I know, I know, it has been a busy semester. You, as an FAU student, have had a full schedule of classes and homework on top of that job you took to pay the bills. Chances are you haven’t had much time to follow sports lately. Even if you have been watching the headlines over the past few months, this still may be news to you:
We have a championship team playing right here in town.
It certainly is not the Dolphins, Panthers or Heat. It definitely isn’t the Marlins (they play baseball, you know) and it sure as hell isn’t the Miami Hurricanes or FIU Golden Panthers.
Confused? Who have we forgotten here?
Okay, I’ll fill you in. It is our very own FAU Owls football team. They are the champions of the Sun Belt Conference after unseating the defending champion Troy Trojans 38-32 on Saturday.
You may feel ashamed right now. How could you have missed such a wonderful story, such a magical ride? Especially in the suddenly barren and depressing landscape that is South Florida sports fandom.
The Owls, coached by the venerable (some say legendary) Howard Schnellenberger, have ascended to a championship level in just seven seasons of existence. They did it with a corps of student athletes that has been ignored and shunned by Florida’s more “successful” universities.
They did it with a coach who many thought was washed up. He won the National Championship at the University of Miami in 1983. He assisted Don Shula to an undefeated season with the 1972 Dolphins. He brought the University of Louisville’s football team to national prestige, and then he disappeared. Now at the age of 73, he has started a football program from scratch, brought it into the Bowl Subdivision, and guided it to a championship season. He isn’t done just yet.
As if the story of the resurgent Schnellenberger wasn’t enough, star quarterback (QB) Rusty Smith and his favorite receiver, Cortez Gent, grew up in the shadow of “The Swamp,” only to be ignored by the big-time Florida Gators.
Against the Trojans on Saturday, Smith and Gent led the Owls to the stunning victory in Alabama. Smith threw for 291 yards and two touchdowns. Gent caught eight passes for 155 yards and a TD.
Heart-and-soul linebacker Cergile Sincere and reckless safety Kris Bartels went unnoticed after their respective high school careers. They came to FAU with the hope of joining the fledgling football team as non-scholarship walk-ons. They both made it, and the seniors led the defense to a game-saving fourth quarter stand against Troy. Bartels recovered two Trojan fumbles. By doing so, they each extended their football careers by one more game.
As a team, the Owls banded together in 2007. They weren’t the most dominant team in the Sun Belt. But, they were the best at overcoming adversity. They came from behind to win two conference games, lost one in overtime, handily won two others, and hung on in the end to win despite a furious rally by Troy.
The Owls lost one half of their starting defensive line early in the season, including senior team-leader Josh Pinnick, to injury. A patchwork line made all the difference against the Trojans by pressuring last year’s Sun Belt Player of the Year, QB Omar Haugabook.
So, while the ‘Canes will be home for the holidays, FIU football celebrates its first win in two years, the Dolphins remain the model of ineptitude, the Marlins search for anyone who will notice them and the Panthers and Heat wallow in mediocrity, the Owls are headed to the postseason.
By winning the Sun Belt, the Owls received an automatic bid to the New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 21. FAU is the fastest program ever to reach a bowl game.
A boring brand of football this is not. While coach Schnellenberger resists the fashionable spread offense, he doesn’t shy away from creativity. The Owls’ playbook is chock full of double reverses, hook and ladders and other tricky plays. Their mix of old and new school styles provide their ever-expanding fan base with an exciting game seemingly every week.
Fullback Willie Rose plows the way for running backs Charles Pierre, B.J. Manley and DiIvory Edgecombe. When he isn’t blocking, he does some ball carrying of his own. Against Troy Rose dashed down the sideline for a 41-yard TD run.
Meanwhile, Edgecombe is the model of versatility. During this Saturday’s Troy win, he had five carries for 25 yards and a TD. Three catches for 42 yards. Seven kickoff returns for 143 yards. The guy does it all, week after week.
At the official Troy game watch-party at Duffy’s in Boca Raton, the place was packed wall-to-wall with Owls supporters. In one sports bar on a special Saturday, FAU captured the hearts and minds of many. The Owls’ continued success is sure to keep their attention.
As for you, busy FAU student, you didn’t know what you were missing. The good news is you can still jump on the proverbial bandwagon. There is plenty of room and the Owls would be happy to have you.
