Photo Rain Hayles Week 4 was a step back for FAU, as the Owls were beaten on all fronts in a wire-to-wire 48-14 loss to UConn. Following a week 3 performance where the team looked like they had turned a corner against FIU, the Owls struggled against the run in similar fashion they did vs Army, and were plagued by major offensive inconsistencies that have been seen throughout the season. The Owls found some consistency with CJ Campbell JR late in the game, but at the half FAU had 10 total passing yards and 0 points accounted for and it wasnt until FAU was down 27-0 that they put together their first scoring drive of the day, which UConn matched on their next possession. Major adjustments will be needed headed into the next game against Wagner and beyond, as following this matchup FAU will have a bye before starting conference play. With that being said, lets take a look at what stood out inside the numbers in week 4 for FAU. Defense gashed against the run (again) For the second time this season FAU has allowed over 400 yards rushing, as Army was able to achieve that in week 2 and UConn did that in week 4, rushing it 66 times for 421 yards and 4 touchdowns. Also for the 3rd time this season, FAU has recorded double digit missed tackles, 10 in week 1 against MSU, 13 against Army and 17 this week. It has been a big struggle against the run and missed tackles will plague you, especially from the front 7, which has led to a lot of runs getting to the second level against the Owls. UConn was consistently getting to that aforementioned second level, as FAU had a combined depth of tackle of 5.6, allowing more than half of a first down every time the Huskies touched the ball. The struggles to tackle at the first level were evident, as UConn picked up 286 of their 421 rushing yards after contact, at an average of 4.3 yards after contact per attempt, with leading rushers Durrell Robinson and Mel Brown averaging 6.6 and 5.7 YCO/A respectively. A lot of those big runs however came late in that game, when FAUs defense was gassed due to UConn doubling them up in overall time of possession. FAU finished 5 of their 10 drives with a 3-and-out and only picked up 9 first downs overall and those struggles leaked over to the defense, as against a run-heavy UConn squad by the end the defense was running on fumes. Multiple 400 yard performances allowed isnt a tag a defense wants attached to them, but such is the case for FAU and the Owls will have to push past those struggles and find a way to stop the run in upcoming weeks. Offensive struggles There have been struggles across the board offensively for FAU at times this season, but one thing that has carried over is the team’s inability to come out of the gates with any type of rhythm. In each of FAUs 4 games so far this season, the offense has started with a 3-and-out which isnt the end of the world in and of itself, however it has made it difficult for the unit to find their mojo early. In the first half against UConn the offense really struggled, the Owls went 3 and out on 3 of their 5 first half drives and on the other 2 they picked up 1 first down before punting. There was little to no pass game, as Cam Fancher completed 4 of 7 passes for only 10 yards, picking up 56 on the ground, but having no connection with his receivers. FAU had 80 rushing yards on 13 carries in the first half, getting 6.2 yards per carry, but in passing situations there was nothing going for the Owls and it led to many drives dying out. Fancher has been dealing with an injured finger on his throwing hand that has impacted the offense’s ability to stretch the field. Against UConn, Fancher attempted only 1 throw longer than 10 yards, his lowest of the season, and averaged 5.8 yards per attempt. With FAU struggling to put together a formidable pass game, teams will be able to stack the box against what has been an improving run game with Zuberi Mobley and CJ Campbell. Tom Herman mentioned that Fancher will need until through the bye week for his finger to fully heal, so it will be tough to fully judge the pass game until then, however FAU may not be able to wait until mid-season for everything to click. FAU finds success with their RBs in back-to-back weeks In what was an overall calamity of a game one place FAU can find a positive is in their RB room, as for the second straight week the Owls were able to churn out consistent yardage with their backs. Last week was the Zuberi Mobley show as the Owls veteran back broke out for 3 TDs and over 100 yards, and although no FAU back was able to put up that level of production this week, CJ Campbell JR. was productive in the second half, finishing with 6 carries for 53 yards and 2 TDS, also hauling in his lone target for 16 yards. Campbell flashed breakaway speed on his 38 yard score and power on his 5 yard TD where he carried a few husky defenders into the endzone. He also forced 4 missed tackles and averaged 7.6 yards after contact per attempt, displaying will power to grind out yards despite trailing multiple scores. Zuberi Mobley was slowed down following his big performance last week, carrying it 10 times for 36 yards, with 20 of those coming after contact. It wasnt the flashiest statline, however more than half his yards coming after the first contact shows his ability to grind out yards, and when the pass game is working, set up manageable situations. FAU found themselves trailing big in this one and couldnt lean entirely on the ground, but with a pass game struggling to find consistency its quite possible we see FAU rely more on their running backs as the season goes on. Final thoughts The Owls reverting back to their early season run struggles was a bit of a surprise after a corner turning game against FIU, and now run defense, along with missed tackles becomes a concern with the unit. In terms of the offense, the passing game struggles have really hurt, as even though the Owls have found their run game with Campbell Jr and Mobley, Fancher and Co. are unable to convert anything longer than 3rd and medium with the pass. Wagner in week 5 will be a chance for this team to bounce back before heading into a bye, however look to see what adjustments are made on both sides of the ball as FAU looks to find consistency.
