2020 Florida Atlantic Owls football team

Last updated

2020 Florida Atlantic Owls football
Florida Atlantic Athletics wordmark.svg
Montgomery Bowl, L 10–25 vs. Memphis
Conference Conference USA
DivisionEast Division
Record5–4 (4–2 C-USA)
Head coach
Co-offensive coordinator Clint Trickett (1st season)
Co-offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer (1st season)
Offensive scheme Multiple
Defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt (1st season)
Base defense 3–4
Home stadium FAU Stadium
Seasons
  2019
2021  
2020 Conference USA football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
Marshall xy  4 1   7 3  
Florida Atlantic  4 2   5 4  
Western Kentucky  4 3   5 7  
Charlotte  2 2   2 4  
Middle Tennessee  2 4   3 6  
FIU  0 3   0 5  
West Division
UAB xy$  3 1   6 3  
UTSA  5 2   7 5  
Louisiana Tech  4 2   5 5  
North Texas  3 4   4 6  
Rice  2 3   2 3  
Southern Miss  2 4   3 7  
UTEP  0 4   3 5  
Championship: UAB 22, Marshall 13
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
  • Note: Due to COVID-19, Old Dominion opted out of the season.

The 2020 Florida Atlantic Owls football team represented Florida Atlantic University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Owls played their home games at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida, and competed in the East Division of Conference USA (CUSA). They were led by head coach Willie Taggart, in his first year.

Contents

Preseason

Awards

Listed in the order that they were released

PlayerPositionYear
Desmond NoelOLSenior

[1]

CUSA media days

The CUSA Media Days was held virtually for the first time in conference history. [2]

Schedule

Florida Atlantic announced its 2020 football schedule on January 8, 2020. [3] The 2020 schedule originally consisted of 6 home and 6 away games in the regular season.

The Owls had games scheduled against Minnesota, Old Dominion, Stony Brook, and Middle Tennessee which were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [4] [5] [6] [7]

The Owls also had games scheduled against Georgia Southern, South Florida, and Southern Miss, which were postponed due to the pandemic. [8] [9] [10] The Georgia Southern game is now rescheduled for December 5 [11] and the Southern Miss game is now rescheduled for December 10. [12] They also added a new game against UMass on November 20 to replace their canceled game against Old Dominion, which was previously scheduled for that same weekend. [13]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
October 34:00 p.m. Charlotte ESPNU W 21–175,657
October 242:30 p.m.at No. 22 Marshall Stadium L 9–2012,002
October 3112:00 p.m. UTSA
  • FAU Stadium
  • Boca Raton, FL
StadiumW 24–35,026
November 76:00 p.m. Western Kentucky
  • FAU Stadium
  • Boca Raton, FL
StadiumW 10–65,292
November 137:00 p.m.at FIU CBSSN W 38–190
November 208:00 p.m. UMass *
  • FAU Stadium
  • Boca Raton, FL
CBSSNW 24–25,554
December 56:00 p.m.at Georgia Southern * ESPN+ L 3–203,867
December 106:30 p.m.at Southern Miss CBSSNL 31–450
December 237:00 p.m.vs. Memphis * ESPN L 10–252,979
Schedule Source: [14] [15]

Game summaries

Charlotte

Charlotte at Florida Atlantic
1234Total
49ers1000717
Owls0021021
  • Date: October 3, 2020
  • Location: FAU Stadium
    Boca Raton, FL
  • Game start: 4:02 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 20 minutes
  • Game attendance: 5,657
  • Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C) • Weather: Drizzle • Wind: SSE 10 MPH
  • Referee: Billy Williams
  • TV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Corey (play–by–play) and Jay Walker (analyst)
   
Pregame lineOver/under
FAU −562.5 [16]
StatisticsCharlotteFlorida Atlantic
First downs2215
Total yards396315
Rushing yards82217
Passing yards31498
Turnovers10
Time of possession37:4922:11
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
CharlottePassingChris Reynolds24/32, 314 yards, 1 TD
RushingTre Harbison III17 carries, 49 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingVictor Tucker9 receptions, 118 yards
Florida AtlanticPassingNick Tronti11/22, 98 yards, 2 TDs
RushingNick Tronti10 carries, 94 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingT. J. Chase3 receptions, 31 yards, 1 TD

At Marshall

Florida Atlantic at Marshall
1234Total
Owls06309
No. 22 Thundering Herd7010320
  • Date: October 24, 2020
  • Location: Joan C. Edwards Stadium
    Huntington, WV
  • Game start: 2:30 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 11 minutes
  • Game attendance: 12,002
  • Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: S 6 MPH
  • Referee: Rodney Burnette
  • TV announcers (Stadium): Chris Hassel (play-by-play) and A. J. Hawk (analyst)
  
Pregame lineOver/under
MRSH −19.550.5 [17]
StatisticsFlorida AtlanticMarshall
First downs1719
Total yards234385
Rushing yards86134
Passing yards148251
Turnovers12
Time of possession33:1226:48
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Florida AtlanticPassingNick Tronti18/30, 148 yards, 1 INT
RushingMalcolm Davidson8 carries, 62 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingJordan Merrell5 receptions, 48 yards
MarshallPassing Grant Wells 18/31, 251 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
RushingBrenden Knox25 carries, 101 yards
ReceivingCorey Gammage6 receptions, 79 yards

UTSA

Texas–San Antonio at Florida Atlantic
1234Total
Roadrunners03003
Owls1070724
  • Date: October 31, 2020
  • Location: FAU Stadium
    Boca Raton, FL
  • Game start: 12:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours & 18 minutes
  • Game attendance: 5,026
  • Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Humid/Partly Cloudy • Wind: ESE 6 MPH
  • Referee: Chris Bynum
  • TV announcers (Stadium): Chris Vosters (play-by-play) and Max Stark (analyst)
  
Pregame lineOver/under
FAU −547 [18]
StatisticsUTSAFlorida Atlantic
First downs1619
Total yards230332
Rushing yards104196
Passing yards126136
Turnovers00
Time of possession27:5432:06
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
UTSAPassing Frank Harris 12/26, 109 yards
RushingFrank Harris14 carries, 66 yards
Receiving Joshua Cephus 5 receptions, 63 yards
Florida AtlanticPassingNick Tronti11/19, 136 yards, 1 TD
RushingMalcolm Davidson14 carries, 115 yards
ReceivingAaron Young3 receptions, 54 yards, 1 TD

Western Kentucky

Western Kentucky at Florida Atlantic
1234Total
Hilltoppers00336
Owls003710
  • Date: November 7, 2020
  • Location: FAU Stadium
    Boca Raton, FL
  • Game start: 6:35 p.m. EST
  • Elapsed time: 2 hours & 53 minutes
  • Game attendance: 5,292
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) • Weather: Rainy and Windy • Wind: E 20 MPH
  • Referee: Jon Noli
  • TV announcers (Stadium): Chris Hassel (play-by-play) and A. J. Hawk (analyst)
  
Pregame lineOver/under
FAU −740.5 [19]
StatisticsWestern KentuckyFlorida Atlantic
First downs1618
Total yards257273
Rushing yards94165
Passing yards163108
Turnovers01
Time of possession33:4926:11
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Western KentuckyPassing Tyrrell Pigrome 19/39, 163 yards
RushingGaej Walker17 carries, 78 yards
ReceivingXavier Lane7 receptions, 60 yards
Florida AtlanticPassingNick Tronti7/16, 108 yards
RushingJavion Posey9 carries, 60 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingTJ Chase3 receptions, 47 yards

At FIU

Florida Atlantic at Florida International
1234Total
Owls71701438
Panthers0100919
       
Pregame lineOver/under
FAU −8.541.5 [20]
StatisticsFlorida AtlanticFIU
First downs2114
Total yards450281
Rushing yards370156
Passing yards80125
Turnovers10
Time of possession29:3327:58
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Florida AtlanticPassingJavion Posey10/16, 80 yards, 2 TD
RushingJavion Posey18 carries, 140 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingTJ Chase1 reception, 28 yards
FIUPassingMax Bortenschlager10/18, 82 yards
Rushing D'Vonte Price 26 carries, 178 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Rivaldo Fairweather 6 receptions, 49 yards

UMass

Massachusetts at Florida Atlantic
1234Total
Minutemen00202
Owls7014324
  
Pregame lineOver/under
FAU −32.550.5 [21]
StatisticsUMassFlorida Atlantic
First downs816
Total yards147368
Rushing yards62140
Passing yards85228
Turnovers21
Time of possession25:1034:50
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
UMassPassingWill Koch12/22, 67 yards, 1 INT
Rushing Ellis Merriweather 11 carries, 48 yards
ReceivingJosiah Johnson8 receptions, 42 yards
Florida AtlanticPassingJavion Posey13/27, 203 yards
RushingJavion Posey19 carries, 90 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingTJ Chase4 receptions, 79 yards

At Georgia Southern

Florida Atlantic at Georgia Southern
1234Total
Owls00303
Eagles01001020
  • Date: December 5, 2020
  • Location: Paulson Stadium
    Statesboro, GA
  • Game start: 6:00 p.m. EST
  • Elapsed time: 2 hours & 55 minutes
  • Game attendance: 3,867
  • Game weather: • Weather: TBD • Wind: TBD MPH
  • Referee: T. Livingston
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Matt Stewart (play-by-play) and Danny Waugh (analyst)
 
Pregame lineOver/under
GASO −2.542 [22]
StatisticsFlorida AtlanticGeorgia Southern
First downs1618
Total yards322339
Rushing yards133269
Passing yards18970
Turnovers40
Time of possession23:1536:45
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Florida AtlanticPassingJavion Posey7/15, 105 yards, 2 INT
RushingJavion Posey8 carries, 61 yards
ReceivingJordan Merrell3 receptions, 67 yards
Georgia SouthernPassingJustin Tomlin3/12, 70 yards
RushingJustin Tomlin20 carries, 78 yards
ReceivingLogan Wright2 receptions, 65 yards

At Southern Miss

Florida Atlantic at Southern Mississippi
1234Total
Owls71014031
Golden Eagles101414745
        
Pregame lineOver/under
FAU −8.541 [23]
StatisticsFlorida AtlanticSouthern Miss
First downs1922
Total yards326514
Rushing yards164305
Passing yards162209
Turnovers13
Time of possession28:4131:19
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Florida AtlanticPassingNick Tronti17/33, 162 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
RushingJames Charles16 carries, 79 yards, 2 TD
ReceivingBrandon Robinson5 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD
Southern MissPassingTrey Lowe13/19, 209 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Frank Gore Jr. 9 carries, 111 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Jason Brownlee 3 receptions, 81 yards, 1 TD

Vs. Memphis (Montgomery Bowl)

Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic
1234Total
Tigers1087025
Owls0010010
   
Pregame lineOver/under
MEM −952.5 [24]
StatisticsMemphisFlorida Atlantic
First downs2419
Total yards469290
Rushing yards185139
Passing yards284151
Turnovers32
Time of possession30:4429:16
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
MemphisPassing Brady White 22/34, 284 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
RushingAsa Martin15 carries, 96 yards
ReceivingJavon Ivory7 receptions, 126 yards, 1 TD
Florida AtlanticPassingNick Tronti16/32, 146 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
RushingJames Charles16 carries, 82 yards
ReceivingBrandon Robinson4 receptions, 39 yards

Related Research Articles

The Florida Atlantic Owls football program represents Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in the sport of American football. The Owls compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the American Athletic Conference (American/AAC). The Owls' head coach from 2020 to 2022 was Willie Taggart. Florida Atlantic has produced a Sun Belt Conference co-championship team in 2007, two Conference USA championships in 2017 and 2019, along with 4 postseason bowl appearances and one appearance in the 2003 I-AA Playoffs. The Owls play their home games at FAU Stadium which has a seating capacity of 29,419.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Florida Atlantic Owls football team</span> American college football season

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The 2019 Florida Atlantic Owls football team represented Florida Atlantic University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Owls played their home games at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida, and competed in the East Division of Conference USA (CUSA). They were led by head coach Lane Kiffin, and interim head coach Glenn Spencer for their bowl game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Conference USA Football Championship Game</span> College football game

The 2019 Conference USA Football Championship Game was a college football game played on Saturday, December 7, 2019, at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida, to determine the 2019 champion of Conference USA (C–USA). The game featured the East division champions Florida Atlantic and the West division champions UAB and was the conference's 15th championship game. With sponsorship from Ryan LLC, a global tax services and software provider, the game was officially the 2019 Ryan Conference USA Football Championship Game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Florida Atlantic Owls baseball team</span>

The 2020 Florida Atlantic Owls baseball team represented Florida Atlantic University in the sport of baseball for the 2020 college baseball season. The Owls competed in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Conference USA. They played their home games at FAU Baseball Stadium, on the university's Boca Raton, Florida, campus. The team was coached by John McCormack, who was in his eleventh season at Florida Atlantic. On March 16, 2020, the Conference USA announced that all spring sport competition and championships, including baseball, have been cancelled.

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The 2020 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented the University of Cincinnati in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bearcats played their home games at Nippert Stadium and competed as members of the American Athletic Conference. They were led by fourth-year head coach Luke Fickell.

The 2020 Memphis Tigers football team represented the University of Memphis in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers played their home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, and competed in the American Athletic Conference. They were led by first-year head coach Ryan Silverfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Temple Owls football team</span> American college football season

The 2020 Temple Owls football team represented Temple University during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Owls were led by second-year head coach Rod Carey and played their home games at Lincoln Financial Field, competing as a member of the American Athletic Conference (AAC).

The 2020 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Eagles played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia, and competed in the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by third-year head coach Chad Lunsford.

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The 2020 FIU Panthers football team represented Florida International University (FIU) in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Panthers played their home games at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami, Florida, and competed in the East Division of Conference USA (C-USA). They were led by fourth-year head coach Butch Davis. The season was notably truncated due to several cancellations stemming from the effects of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

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The 2020 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represented Middle Tennessee State University as a member of the East Division of Conference USA (C-USA) during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by 15th-year head coach Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders compiled an overall record of 3–6 with a mark of 2–4 in conference play, placing fifth in the C-USA's East Division. The team played home games at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team</span> American college football season

The 2020 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team (WKU) represented Western Kentucky University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hilltoppers played their home games at the Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky, as members of the East Division of Conference USA (C–USA). They were led by second-year head coach Tyson Helton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 North Texas Mean Green football team</span> American college football season

The 2020 North Texas Mean Green football team represented the University of North Texas during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mean Green played their home games at Apogee Stadium in Denton, Texas, and competed in the West Division of Conference USA (C–USA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team</span> American college football season

The 2020 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team represented the University of Southern Mississippi in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Golden Eagles played their home games at the M. M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and competed in the West Division of Conference USA (CUSA). Head coach Jay Hopson, who was in his fifth year, resigned after one game and was replaced by interim head coach Scotty Walden. Walden himself resigned after four games to become the head coach at Austin Peay and was replaced by Tim Billings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 UTSA Roadrunners football team</span> American college football season

The 2020 UTSA Roadrunners football team represented the University of Texas at San Antonio during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Roadrunners played their home games at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, and competed in the West Division of Conference USA (CUSA). They were led by first-year head coach Jeff Traylor.

The 2020–21 Florida Atlantic Owls men's basketball team represented Florida Atlantic University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Owls, led by third-year head coach Dusty May, played their home games at FAU Arena in Boca Raton, Florida as members of East Division of Conference USA.

The 2020–21 Florida Atlantic Owls women's basketball team represented Florida Atlantic University during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The team was led by fifth-year head coach Jim Jabir, and played their home games at the FAU Arena in Boca Raton, Florida as a member of Conference USA.

References

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  2. "Conference USA to hold virtual football media days due to COVID-19". ktsm.com. May 5, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  3. "2020 FAU Football Schedule Announced". Florida Atlantic University Department of Athletics. January 8, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  4. Myerberg, Paul. "Big Ten football reduces season schedule to only conference games, maybe setting stage for others to follow". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  5. Singelais, Mark (July 16, 2020). "Reports: CAA football won't play this fall". Times Union. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  6. "Old Dominion postponing football and fall sports". The Virginian Pilot. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  7. "Football at MT Canceled". Florida Atlantic University Department of Athletics. November 27, 2020.
  8. "Football Game versus Georgia Southern Postponed". Florida Atlantic University Department of Athletics. September 18, 2020.
  9. "The FAU vs USF Football Game has been Postponed". Florida Atlantic University Department of Athletics. September 23, 2020.
  10. "Football vs. Southern Mississippi is Postponed". Florida Atlantic University Department of Athletics. October 8, 2020.
  11. "Football Reschedules Game with Georgia Southern". Florida Atlantic University Department of Athletics. September 30, 2020.
  12. "C-USA Reschedules FAU Football at Southern Miss". Florida Atlantic University Department of Athletics. November 4, 2020.
  13. "Football Inks Deal to Host UMass on Friday, Nov. 20". Florida Atlantic University Department of Athletics. November 6, 2020.
  14. "2020 Football Schedule". Florida Atlantic University Athletics. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  15. "2020 Florida Atlantic Owls Schedule". ESPN. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  16. "Charlotte 49ers vs Florida Atlantic Owls". Odds Shark. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  17. "Florida Atlantic Owls vs Marshall Thundering Herd". Odds Shark. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  18. "UTSA Roadrunners vs Florida Atlantic Owls". Odds Shark. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  19. "WKU Hilltoppers vs Florida Atlantic Owls". Odds Shark. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  20. "Florida Atlantic Owls vs FIU Panthers". Odds Shark. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  21. "Massachusetts Minutemen vs Florida Atlantic Owls". Odds Shark. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  22. "Florida Atlantic Owls vs Georgia Southern Eagles". Odds Shark. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  23. "Florida Atlantic vs Southern Mississippi". ESPN . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  24. "Memphis Tigers vs Florida Atlantic Owls". Odds Shark. Retrieved December 26, 2020.