FAU Football: Head coach Willie Taggart looks for his eighth straight win at home against UTEP

The FAU Owls will try to break the UTEP Miners four-game winning streak as they face off in an integral Conference USA (CUSA) matchup this Saturday on Homecoming night. 

Something has to give in this game as each team owns their own winning streak of some sorts. Besides UTEP’s current streak, FAU looks for their 12th straight win at Howard Schnellenberger Field that has spanned since 2019. 

No place like home.#WinningInParadise pic.twitter.com/RhE6yXqGsK

— FAU Football (@FAUFootball) October 26, 2021

For head coach Willie Taggart, he’s been perfect at home since the start of his tenure, as he’s looking for his eight straight at home.

FAU and UTEP are also coming off of a win, looking to keep the momentum going as both are trying to remain competitive at the top of the East and West division, respectively. 

Going strictly by what the records suggest, UTEP (6-1, 3-0 CUSA) is having a better season than FAU (4-3, 2-1 CUSA), but are they really a better team?

It does seem the level of competition that the Miners have played hasn’t been all that impressive as they’ve beat New Mexico State, Bethune-Cookman, New Mexico, Old Dominion, and conference foes Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech. Their only loss has been to Boise State.

For FAU, two of their losses were to Air Force and the University of Florida, the first and fourth best rushing offense in the country. Now, UTEP won’t be complaining about the schedule, they play the games they’re supposed to play, but this matchup should give people an idea of who is a conference-championship-level team in CUSA. 

In this preview, we’ll take a look at the offense and defense of FAU heading into this game, how they match up with UTEP, and what they’ll need to do to secure a win. At the end, there will be final score predictions as per usual.

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— FAU Football (@FAUFootball) October 25, 2021

OFFENSE

Against Charlotte, the Owls exploded in the second half, scoring 31 unanswered points behind effective performances from quarterback N’Kosi Perry and running back Johnny Ford.

Despite putting up 38 points on the 49ers last Thursday, the Owls had short drives where besides the 12-play touchdown drive they had in the first quarter, their longest TD drive lasted five plays. 

While Taggart expressed post-game that they are an explosive team and drives like that are to be expected, is that something they can rely on? Time will tell, but the team has shown that they are versatile and have those methodical drives when need be.

This falls in line with the play of the receivers and pass-catchers, mainly LaJohntay Wester and Je’Quan Burton. 

Last week, they both led the team in receptions, with only two. While that seemed to be enough for them to get the win, on most occasions, it won’t. Both have shown flashes of being explosive playmakers with their speed, an aspect that can blow the top off the opposing secondary, 

Taggart talked to the media for the last time before game day Thursday where he mentioned Wester and Burton and how their performance can lead to success. 

“Well if we’re gonna be the team that we want to be, then we need them to continue to make plays for us. We also got to put him in a position to make more plays for us. But, those guys are very talented. They allow us to get those explosive plays, and that’s our offense, that we can kind of live on those explosive plays,” Taggart said. “But also you have to have explosive players in order for those explosive plays to happen you know, so both of those guys are explosive players, so we have to continue to find ways to get them the ball so they can do the thing that we need to do.”

UTEP’s defense so far has given up 204.4 passing yards per game, 92.6 rushing yards per game, and has only allowed 19.3 points per game. On the other side, the offense for the Owls has found success, scoring 30.9 points per game. 

As fans have seen so far this season, FAU is prone to making mistakes that ultimately loses them the game. Whether it be the amount of penalties or turnovers, the trend for the Owls is never the opposing defense getting the credit. It seems that they find ways to hurt themselves. 

It cost them against UAB, as FAU turned the ball over four times, three of them being interceptions thrown by Perry. The dagger before the first half was a pick-six by the Blazers. In total, UAB scored 17 points off turnovers, a statistic that shows that FAU gave them that game.

The ground game has been an aspect that coaches and players harp on, saying if they run effectively and stop the run on defense, it equals wins. Since the focus now is on offense, the Owls would love to have Johnny Ford replicate his performance from last week, running for 92 yards and a score. 

While Ford and the rest of the running back room, they are matching up with a UTEP front has found success in stopping the run. The offensive line will be key in not only protecting Perry, especially from UTEP’s Jadrian Taylor who has 6.5 sacks, but in opening holes for the backs.

If FAU can play a clean game on offense and perform to the levels that they usually do, it could be a good Homecoming for them.

DEFENSE

The defense has been a shining light for the Owls, especially last Thursday against Charlotte. 

They held the 49ers to just nine points, which all were scored in the first half leading FAU to shut them out in the second. That’s the second time they’ve done that this season, the first being in the win against FIU. 

So far this season, the Owls’ defense has allowed 21 points, 187.9 passing yards, and 184.7 rushing yards per game. The rushing yards could be perceived as inflated since they faced Air Force and Florida as said before. 

When looking at UTEP’s offense, they are led by quarterback Gavin Hardison who has thrown 1,549 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He averages about 17 yards per completion which is third in FBS. 

Taggart speaks on Hardison and talks about his traits of what makes him a good quarterback.

“Well, I think he’s one of those guys that can make all the throws he can throw deep out to the field. He’s more of a pocket passer, he’s not a dual threat type guy, and those guys do a great job of protecting him too,” Taggart said. “They allow him time to get the ball out, and he’s a guy that can make all the throws. It’s another reason why our D-line needs to step up and have a hell of a game so we can make sure he doesn’t have as much time to make those big plays.”

Taggart’s evaluation is correct, but Hardison has shown to make mistakes which shows with the seven interceptions. If the defensive line carries their solid performance from last week led by Jaylen Joyner and Evan Anderson, they can make Hardison uncomfortable in the pocket and be forced to make bad decisions. 

The big plays have been beneficial for UTEP, but if they do get in the red zone, it seems like it would favor for FAU. The Owls are tied for No. 1  with Clemson in the nation for red zone defense, the next best being Cincinnati.

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— FAU Football (@FAUFootball) October 25, 2021

They also have a running game that has been a huge part of their offense starting with Ronald Awatt and Deion Hankins. They both combine for 720 yards and eight touchdowns. 

The Owls have found a way to be competent in stopping the run as of late, and if they do the same against UTEP, it can be a long day for the Miners.

1-0 is all that matters. pic.twitter.com/yN4Faj0gcp

— FAU Football (@FAUFootball) October 29, 2021

PREDICTION

Going back to the level of competition point I made earlier, I think it’s a valid one. When it comes to games they’ve played, especially in conference, FAU will be their toughest test so far. 

Unfortunately for them, they will be getting the Owls at home where they’ve been undefeated since 2019. For FAU though, a win over UTEP, despite their schedule, would show that they are a threat to the conference championship.

When it comes to the spread, FAU is actually favored by 11 points, and with the explosive offense and dominant defense that the Owls have shown, it’s not entirely surprising. 

Like most FAU games, it’ll be close in the first half, but the Owls will trail in the second. I don’t expect a blowout, but I expect the Owls to obtain their 12th straight win at Howard Schnellenberger Field and Taggart’s eight straight at home. 

Final Score: FAU 38 – UTEP 24