl. DeAndre McNeal comes in from SMU, Aaron Young transfers in from Duke, and there are more on the way waiting for their eligibility.
The passing game will still be good.
– Just two starters are gone from the O line, but they were both First Team All-Conference USA stars. The pass protection was just okay, and there were way too many plays made in the backfield, but the front five did a decent job for the ground game. It needs a left tackle to replace Brandon Walton and a center to step in for Junior Diaz.
205-pound junior Malcolm Davidson led the team with 711 yards and nine scores, but he was never healthy and missed four games. If he can stay in one piece, look out – he averaged close to seven yards per pop.
Throw in the veteran trio of James Charles, Larry McCammon, and BJ Emmons – who combined for 18 scores – and the backfield is loaded.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Florida Atlantic Owls Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Florida Atlantic Owls Defense 3 Things To Know
– Willie Taggart nailed his defensive coordinator hire getting Jim Leavitt to take over. The former USF head coach and Oregon defensive coordinator followed Taggart to Florida State, and now to FAU.
The defense that allowed 374 yards and was great against the run, but allowed 239 yards per game through the air is going to need a DC of Leavitt’s talent to put it all together.
– The defensive front gets back good pass rusher Leighton McCarthy – who’ll likely work as a hybrid linebacker … and that’s about it. The next seven Owl linemen in tackles for loss are gone.
There should be some help from the transfer portal, and the incoming JUCO transfers should play a big role, but this is going to take a bit to put together.
– Star LB Rashad Smith is done, second-leading tackler Akileis Leroy is a question mark after making 101 stops – he’s not listed on the roster, and fourth-leading tackler Hosea Barnwell is supposedly in the transfer portal, but he’s still on the roster …
Until he’s actually gone, assume Barnwell is still in the mix somehow. Leroy is a bit more of a mystery. If those two come back, the linebacking corps is set, but that’s all up in the air.
233-pound senior Caliph Brice is back after making 28 stops, and the recruiting class and transfer world will fill out the spots no matter what.
The secondary has some work to do, too.
Senior Zyon Gilbert is an all-star caliber safety, but everyone else has to be replaced – losing 9-pick all-star CB Meiko Dotson to Florida State really stings. Former Alabama transfer Chris Herring needs to rise up into a safety job, and like everywhere else on the defensive side, the new guys have to emerge.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Florida Atlantic Owls Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Florida Atlantic Owls Players
Best Florida Atlantic Owls Offensive Player
QB Chris Robison, Jr.
The 6-1, 200-pounder isn’t all that big, he’s not all that mobile, and he doesn’t have a huge arm, but he’s a great passer who knows how to move an offense. He failed to hit 200 passing yards in the first two games against Ohio State and UCF, and then went over the mark in ten of the last 12 games.
He finished with 3,701 yards and 28 touchdowns and just six picks. He doesn’t make mistakes, he’s a veteran leader now, and he’ll push it deep, averaging close to eight yards per pass last year.
2. RB Malcolm Davidson, Soph.
3. OG Desmond Noel, Sr.
4. OT Marquice Robinson, Soph.
5. RB Larry McCammon, Soph.
Best Florida Atlantic Owls Defensive Player
DE/LB Leighton McCarthy, Sr.
Is he a defensive end? Is he a linebacker? It doesn’t matter – he’s going to be one of the team’s top playmakers in whatever role he plays. The 6-3, 225-pounder made 30 tackles with six sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, but he also had a whole lot of veteran help around him. With so much turnover on the D, his experience will be a huge deal.
2. S Zyon Gilbert, Sr.
3. S Quran Hafiz, Sr.
4. S Ahman Ross, Jr.
5. LB Caliph Brice, Sr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Florida Atlantic Owls Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Florida Atlantic Owls Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Florida Atlantic Owls Offense
Keep everyone upright. Willie Taggart was never able to get the offensive line right at Florida State, but he was also left with an empty cupboard to deal with.
The Florida Atlantic situation isn’t all that bad up front, but there are still a few key parts that have to be replaced. However, even with two first-team All-C-USA blockers, the line was still a disaster at times at allowing way too many tackles for loss, and struggled too much in pass protection.
The line was great for the running game, and it should be again, but it would be a huge help if it didn’t get hammered for close to eight tackles for loss and two sacks per game.
Biggest Key To The Florida Atlantic Owls Defense
Even with a whole lot of uncertainty across the board, and even with most of the disruptive forces from last year gone, the defense under new coordinator Jim Leavitt has to keep making big play after big play.
The offense was terrific, and the defense overall was okay. However, the D was No. 1 in the nation in interceptions, and No. 1 in takeaways with 33.
The Owls attacked everything, coming up with two or more takeaways in ten games, and generated a whopping 18 over the final six games – all wins.
The 2018 defense on the team that finished with a losing season generated just 14 takeaways. The 2016 monster under Lane Kiffin came up with 26.
The defense needs to get the ball.
Key Florida Atlantic Owls Player To A Successful Season
LB Caliph Brice, Sr.
He’s not the only linebacker still left on the roster, but it sure seems like it.
With Rashad Smith (graduated), Akileis Leroy (not quite sure), Hosea Barnwell (maybe transferring, maybe not) are all out of the mix, and the the Florida Atlantic linebacking corps has to rebuild in a big hurry.
The 6-2, 233-pound former JUCO transfer was a part of the rotation behind Smith on the weakside, making 28 tackles with a sack and an interception. Really fast, he’s got the range to go along with the size.
Key Game To The Florida Atlantic Owls Season
at Marshall, Oct. 24
FAU went 11-1 after starting out 0-2 against Ohio State and UCF. That one loss was at home to Marshall.
The Owls beat the Thundering Herd in 2017, but they lost 31-7 in 2018, lost in 2016, lost in 2015, and lost in 2014 and 2013, too.
FAU is 1-6 in the series, and this year it’s in Huntington. However, the Owls have a week off to prepare, and Marshall will be coming off a date against Louisiana Tech.
– Florida Atlantic Owls Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Florida Atlantic Fun Stats
– Red Zone Scores: Florida Atlantic 62-of-68 – Opponents 30-of-40
– Fumbles: Opponents 23 (lost 11) – Florida Atlantic 14 (lost 4)
– Interceptions Thrown: Opponents 22 – Florida Atlantic 8
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Florida Atlantic Owls Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Florida Atlantic Owls Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
Willie Taggart still hasn’t really won anything.
This is his fifth head coaching job nine seasons, and his overall record is 56-62.
He has never won a conference title in his 9.5 campaigns.
He has never won a bowl game, losing in the only one he coached in back at USF in 2015.
Nope, he has yet to win anything meaningful. But there’s a reason.
The 2009 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers went 0-12. Taggart took over the program in 2010 and went 2-10. After just one year, WKU came up with two straight winning seasons on his watch.
The 2012 USF Bulls went 3-9. Taggart took over the program in 2013, and like his first year at WKU, he went 2-10. He had a losing second season, and then won eight games in 2015, and ten in 2016 before going to Oregon.
The 2016 Oregon Ducks went 4-8. Taggart took over and went 7-6 the following year, setting the wheels in motion for the monster it currently is.
The 2017 Florida State Seminoles went 7-6, and while Taggart went 9-12 in his short run, it’s not like he was given a whole lot of time to make it all work.
No, Willie Taggart hasn’t really won anything, but he has rebuilt everything he has been a part of.
And now, he doesn’t have to do that – to a point.
Set The Florida Atlantic Owls Regular Season Win Total At … 8
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 8
Okay, so there is some rebuilding to do on the defensive side, but it’s more like reloading after Taggart – for the first time in his career – gets to take over a team coming off a great season.
The offense will be fantastic, and the defense will be fine despite all the lost parts.
The Owls will get by Stony Brook, Charlotte, UTSA, and Old Dominion for a base of four wins. It’ll be good enough to get at least two more out of at Georgia Southern, at Southern Miss, at Middle Tennessee and against WKU, and it’ll find a way to pull off a few interesting wins along the way to get to eight.
But there are just enough concerns to keep this from being the powerhouse that Lane Kiffin enjoyed in two of the last three seasons.
Even with so much work to do, this should still be the favorite to win the Conference USA title for the third time in four seasons.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
