FAU Football: Game against Middle Tennessee canceled due to COVID-19

This is the fourth game on FAU’s schedule to be canceled due to COVID-19.

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FAU was set to play Middle Tennessee on Saturday before the game got canceled due to COVID-19. Photo by Alex Liscio.

Richard Pereira, Staff Writer

FAU Athletics has confirmed the game between the Florida Atlantic Owls (5-1, 4-1 C-USA) and the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (3-6, 2-4 C-USA) this Saturday has been canceled.

The announcement of the cancellation came due to “COVID-19 testing and contact tracing at Middle Tennessee.”

“The health and safety of our student-athletes is always at the forefront and we understand and support Middle Tennessee’s decision to cancel Saturday’s game,” said FAU Vice President and Director of Athletics Brian White. “I feel for our student-athletes and coaches who diligently prepared to represent FAU this weekend.”

This game is the seventh to be either canceled or postponed due to COVID-19. The three games that were canceled were scheduled to be against Minnesota, Stony Brook, and Old Dominion. The other three games that were postponed were scheduled against South Florida, Georgia Southern, and Southern Miss.

It was going to be the first of a three-game road trip for FAU as the season starts winding down. There are two teams the Owls have yet to face as Georgia Southern and Southern Miss are the remaining opponents.

Head coach Willie Taggart said that after going undefeated at home, the season is still a work in progress for the team.

“It’s good to be 5-1 and still be disappointed that you haven’t played your best ballgame yet,” Taggart said. “I think that’s a good thing and a good challenge for our guys.”

After scoring a touchdown in each of the last two games against FIU and UMass, redshirt senior wide-receiver Brandon Robinson said he is able to get involved in the offense by being a leader for them.

“[Being] someone that my teammates can come to if they need anything, any questions, just let me know,” Robinson said. “I’ll step up and try to help them out in any way I can.”

Limiting penalties will also be a factor for FAU to consider as Taggart wants them to maintain their composure and not do anything reckless.

“We talk about what we can’t do and what we don’t want, and try to focus our guys on not getting penalties,” Taggart said. “If you can control it, we want you to control it for the good of the football team.”

FAU’s next game is scheduled for Dec. 5 at 6.00 p.m. against Georgia Southern. It will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Richard Pereira is a staff writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him @Rich26Pereira.