Legendary head coach Howard Schnellenberger didn't end his career with the Owls on a high note, finishing with just an 1-11 record last season. The poor showing shouldn't really take away from Schnellengerger's legacy, though, he helped put this team on the map and was one of the biggest reasons the team was able to build a new stadium in Boca Raton.
Carl Pelini takes over as coach after being the defensive coordinator at Nebraska over the last four years. He has inherited an experienced team of 15 starters and 46 lettermen returning. You can follow the odds on the Owls this season and get expert picks on most college football teams at Sports Free Picks.
Offense
Florida Atlantic was one of the worst offensive teams in the entire nation last year, managing just 12.9 points and 249 yards per game. They also struggled hanging onto the ball, finishing the year with a -9 turnover margin. The hope is, with seven starters returning, their experience will help to cut those mistakes down.
Pelini recruited JUCO transfer Melvin German to come in as his likely starting quarterback. Senior QB Graham Wilbert started last season, but completed just 52.4% of his passes for 1,489 yards and seven touchdowns to 15 interceptions. Wilbert still has a chance to fight for his position, but German is expected to start the season under center.
The offense parts ways with their best player in running back Alfred Morris. He leaves as the school's all-time leading rusher and also holds the record for all-purpose yards in a career at FAU. Xavier Stinson, their second-leading rusher, will likely take over the starting job.
The Owls welcome back three of their top four receivers in junior WR DeAndre Richardson, sophomore WR Marcus Cunningham and junior TE Nexon Dorvilus. JUCO transfer Terrell Mitchell could start ahead of Dorvilus at tight end and sophomore WR Derek Moise is expected to step into a starting role.
With three starters and 57 career starts returning, the offensive should improve immensely in the new season. The three starters coming back are junior C Jimmie Colley, senior LG Andy Czuprynski and junior RT Stern Vile. They also add in Minnesota transfer Johnathan Ragoo and he is expected to start at left tackle. Pelini has also recruited two JUCO transfers to help bolster the offensive line.
Defense
Florida Atlantic's defense also struggled mightily last year. They allowed 34.7 points per game and opposing teams racked up 392 total yards per game against them. They do return eight starters, but those players will need to improve drastically to see much of an improvement on this unit.
The defensive line returns just one sack from last year and that could result in the defense being a little soft heading into the fall. Their returning starters are junior DE Cory Henry and senior DT Jimmy Jean. Junior DT David Baptiste and redshirt freshman Robinson Eugene will also start up front.
The Owls will have one of the most improved linebacker corps in the entire country with the return of their #1, #2 and #3 tacklers on this unit. They are senior David Hinds, junior Randell Johnson and sophomore Andrae Kirk.
FAU returns three starters in the secondary in junior corner Keith Reaser, junior corner Treon Howard and senior free safety Demetrius Willamson. They've also added JUCO transfers Tony Grimes and Jeremy McKnight, who could start right away in the defensive backfield.
Sun Belt Prediction - 9th Place
The Owls will definitely win more than a game in Pelini's first year on the job. The offense should be much improved and their defense could surprise a lot of people as they have so much experience and talent returning. Pelini has done a solid job of recruiting JUCO transfers who are capable of helping out right away. Unfortunately, they have a very tough schedule ahead of them. They have a winnable home game against Noth Texas, but then they face Sun Belt title contenders in Troy, FIU and Louisiana at home. A lot of their easier matchups will be road games against Middle Tennessee, ULM, WKU and South Alabama. Their schedule makes it look like they will have just two conference wins, but they are more than capable of pulling off an upset or two.
Carl Pelini takes over as coach after being the defensive coordinator at Nebraska over the last four years. He has inherited an experienced team of 15 starters and 46 lettermen returning. You can follow the odds on the Owls this season and get expert picks on most college football teams at Sports Free Picks.
Offense
Florida Atlantic was one of the worst offensive teams in the entire nation last year, managing just 12.9 points and 249 yards per game. They also struggled hanging onto the ball, finishing the year with a -9 turnover margin. The hope is, with seven starters returning, their experience will help to cut those mistakes down.
Pelini recruited JUCO transfer Melvin German to come in as his likely starting quarterback. Senior QB Graham Wilbert started last season, but completed just 52.4% of his passes for 1,489 yards and seven touchdowns to 15 interceptions. Wilbert still has a chance to fight for his position, but German is expected to start the season under center.
The offense parts ways with their best player in running back Alfred Morris. He leaves as the school's all-time leading rusher and also holds the record for all-purpose yards in a career at FAU. Xavier Stinson, their second-leading rusher, will likely take over the starting job.
The Owls welcome back three of their top four receivers in junior WR DeAndre Richardson, sophomore WR Marcus Cunningham and junior TE Nexon Dorvilus. JUCO transfer Terrell Mitchell could start ahead of Dorvilus at tight end and sophomore WR Derek Moise is expected to step into a starting role.
With three starters and 57 career starts returning, the offensive should improve immensely in the new season. The three starters coming back are junior C Jimmie Colley, senior LG Andy Czuprynski and junior RT Stern Vile. They also add in Minnesota transfer Johnathan Ragoo and he is expected to start at left tackle. Pelini has also recruited two JUCO transfers to help bolster the offensive line.
Defense
Florida Atlantic's defense also struggled mightily last year. They allowed 34.7 points per game and opposing teams racked up 392 total yards per game against them. They do return eight starters, but those players will need to improve drastically to see much of an improvement on this unit.
The defensive line returns just one sack from last year and that could result in the defense being a little soft heading into the fall. Their returning starters are junior DE Cory Henry and senior DT Jimmy Jean. Junior DT David Baptiste and redshirt freshman Robinson Eugene will also start up front.
The Owls will have one of the most improved linebacker corps in the entire country with the return of their #1, #2 and #3 tacklers on this unit. They are senior David Hinds, junior Randell Johnson and sophomore Andrae Kirk.
FAU returns three starters in the secondary in junior corner Keith Reaser, junior corner Treon Howard and senior free safety Demetrius Willamson. They've also added JUCO transfers Tony Grimes and Jeremy McKnight, who could start right away in the defensive backfield.
Sun Belt Prediction - 9th Place
The Owls will definitely win more than a game in Pelini's first year on the job. The offense should be much improved and their defense could surprise a lot of people as they have so much experience and talent returning. Pelini has done a solid job of recruiting JUCO transfers who are capable of helping out right away. Unfortunately, they have a very tough schedule ahead of them. They have a winnable home game against Noth Texas, but then they face Sun Belt title contenders in Troy, FIU and Louisiana at home. A lot of their easier matchups will be road games against Middle Tennessee, ULM, WKU and South Alabama. Their schedule makes it look like they will have just two conference wins, but they are more than capable of pulling off an upset or two.
About the Author:
This football season you can get all of the odds at Sports Free Picks, plus find expert picks from professional handicappers like Jack Jones.
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