FAU takes on Army in the 2024 Home opener from Boca Raton in less than 24 hours and heading into the matchup FAU is 0-1 and is looking to grab momentum early in the season.

Army provides a unique matchup as defensively FAU won’t face another team like it all year, and if they’re able to institute their game plan it can be tough to stop.

At the same time FAU’s defense will be looking to prevent the Black Knights from controlling the time of possession, the offense will be looking to continue developing its identity, something it struggled with at times in game 1.

If the Owls defense is able to stymie the run game of Army, this could be a huge opportunity for FAU to get in gear offensively, but if the Black Knights are able to run the ball how they want this game could be much closer than Owl Nation will want it to be.

Heading into the matchup, here are 3 things to keep an eye on for the Owls as they look to get their first win of the 2024 season.



What is the offense going to look like?

In game 1, the offense at times was a bit erratic, as in the first half the pass game was nearly non-existent, however Fancher was finding success on the ground but it led to numerous dangerous hits.

The second half saw the passing game develop, with Omari Hayes finding success through the air, Jayshon Platt finding the endzone, and Fancher continuing to pick up first downs with his legs, ending with 10 first downs gained running the ball.

Against a stout MSU defensive line the Owls weren’t able to get CJ Campbell and Zuberi Mobley much space to work with, and both finished with relatively quiet stat lines. This forced FAU into a lot of passing situations on 3rd and long, which didn’t bode well for the Owls in the first game of the year.

In this matchup against Army, it will be important for FAU to establish all 3 parts of the offense early and find a rhythm before Army is able to establish one of their own.



Tom Herman mentioned the importance of protecting Fancher a bit more in this one, so him running the ball 20+ times most likely won’t be in the cards, however QB runs will still be a major part of this offense, but used a bit more safely.

That is why it is crucial in this one that FAU finds a way to get Campbell and Mobley touches early and gain yards on the ground that way, rather than running Cam and risking injury. It will also help FAU set the table and open up short-yardage situations, where the Owls can execute designed run plays for Fancher to utilize his run ability properly.

In the pass game, Herman noted the surprise of only 9 first half passes in week 1 and this week expect the Owls to pass the ball more, especially if the protection around Fancher is improved.

It will be something to watch how much FAU looks to pass the ball early, especially if it isn’t clicking right away, as stopping the clock for Army is something that will play into their favor, but if the Owls are able to get some explosive plays against the black knight defense, that will make it tough for Army to match.

We’ll see how much FAU’s identity has developed in 8 days since the Owls took on MSU, but one thing is for certain and that is FAU will be looking to put together a complete performance in this one, and that will start with them finding their Mojo early on offense.



Who stands out in the pass game?

Assuming FAU looks to pass the ball more frequently and successfully than they did in week 1, the question becomes who is going to step up in the receiving department for the Owls. In week 1, it was Omari Hayes who caught all 5 of his targets for 75 yards, becoming a huge go-to guy on late downs Vs the Spartans.

He’s expected to still see a big role in the offense, although the WRs will still rotate as they did in the season opener, and out of the slot he could be in for another big game if the Owls are able to execute.

What was surprising in week 1 was the lack of production for tight-ends, something that at times can be a focal point in this offense and it being a position of strength for the Owls with a room full of capable players, albeit a few injuries.

Wyatt Sullivan stepped into a starting role following a Zeke Moore shoulder injury during fall camp and has kept that role here through the first 2 weeks of the season. This week will be an opportunity for the unit to become more involved in the passing game, and both Sullivan and Moore could receive short yardage looks and Red Zone targets, as Fancher looks to develop a rhythm early in this matchup.

Outside of the TE and Slot, which typically have been features in the FAU offense, Dom Henry and Jayshon Platt led the way snap count wise in week 1, with Platt finding the endzone, and in week 2 it’s expected for them still to “start” but the unit will still rotate.

There were limited deep shots in week 1, with one to Coombs drawing a PI and another to Joe Young which should have been interference, and this week will be an opportunity for the Owls to find their groove stretching the field against an Army secondary which albeit strong, brings less of a threat than MSU did.

No matter who the Owls look to in this one, it will be important for Fancher to establish his connections early to allow his receivers and himself to feel comfortable and execute the offense without mistakes.



How do the Owls stack up against the option?

Although FAU was able to stop the run quite effectively against MSU, Army presents a whole different animal and on a hot sunny afternoon their option game could become real pesky as the day goes on.

The good thing for FAU is that, yes they have a really solid run defense that was evident against MSU, with players willing to tackle from all levels of the unit, but they also have depth, and in what is expected to be a humid afternoon that will be key in this one.

Army will attempt to get to the outside on a lot of their runs, and the Owls have a solid group of tackling DBs and edge rushers who will be more than capable of moving in space to make the plays necessary.

Chisom Ifeanyi and Chris Jones were able to dominate against MSU in the pass rush department, but Herman noted the run stopping game was something Ifeanyi still needed to work on after his solid debut performance, and this one will be an opportunity for him to do that.

In this one expect to see a healthy dose of rotations across the board defensively as the Owls look to keep fresh legs in their on a toasty afternoon. The talk of depth all offseason was a focal point for FAU and this will be one of the Owls first opportunities to deploy that depth, hopefully with success.



Final Thoughts

FAU has a winnable matchup on their hands as they look to make it 5 straight home-opening victories, however if they fail to execute it moves from winnable to dangerous very quickly.

Following a week 1 performance where the Owls were on the cusp of victory against a p4 opponent, FAU will look to come into this one and play a complete and clean performance in front of a home opening Crowd.

That will require the offense to find their flow early, allowing the running backs to get into space and make plays and giving Fancher time in the pocket to develop the passing game faster than it did last week.

On the other side of the ball, the option presents a tricky task if FAU is unable to stop it as in the aforementioned heat, a team running it effectively and consistently will wear you down. It will be important for FAU to find ways to keep Army off of the field as much as possible, and consistently rotate players to avoid attrition.

It will most likely be a low scoring battle in this one, as Army will be giving it their all to win their AAC debut, however if FAU is able to get a few chunk plays on offense, and force Army to play at a faster tempo it could bode in their favor, and potentially lead to victory if the Owls execute across the board.