Owls adrift in upsetting loss to Midshipmen, Navy doesn’t give up the ship against FAU

Lane Kiffin with his signature white visor reminiscent of the1980s and a ten-foot wave of hype debuted as the new FAU head football Friday night at Howard Schnellenberger Field in Boca Raton with a dull 42-19 loss to the Navy Midshipmen. The Navy Midshipmen sailed their triple-option flexbone offensive rushing attack crashing through the Owls defense 68 times for 416 yards and added 110 yards passing. The question mark coming into the game for the Owls was the defense with many around the Boca Raton area thinking the unit was improved. With a methodical approach of running the football down the throat of their opponents, the Navy Midshipmen amassed five rushing touchdowns many of which were scampers through the Owls secondary untouched.

Navy only threw the ball 10 times in the entire game, completed just four passes, but for a 27.5 yards per pass average. The FAU defense loaded the box with all of 11 of their defenders and still couldn’t slow down the Midshipmen’s forward drift.

“Navy is a very well coached team and difficult to beat. They have very few negative plays. Very few penalties... As for us that was pretty embarrassing. I felt like there was so much build-up here with the fans and around the school with a lot of energy. I feel like we let them down and have a lot of work to do,” said FAU Owls head coach Kiffin.

His brother Chris Kiffin is listed as the co-defensive coordinator/linebackers by FAUSports.com, the official website of FAU football, and his Dad, Monte Kiffin, the former defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Football League (NFL), is the Owls defensive analyst and NFL liaison. Monte Kiffin is also the creator of the famed “Tampa Bay 2 Cover Defense” made popular by the success it had in helping Tampa Bay win the 2002 Super Bowl and later on as the “go-to” defense in the Madden NFL Football on the Sony PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and Microsoft X-Box video gaming systems.  

Navy’s three-headed touchdown monster shredded the Owls courtesy of the Midshipmen’s quarterback Zach Abey’s scores on touchdown runs of 40 and 23 yards respectively. Abey rushed for 251 yards on 31 attempts and passed for 110 yards on just four completions on ten attempts with one passing touchdown. Fullback Joshua Walker scored on touchdown scampers of 48 and 4 yards. Even Navy running back Tre Walker got his first ever career touchdown with a four-yard touchdown run to give the Midshipmen an early 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. Maybe more impressive was fullback Walker’s eight rushes for 75 yards, a 9.4 yard rush average.

All the hype of new FAU Owls football coach Lane Kiffin, word of a packed FAU Stadium at Howard Schnellenberger Field with the Navy Midshipmen in town fresh off a nine-win season and once again the Owls offense proved flat again. The Owls offense was dreadful on third down going 5 for 14 on third down conversions. Not even a fumbled Navy snap at midfield recovered by the FAU defense’s Owls defensive lineman Haiden Nagel, in that first quarter could spark the offense, who on the next possession lost yards over three plays and punted back to Navy.

FAU squandered their first possession on offense and Navy dominated the FAU defensive front early. Several drives later, Owls redshirt sophomore quarterback Daniel Parr connected with freshman wide receiver Willie Wright on a 95-yard touchdown to give the Owls a 10-7 lead over the Navy Midshipmen midway through the second quarter. It was FAU’s only lead of the game. During the play, which Parr’s throwing pocket backed two yards deep into FAU end zone, Wright was wide open as Parr winged it right into his outstretched arms in full stride down FAU’s home sideline at Howard Schnellenberger Field. The lead was short-lived.

Parr led the Owls with 281 yards passing on 19 completions and 31 attempts with two passing touchdowns but was sacked two times by the Navy defense. He started the game at quarterback for the Owls. Two botched snaps over the head of Parr resulted in yardage losses, including a 22-yard loss for the FAU offense. Owls wide receiver DeAndre McNeal paced the FAU offense with four catches for 88 yards and a 62-yard fourth quarter touchdown pass from Parr.

Navy running back Tre Walker scored his first career rushing touchdown to give the Midshipmen 7-0 lead over the FAU Owls with 9:06 left in the first quarter. On the next defensive stand, the Owls defense piled up on Navy like a Rugby scrum during their second drive, yet the Midshipmen still fall forward for first down once and again against the Owls. Even when the Navy punter shanked a punt just 24 yards out of bounds, the Owls took over at their 23-yard line and lost nine yards on their first rush and then punted away just three plays later.

The Midshipmen’s offense line was impressive, mowing down the Owls defensive line to make way for methodical five and six yard rushes up the middle, to the side and back inside again.

In the first quarter Owls wide receiver DeAndre McNeal didn’t even know Parr’s first pass to him was coming, it whizzed behind his back while McNeal put a block on a defender. Later on in the drive FAU kicker Greg Joseph narrowed the Navy lead to 7-3, with a 24-yard field goal right down the middle of the yellow, gold posts, upright and into the Owls stands. Joseph booted two field goals in the game; his second was a 54-yard field goal to set the FAU all-time record for longest field goal and also to narrow Navy’s lead to 28-13 with 7:25 left in the third quarter.

Joseph, an FAU walk-on kicker from American Heritage High School in Delray Beach is a special team’s leader and a bright spot for the Owls.

“I just try to go one kick at a time, one for one each kick and go from there. I try to put our team in a better position to win,” said Joseph.

Eventually Kiffin gave in and replaced Parr with redshirt sophomore quarterback De’Andre Johnson who drove the Owls into Navy territory. Then, it was Parr again. Finally, it was the lightning, and more lightning, many around the stadium found themselves muttering “are you kidding me? Another lightning delay at FAU Stadium. Maybe the Owls should have built the dome instead of an open-air stadium, or should add a retractable roof, as this is the sixth game in three years with a lengthy lightning delay. After a 59-minute lightning delay, courtesy of a few bolts of white lightning over the Atlantic Ocean 10 miles or so away, Navy wasted no time going up 35-13 with a 23-yard touchdown run by quarterback Zach Abey with 1:17 in the third quarter.

Kiffin, the offensive guru of the University of Alabama’s 2015 national championship winning team, saved the best for last as FAU struggled to score or churn up yardage in their first several possessions. The second lightning delay in the game resulted in one hour and 43 minute of stagnant air. Heavy rains and illuminating lightning fell on the field. , When play resumed, the Owls picked off Abey on a pretty interception by FAU cornerback Chris Tooley. A few plays later Parr was intercepted by Navy cornerback Elijah Merchant and a series later by the Midshipmen’s other cornerback Noruwa Obanor. Then, Navy missed a 29-yard field goal with just less than eight minutes left in the game. At 1:39 a.m. in Boca Raton, the game still had seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. The game had been delayed for a total of two hours and 42 minutes.

In one of the most bizarre games in college football history, FAU vs. Navy ended with a 5-hour, 57 minute long game and after an 8 p.m. start the game ended at 1:47 a.m. The crowd of 28,481 was the third largest in FAU Stadium’s Howard Schnellenberger Field history. 

Lightning Strikes, Thunder Rolls and FAU Owls Football Give up 14-point Fourth Quarter Lead and Lose Another Close Game at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton

Lightning delayed the first ever meeting of the Ball State University Cardinals and Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Owls college football game at FAU Stadium’s Howard Schnellenberger Field though the light drizzle of rain and gloom did little to slow down two speedy offenses before Ball State (3-1) pulled away for a 31-27 win over FAU (1-3). After trailing the Owls 24-17 at halftime, the Ball State Cardinals outscored FAU14-3 in the second half. The turning point of the game when Ball State’s defense stuffed Owls running back Buddy Howell Jr., on 4^th and 1 yard from the Ball State 30-yard line, with 5:33 left in the fourth quarter. Lightning struck after the play and the teams ran into their locker rooms for the last 30-minute-plus lightning delay. The FAU Owls offense sputtered in the third and fourth quarter, and the call to go for it on fourth down, in field goal position, with a kicker who made field goals from 41 and 19 yards respectively, was a questionable call by the FAU coaching staff. If the Owls would have gone for the field goal, and made it, they would have been up 27-21 with just over 5 minutes remaining in the game. Instead FAU went for it, failed, and gave the Ball State Cardinals momentum going into the last lengthy lightning delay and a chance to plan their final offensive assault.

Thanks to a thundering offensive attack, the Owls controlled the Cardinals early. Defensive back Andrew Soroh intercepted a pass by Ball State quarterback Riley Neal as the Cardinals were driving into FAU territory. The FAU offense took advantage of the turnover and marched down the field to the Cardinals 5-yard line. On the next play, FAU quarterback Jason Driskel scored on a 5-yard touchdown run and Owls kicker Greg Joseph made the extra point (E.P.) to give FAU a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. On the play, Driskel darted to the right side of the offensive line, slashed through a hole in the Ball State defense and hit pay dirt on the touchdown run. Later in the first quarter of the game, Driskel connected on a 31-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kalib Woods and Joseph nailed the E.P. to give FAU a 14-0 lead over Ball State.

After Driskel ran and passed to give his FAU Owls the lead, then Ball State Cardinals quarterback Riley Neal passed to tight end Sam Brunner for a 26-yard touchdown late in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Neal rushed for a one-yard touchdown run to tie the game 14-14 with 10:29 to go in the second quarter.  The Owls scored 10 out of the next 13 points in the game, Kerrith Whyte Jr. rushed for a three-yard touchdown a minute later after Ball State’s score, to give FAU a 21-14 lead. The Cardinals responded with a 39-yard field goal to narrow the lead 21-17. Not to be left out, FAU kicker Greg Joseph nailed a 19-yard field goal to give the Owls a 24-17 lead at halftime.

Both teams came out stale in the second half. The offenses looked bad, like the weather. In a hard-to-believe stroke of Mother Nature, a third lightning delay halted the game for 46 minutes early in the third quarter. Ball State tied the score for the second time in the game late in the third quarter when Neal connected with wide receiver Corey Lacanaria to even the score at 24-24.With 9:18 left in the fourth quarter, FAU kicker Greg Joseph walloped a 41-yard field goal to give the Owls a 27-24 lead. That would be the last time FAU would lead in the game. The Cardinals took their first lead of the game with less than two minutes in the fourth quarter and went on to win the game.

The game between FAU and Ball State had a total of three timed lightning delays, and three other times where the mandatory time delays were restarted. Most of the lightning lit up the northeast and east side of FAU Stadium, a sporting venue dominated by metal bleachers.

Keep an Owls Eye On –

·         Owls offensive lineman Tarrick Thomas left the game with a right knee injury on FAU’s first offensive series. Thomas is a redshirt freshman from Tallahassee. 

Owls Off To Soaring Start, Don’t Disappoint Dallas Cowboys Star Lucky Whitehead at FAU Stadium

With Dallas Cowboys return man Lucky Whitehead on the field to support his FAU alma mater, the Owls took leads on three separate occurrences thanks to the explosive speed of running back Buddy Howell Jr. and led by quarterback Jason Driskel’s clever running and passing attack in a 38-30 FAU (1-0) win over the Southern Illinois Salukis (0-1) at FAU Stadium’s Schnellenberger Field. Howell Jr. had first half touchdown runs of 48, 37 respectively and on his first three carries had 87 yards rushing.

“If you block for Buddy to get you six yards he gets you 10 and if you block for him to get 10 yards he runs for 15,” FAU Head Coach Charlie Partridge said. Howell Jr. finished with 129 yards rushing. “It was one of those moments we were practicing day in and day out. Going through my reads and just hitting it hard and it was wide open and I’m just blessed the line made that hole for me and I was able to complete the mission by running fast and getting into the end zone,” Howell Jr. said.

Driskel had two touchdown passes, the first to Tavaris Harrison for 85 yards in the second quarter and another to former Jupiter High School quarterback and Wake Forest transfer Tyler Cameron for a four-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. The latter gave FAU an 11-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Eventually, the FAU Owls (1-0) won 38-30 over the Southern Illinois Salukis (0-1) at FAU Stadium’s Schnellenberger Field. Maybe it was Lucky Whitehead’s Owls hand sign he flashed thumb to index finger with middle, ring and pinky finger up to the team and fans while wearing the brightest orange, John Lennon like glasses which seemed to reflect the new shine of a young season for the FAU Owls.

“Back in Boca watching my boys work!!! Let’s get this Victory #GoOwls,” Whitehead tweeted from his @ninjafast22 Twitter handle.

Whether it was Lucky or a better FAU football team, one thing is for sure the Owls are hungry to get off to a soaring start following consecutive three win, nine loss seasons which mirrored the program in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Even the Owls defense looked much improved in the second half when defensive line leader Trey Hendrickson blocked a 50-yard field goal attempt by the Salukis Austin Johnson.

“I think it was huge. Our scouting report did show at times he had a low trajectory on his field goals. We thought if we didn’t catch it we’d be able to catch it in the back of the end zone and build a return off of it. Our players executed the game plan by knowing that and getting their hands up at the right time,” Coach Partridge said.

Earlier in the game, Johnson connected on a 48-yard field goal to give the Salukis their first lead 17-14 with 4:44 late in the second quarter. The Owls turned Hendrickson’s blocked field goal into a score of their own early in the final period when FAU kicker Greg Joseph booted a 40-yard field goal to take a commanding 38-24 lead. On the second play from scrimmage for the Owls offense, junior running back Buddy Howell blasted through a hole big enough to drive a Ford truck through en route to a 48-yard touchdown run to give FAU an early 7-0 lead with just 12:49 left in the first quarter. Southern Illinois answered by chomping chunks of yardage against the Owls defense in just under two minutes when Salukis running back Jonathan Mixon scored on a three-yard touchdown run to even the score 7-7. The Salukis touchdown was set-up by a 54-yard pass from quarterback Josh Straughan to wide receiver Connor Iwema deep into FAU territory. Just three offensive drives later FAU’s Howell used his speed and another giant gap to break free on an exciting 37-yard touchdown run to give FAU a 14-7 lead. One spot where the FAU defense looked really vulnerable was in their first half pass defense. On the next Salukis possession, Straughan found Billy Reed for an 11-yard touchdown. After an FAU punt, Salukis kicker Austin Johnson booted a long 48-yard field goal to give the Salukis their first lead 17-14. The lead was short lived as FAU quarterback Jason Driskel had a pass tipped by several defenders and then Tavaris Harrison came down for the rebound and outran the Salukis defense for an 85-yard touchdown reception to give the Owls another first half lead 21-17.

Florida Launch Lacrosse take off with win over the New York Lizards

Taking off with four goals in the first quarter, the Florida Launch held on to beat the New York Lizards 11-8 at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton. Launch attackman Kieran McArdle had four goals in the game. McArdle, a rookie, leads Major League Lacrosse rookies in goal scored. The Launch (4-2) next play at home on at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 20, at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton. For more information visit the Florida Launch Lacrosse website. McArdle led the initial first-quarter charge for the Launch with a goal and assist. Launch attackman Kevin Cunningham also had a goal and an assist in the first frame and provided the pass to score an assist on McCardle's fourth goal. McArdle, Cunningham and attackman Casey Powell, a goal in each of the first two quarters, helped give the Launch a 6-3 lead at halftime. The New York Lizards (3-2) never recovered after trailing 4-1 after the first quarter. The Lizards were led by middleman Matt Striebel who got open across the Launch defense for a goal and assist. In the third quarter, the Lizards evened things out by matching the Launch two goals apiece in the second,third and three goals each in the fourth quarter. But, it was too late for the Lizards who got off to a slow start. Launch goalie Brett Queener allowed only one goal in that first frame, and took advantage of a slow Lizards team to run out saves on three separate occasions to midfield where he passed to his offense. He was gritty too, yelling at teammates and even pleading with officials that he should have been given a save when a whistle stopped a play where Queener made a save. "Better give me credit for that save! That was a great save and I deserve credit!" yelled Queener. McArdle's fellow rookie middleman Chris LaPierre had a goal, Launch attackman Garret Thul had two goals and middleman Jordan Hall rounded out the scoring for Florida. The Launch travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, for a 7 p.m. match against the Charlotte Hounds on Saturday, June 14, and return in home play in a rematch against the Rochester Rattlers on Friday, June 20.

Lynn University Fighting Knights Men’s Lacrosse faces off for the first time in history

Senior attack man Joey Bacarella scored the first lacrosse goal in Lynn University Men’s Lacrosse history when he beat Wheeling Jesuit University goalie Joe Amsler in front of the net at the 8:37 mark of the first quarter to give Lynn their first ever 1-0 lead in their first ever game of NCAA Lacrosse, but Wheeling went on a scoring spree to take the game 14-5 in Boca Raton. Lynn University Men’s Lacrosse, also known as the “Blue & White” stopped the first shot attempt in school history when goalkeeper Taylor Ferrino made a save on a shot earlier in the contest with 13:21 remaining in the first quarter. Ferrino had 14 saves in the loss. Wheeling Jesuit University Cardinals Men’s Lacrosse would not be quiet for long, attack man Landon DelPrince made his way into the crease with 6:51 left in the first and fired a shot past Ferrino to tie the game at 1-1. At 2:40 in the first quarter, the Cardinals took a 2-1 lead, but Lynn freshman attack man Brian Kiel evened the game at 2-2 with his first ever collegiate goal with just over a minute left in the quarter. Middle man and fellow freshman Tyler Janvrin got the assist, his first of three in the contest. With 17 seconds left in the first, DelPrince invaded the Lynn defense again to give Wheeling Jesuit a 3-2 lead as the first quarter horn sounded. Lynn also nabbed 10 ground balls in the first 15 minutes of game play; a ground ball is equivalent to a rebound in basketball and leads to offensive possession for the attacking lacrosse team. The Cardinals also recorded the first ever penalty in Lynn University history when Wheeling Jesuit’s middle man Bryce Brochu got tangled up and knocked down a Lynn player at midfield. The penalty seemed to be the ignition switch to even more intense, aggressive play for Wheeling Jesuit. Lynn had zero penalties in the first half, but Wheeling Jesuit was rough and rowdy setting the tone with six penalties. The Cardinals shut-out the Fighting Knights 2-0 in the second quarter to take a 5-2 lead going into halftime. The halftime festivities included a Boca Jets 13-and-under exhibition. “I want eight goals in the second half,” Lynn Coach Brian Kingsbury told his players just before the third quarter started. But Wheeling Jesuit scored five out of six goals in the third quarter to push the game out of reach at 10-3 going into the fourth. The Cardinals took advantage of a winded Lynn team by incorporating the wheel play over and again on offensive possessions led by superb passing by the Wheeling Jesuit players. Tyler Johnson had two goals in the third for the Cardinals and DelPrince added his second of the game combined with winners by Aaron Gutentag and Brian Frank. Lynn got on the board late at the end of the third to avenge the shutout when Daniel Egan broke free for a scoring opportunity and connected past Amsler, who recorded eight saves in the game. In the final period, Wheeling doubled Lynn 4-2 on goals scored. The Cardinlas were led by Tyler Wickett’s two goals in the fourth a, Bryce Bochu and Jared Baranowski, who each had a goal apiece. Brian Kiel connected again for Lynn for his Fighting Knights leading second goal of the game and season, and also had eight total shots on goal, and Harrison Lynch scored Lynn’s last goal unassisted. The Lynn University Fighting Knights played their first game in program history at neighboring Pope John Paul II High School in Boca Raton while the finishing touches are being put on Brian Campbell Stadium at Lynn University. Brian Campbell Stadium opens on March 30, with a 12 p.m. game against Colorado Mesa. Next up for Lynn is a March 5, matchup against Notre Dame de Namur at 7 p.m., Pope John Paul II High School, 4001 N. Military Trail in Boca Raton. Admission is free.

Marin Cilic Wins 2014 Delray Beach Open by The Venetian Las Vegas Over Kevin Anderson in ATP 250 Thriller in Delray Beach

Marin Cilic’s tennis play at 2014 The Delray Beach Open by The Venetian Las Vegas® was sizzling hot! Yellow smoke was literally billowing off of each serve, forehand and backhand winner, that Cilic hit on the blue hard Plexipave courts of Delray. Cilic outlasted 2012 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships winner Kevin Anderson, 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (7-9) and a deciding 6-4, in a thrilling three-plus hour match to win the 2014 Delray Beach Open and according to the ATP Tour, $81,500 in prize money. Cilic also improved to no. 25 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. Cilic was the seventh-seed in the tournament that featured 32 ATP players including John Isner, Tommy Haas, and Kei Nishikori, among other top-pro tennis players. To get to the finals, Cilic, of Croatia, bounced Germany’s Benjamin Becker in the first round, wild card Ryan Harrison 6-3, 6-4 in the second round, T. Gabashvilli 6-2, 6-3 in the third…and Big John Isner 7-6 (5), and 6-3 in the semi-finals. Fan favorite Isner, reached the semi-finals for the third consecutive year at the tourney. He was coming off of an ankle injury he suffered in Australia, and seemed to move very well on the Plexiplave once again in Delray. Throughout the tournament, Isner’s issue was his composure. The big guy, Isner is 6’9’’ often played far down in size compared to his competition, smacked tennis ball’s completely out of the stadium on Tuesday and Friday resulting in astonishingly, only warnings from the chair umpire. But, that’s understandable, because Big John Isner is fun to watch and likeable, and most likely if one of us had the chance to be the chair umpire, would have been awe of his athletic ability and probably not even issued the warnings. Isner though, struggled in the first set of each of his four matches played at the 2014 Delray Open. Isner came storming back in his first three matches at the tourney, often relying on a serve that pushed 138 M.P.H. but could only muster winning three games against Cilic in the semi’s. Eventual Champion Cilic built momentum over five straight days of play to take the Delray Beach crown, and is 18-4 in matches this year with two titles won. Bob and Mike Bryan won their third doubles title in the last six-years playing in the Delray tourney. The Bryan’s defeated F. Cermak and M. Elgin 6-2 and 6-3. Andy Roddick made his ATP Champions Tour debut for the American team and won three straight matches over Sweden’s Mats Wilander 6-3 and 6-3, Mikael Pernfors 6-3 and 6-2, and Croatia’s Goran Ivanisevic 6-4 and 6-3. Prize money totaled $474,005 at The Delray Beach Open, a men’s pro-tennis ATP 250 tourney held yearly each February at the Delray Beach Tennis Center in beautiful Delray Beach, FL.

Define TEAM - First-Class MIAMI HEAT

Just got to work... Up until 2 a.m. watching all the post-game interviews/NBA Finals Press Conferences. Surreal to me b/c during my sports reporter days I met Ethan Skolnick (Palm Beach Post) he used to write for the Sun-Sentinel and Tom D'Angelo and others I met asking questions to LBJ and Dwayne Wade. That's really neat that the county changed the name officially to MIAMI-WADE County, I thought that was classy... And the Birdman, every other team gave up on the Birdman because he's had his personal issues, Miami signs him to 10-day contract and the guy becomes the missing glue in the Championship puzzle. Most of all I want to share the definition of team last night in terms of those Heaters... Team - Where you win a game with 12 players on the team but only five of those players score all 95 points. Bosh, Miller and Allen (star of game 6, courtesy of hitting !Canasta de tres puntos!) combined to score no points and go 0-14 last night. But, if you watched the game, Bosh wouldn't allow Tony Parker or Tim Duncan to drive the lane, Miller played tenacious defense and Ray Allen moved the ball, played shut-down defense and provided a bit of offensive flow. Spurs coach Greg Popavich said that LBJ and D-Wade played Hall of Fame basketball last night and what can you say about Shane Battier setting an NBA Finals game record with six-three-pointers. King James said it best: "this team is just amazing." Happy for Pat Riley, all the Heat players, and one last thing about team - the Miami Heat shut down Danny Green last night, all-time leader in three-pointers made in an NBA Finals. They shut down Parker and Battier covered Duncan when he missed with 20 seconds left. First-Class Heat!