DocHolliday
Well-known member
BOCA RATON — For the Florida Atlantic Owls, it doesn’t get much better than Saturday night’s home opener at FAU Stadium.
After program founder and longtime coach Howard Schnellenberger was honored before the game, the Owls went out and rolled up 518 yards of offense in a 50-21 rout of Tulsa in front of 14,112.
Quarterback Jaquez Johnson, sidelined by a shoulder injury since the second quarter of the season opener at Nebraska, celebrated his return by hitting 15 of 20 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns and running for another score.
Johnson’s 74-yard TD pass to William Dukes in the first quarter was the longest of his career.
The Owls (1-2) also got a big performance from wide receiver Jenson Stoshak, who had two receptions of 59 yards, one for a touchdown, and totaled three catches for 118 yards.
FAU came into the game reeling after one-sided losses at Nebraska (55-7) and Alabama (41-0), but made a statement by jumping to a 17-0 lead after one quarter.
“I’m proud the team was able to bounce back after two tough losses and stay the course,” FAU coach Charley Partridge said.
Partridge, who earned his first win as a head coach, said Johnson looked good in practice last week.
“You can almost feel his leadership,” Partridge said. “He’s in a very, very good position right now.
“This first win means a lot and that we could do this on a night when Howard was honored.”
Johnson, held out of the Alabama game as a precaution, hit Stoshak for 59 yards to the Tulsa 4 on his first completion of the game. But the Golden Hurricane defense stiffened and the Owls had to settle for a 21-yard Greg Johnson field goal.
On FAU’s second series, on the first play after forcing a Tulsa punt, Johnson dropped back and threw 45 yards down the middle of the field to Dukes, who caught the ball in stride and raced to the end zone for the longest catch of his career.
Cornerback D’Joun Smith, who tied for third in the nation last year with seven interceptions, got his first of the season on Tulsa’s next possession, grabbing a tipped ball and running it back 23 yards for a touchdown.
By the end of the quarter, the Owls were firmly in command, with a 178-33 advantage in total yards and a 9:01-5:59 edge in possession time.
READ REST OF STORY HERE: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/sports/college-football/howard-schnellenberger-field-awes-man-who-founded-/nhMQD/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
After program founder and longtime coach Howard Schnellenberger was honored before the game, the Owls went out and rolled up 518 yards of offense in a 50-21 rout of Tulsa in front of 14,112.
Quarterback Jaquez Johnson, sidelined by a shoulder injury since the second quarter of the season opener at Nebraska, celebrated his return by hitting 15 of 20 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns and running for another score.
Johnson’s 74-yard TD pass to William Dukes in the first quarter was the longest of his career.
The Owls (1-2) also got a big performance from wide receiver Jenson Stoshak, who had two receptions of 59 yards, one for a touchdown, and totaled three catches for 118 yards.
FAU came into the game reeling after one-sided losses at Nebraska (55-7) and Alabama (41-0), but made a statement by jumping to a 17-0 lead after one quarter.
“I’m proud the team was able to bounce back after two tough losses and stay the course,” FAU coach Charley Partridge said.
Partridge, who earned his first win as a head coach, said Johnson looked good in practice last week.
“You can almost feel his leadership,” Partridge said. “He’s in a very, very good position right now.
“This first win means a lot and that we could do this on a night when Howard was honored.”
Johnson, held out of the Alabama game as a precaution, hit Stoshak for 59 yards to the Tulsa 4 on his first completion of the game. But the Golden Hurricane defense stiffened and the Owls had to settle for a 21-yard Greg Johnson field goal.
On FAU’s second series, on the first play after forcing a Tulsa punt, Johnson dropped back and threw 45 yards down the middle of the field to Dukes, who caught the ball in stride and raced to the end zone for the longest catch of his career.
Cornerback D’Joun Smith, who tied for third in the nation last year with seven interceptions, got his first of the season on Tulsa’s next possession, grabbing a tipped ball and running it back 23 yards for a touchdown.
By the end of the quarter, the Owls were firmly in command, with a 178-33 advantage in total yards and a 9:01-5:59 edge in possession time.
READ REST OF STORY HERE: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/sports/college-football/howard-schnellenberger-field-awes-man-who-founded-/nhMQD/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
