FAU Sports

Bad news: No quick fix for the D and some injuries

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:06:00 -0500

Just had our Sunday evening chat with The Voice.

Saturday after the game he was talking about “major surgery” for the defense, but today he backed off on that after realizing that wasn’t a possibility.

It would be like scheduling a heart replacement surgery without a donor heart. FAU is stuck with what it has.

Worse, DB Tarvoris Hill is out for the season with a broken arm. Erick McIntosh will slide into his spot.

And FAU paid a price for emptying the bench in hopes of finding defensive players who could slow down UAB.

Redshirt freshmen linebackers Alex Patee and Yourhighness Morgan both have possible concussions, which will keep them out of practice this week and possibly out of Saturday’s game.

That’s not good for a linebacking crew already pretty thin.

Howard’s only solution for trying to improve the D was to up the intensity in practice. He said it is not a case of the players being overmatched physically, it is that they don’t get in position to even get a chance to match up physically.

OK, I offer proof that on at least one occasion Saturday, the defense did tackle UAB QB Joe Webb before he made a first down.

Note the first down marker on the left.
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That is Hill (No. 9) before he broke his arm.

The numbers out of that debacle in Birmingham are really laughable, unless you happen to be an FAU fan.

Webb averaged 8 yards per carry while gaining 120 on 15 tries. As a team, UAB averaged 20.9 yards per completion, 9.4 per rush and 11.5 per play.

Their eight straight TD drives covered 83, 98, 80, 71, 63, 68, 72 and 80 yards, so it is not like they were starting with a short field. Their longest drive time-wise? 4:20. Shortest? 44 seconds.

They just blew through FAU’s alleged defense.

They didn’t punt until 9 minutes left in the game, and I think that is only because they got tired, or that the ROTC dudes who came out and did pushups after every score begged for mercy.
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And here is the defensive hilite of the game – Ed Bradwell (47) got a hand on Webb as he went past and it was enough to cause Webb to go down, and that turned into a sack. It was the only sack on the day for FAU.
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I’ll be kind and leave it at that.

Later…

FAU vs. UAB: The Video

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:48:01 -0500

In less than 1:30, and at no cost, here is your FAU vs. FAU game summary. And it ain't sweet...
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Bonus pix included....

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Later...

FAU vs, UAB Photo Gallery

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:49:17 -0500

OK, let's just forget about the score...

Jeff Van Camp (12) was one of captains. FAU lost the toss, a sign of things to come...
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Later...

Schnellenberger: FAU's worst beating ever

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:48:49 -0500

FAU has been beaten up before, but usually it was by a BCS bully.

Nobody at its own level did what UAB did Saturday, which prompted The Voice to rightly said that this was "worst beating we have ever had."

FAU gave up a record 622 yards to a mid-level Conference USA team that the Owls handled last year.

A grim bunch game in for interviews, as you could expect.

Here is linebacker Michael Lockley talking about the ass-kicking.

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Having witnessed all the beatings, I would agree with Schnellenberger on this one.

It wasn't that FAU was physically overmatched as it had been in past thumpings. The defense just played terrible. Well, actually, worse than terrible.

"It is obviously too late to use patches and glue and stuff like that to try and shore up the defense. Major, major surgery is needed," Schnellenberger said.

I am wondering where he starts cutting. It's not like you can sign free agents or expect scout team players to jump in and produce as starters.

Does it start with the coaching staff?

Did you see how UAB, whose own defense was not exactly great in the first half, came out in the second and limited FAU to nine points?

Well, we'll have this to kick around for a while.

Oh, and FAU's season will end at 12 games. No bowl game this year, even if they win out, which seems laughable right now.

Think what Troy will do to this defense. Yikes.

Later....

Dead at Legion Field -- FAU's season -- UAB 56, FAU 29

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:23:23 -0500

How bad was it? Well, I don't know where to start.

First off, best FAU can finish is 6-6, and that won't get them into a bowl, so this season is over with four to play.

To be fair, the O did OK. Van Camp was decent.
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And got some help from his teammates, as Jason Harmon came down with this one-handed grab.

But the Defense, OMG, freaking, scarily awful.

UAB finally punted with nine minutes left in the game. And they actually punted again. Of course this was after they scored TDs on their eight possessions. Yep, 8 for 8.
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Daniel Borne scored on this 22 yard pass.

And Joe Webb was as advertised.
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Speculation on press row about defensive coordinator Kirk Hoza's status. FAU will assuredly now drop to the bottom of nearly every defensive category.

We'll see.

Be back with some more stuff. Off the talk with Howard and the players.

Later...

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Well, the O is going OK. Van Camp has a career-first TD pass and career-first TD run and the offense has 278 yards of offense in the first half.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is the awful D which has not forced a punt yet and the Blazers have scored every time they have touched the ball.

Five times they have had it, five TDs. 35-24 at the half and FAU has had no answer. UAB has 385 yards of offense.

UAB has rushed for 231 yards, and Webb has 100 on 10 carries. But that is nothing compared to Rashaud Slaughter, who has 103 yards on 3 (THREE) carries.

If you aren’t seeing it, it is hard to describe just how bad the defense is playing . They know Joe Webb is going to run, but on the third play of UAB’s first possession he goes 65 yards for a TD. Downright pitiful

Here is Webb scoring one of his two rushing TDs.
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And here is Van Camp’s first career TD, a 2-yard pass to Cortez Gent.
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Van Camp is 17-of-23 for 178 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT.

Not bad, and he is keeping FAU in striking distance, since the UAB defense is bad, but not nearly as bad as FAU’s, at least in the first half.

Later…

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Yes, we have the perfect day for football. Sitting high above Legion Field, which is way too big for this team and is way off campus (not as far as Lockhart).

But it is gorgeous here. Mild temps, leaves changing, some nice hills surrounding the city and stadium. And a fast track (artificial turf).

PREGAME MUSINGS

Miss you, Rusty Smith. Weird not seeing you out there, and will be really strange not asking you questions after the game. Best of luck.

And best of luck to JVC, who has patiently waited his turn and now gets his chance.

Defense, today is the day to step up. Give your new QB some breathing room. The O can’t be expected to bail your butts out game after game.
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Saw plenty of cars with flags on the road, flags for LSU and UAT (Alabama-Tuscaloosa) because I am told there is another college football game nearby.

Later…

FAU vs. UAB Game Day: JVC Era begins

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:09:15 -0500

Yes, the Jeff Van Camp Era is about to begin, and will happen on a picture-perfect fall day in Bama.

Not a cloud in the sky, which is robin’s egg blue, and the temp should be very comfortable.

I am going into this with a glass-half-full attitude, and thinking good thoughts, and the bright smiles of these ladies who attended the MTSU game are helping.
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As far as the game, you canGO HERE for all the details.

But it comes down to this – How does JVC do in his debut, and how does the D handle his counterpart, Joe Webb of UAB.

How the D does will determine how good JVC has to be. If they can’t stop Webb, then FAU will have to score a lot of points, and that could be tough.

The expectations have been tamped down a bit with the loss of Rusty Smith. I don’t think fans are expecting Van Camp to step in and put up big numbers, nor should they.

Very curious to see how this unfolds.

I’ll check in from the spacious, historic and worn down Legion Field before kickoff.

Later…

Inside the Blazers: Q&A about UAB

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:36:19 -0500

Before we get into the questions, a note for this wishing to watch this game live instead of listening to it.

OwlTV is going to be in Birmingham and the game will be shown live on the Boca Raton campus in the Student Union’s Grand Palm Room.

The party begins at 1 p.m., with the game starting at 2. It is free to all students, with a $5 donation for anyone else who wants to come.

The game can be heard on ESPN 760AM in Palm and ESPN 1400AM in Broward.

Now, About the Blazers

Thanks to Steve Irvine of the Birmingham News. Here is Steve’s web page on all things Blazers.

Q: FAU's defensive coordinator said UAB's offense is kind of like the Wildcat the Miami Dolphins run, only instead of a running back Ronnie Brown behind center, UAB has Joe Webb, who can throw the ball pretty well. Is that an accurate picture of UAB's offense?

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It certainly wasn't intended to look like a full-time Wildcat formation. But I guess you could say it's sort of developed into that with Webb's running ability, the struggling passing game and the running backs not really getting a chance to develop. So what happened was Webb has burned defenses with his running ability. UAB has thrown the ball better the past two games and the hope among the offensive coaching staff is they can begin to rely more on throwing the ball. With that being said, though, the best option is always going to be let Webb beat teams with his legs.

Q: In last year's game against FAU, Webb threw for 326 yards, which seems like an aberration, since he is getting so many yards on the ground and throwing for just 132 per game. Is that accurate, and talk about how Webb mixes the pass and run.

Webb certainly has good arm strength but he hasn't looked comfortable throwing the ball for most of the season. He's been a bit tentative since throwing four interceptions against SMU. Often, instead of waiting for a receiver to come open, he'll look to run. How can you argue with that approach when he's the top running quarterback in the country?
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Q: From the stats, it looks like the biggest weakness for UAB is the defensive secondary. What is going on with that unit and should FAU be looking at passing first rather than trying to run?

The stats don't lie. UAB's secondary has faced more than its share of struggles. I think they have the pieces to be a competent secondary but injuries have hampered their development. They are trying to find enough healthy bodies to fill out the secondary right now. They have really missed safety Chase Daniel, who sat out the past two games because of a concusssion and is questionable -- at best -- on Saturday. Make me FAU's offensive coordinator and my first plan of attack would be through the air.

Q: This is a game between two pretty young programs. How has UAB fared since its move to I-A, and where does it stand now in terms of development?

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It's certainly been a program that is still bogged down by growing pains. The program looked to be turning a corner when the Blazers played in the 2004 Hawaii Bowl under former head coach Watson Brown. But they were 8-15 over the next two seasons and Neil Callaway took over the program. Callaway cleaned house when he got to campus and now the program is in another building phase. These next four weeks are critically important to the program's growth under Callaway.

Q: I've heard a lot about Legion Field, but have never been there. Can you give us a brief description and maybe tips on where FAU fans should go for a post-game meal and adult beverage?

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Legion Field is old and big. Is that brief enough? It was once a great stadium but has seen its better days. As far as food and drink, when in Birmingham you need to find some barbecue. We have plenty of great choices. Dreamland is always a good option but my favorite barbecue spot is Jim ‘N Nick's. Full Moon is also really good. The Five Points section of Birmingham -- which is near UAB -- has plenty of good food and drink options.

Q: Not sure if you do predictions, but if you do, what is your feel for how this game plays out?

It might not be quite this simple but I think the quarterbacks will decide the winner. If Joe Webb turns into Superman -- which he's done a bunch this year -- then I like the Blazers. If Jeff Van Camp looks like Rusty Smith then I like the Owls chances. I'll give you my official prediction as soon as the game is over.

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Thanks to Steve for that info.

I'll be in Bama this evening. HBHD is still recovering from his head reattachment surgery, so don't expect a wild night on the town.

Later....

Friday Prediction Post: FAU vs. UAB

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:38:43 -0500

I feel your pain, Owl Country.

You are mourning the end of Rusty Smith’s career, your are uncertain about what the beginning of the Jeff Van Camp Era may mean for your beloved Burrowing Birds.

And now you have to try and figure out who will win this game between teams whose strengths match up against the foe’s tender spots.

But that is why we have our panel of brave prognosticators to sift through all of this and come out with a prediction.

So gather up all the shoulder specialists, the special teams coordinators, the quarterback coaches and anyone else with an interest in the outcome, because it is time for the Friday Prediction Post.

DIGGER (3-4) UP FIRST

Digger is going through his first losing season, and the little guy is not too happy.

But he still leaves the comforts of his cage at the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary to make his pick eacn week.

So here goes…
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Yep, Digger is going with the Blazers in this one.

MEDICARE MIKE (2-5)

There is no mystery in whom MM will pick, it’s just the score…
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Mike going with the Owls

DIRTY TRIO

Back for some reason I can comprehend, the main wheels of the Dirty Birds.

(Note: To be fair, this prediction was made before the MTSU debacle and before news that Rusty was out for the season.)
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MIKE B (2-3)

I might have his record wrong, but I am too lazy to go back and check.

Mike B definitely captures the mood of Owl Country, since his prediction came after the MTSU and after learning that Rusty would not be playing.
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BAND IS BACK

And I tracked down a band member to keep their participation going.
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MY TURN

OK, this is a tough one.

Other than Western Kentucky, there is probably not a better team for Van Camp to make his first start against.

UAB’s defense is bad, particularly the defensive secondary. He shouldn’t have too much trouble finding open receivers.

Willie Rose is back to give the running game a boost, and if that should also take pressure off JVC. And the line will undoubtedly want to protect him because you don’t want to see David Kooi in the game.

What still scares me is the FAU D, especially against the run, and especially against a guy like Joe Webb, who can take over the game.

But I am going with FAU in this one. They play well on the road, especially on artificial turf.

I have liked what I have seen and heard from JVC this week.

The Burrowing Birds took the loss of Rusty pretty well, considering what he means to the team.

The D will do just enough.

FAU 31, UAB 27

Your turn..

Later….

FAU vs. UAB offers some whacky matchups; GDT Pic

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:19:38 -0500

Well, good luck predicting this game, folks.

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Regular readers will know why HBHD's head is a bit askew. Gorilla Glue is great, but getting that head to stick on straight is another matter. But it still bobbles...
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You have a quarterback making his first start in FAU's Jeff Van Camp.

But he is not some redshirt freshman. He is a redshirt junior who has had a lot of very short stints in games and has looked pretty good in practice.

But you have never seen him in a game for more than a couple minutes and a couple series. How will he do?

You have one of the best rushing offenses in the country (No. 9 UAB) against one of the worst rushing defenses (FAU No. 116).

You have one of the best overall offenses in the country (FAU No. 9) versus on of the worst defense in the country (UAB No. 117), but that high-powered offense has a new QB.

UAB has the worst past defense in the country (No. 120 of 120), against a passing attack that was among the best when run by Rusty Smith (FAU No. 11).

(Side note: Rusty decided not to have surgery to fix the AC joint strain in his left shoulder. It should still be fully healed by February, in time for NFL Combines or workouts with teams that have an interest in him.)

Yeah, good luck with that, Digger…
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TURF AN ISSUE?

You have an FAU team that is 0-4 on natural grass and 2-1 on artificial turf, with that lone loss to Nebraska. And Legion Field has artificial turf.

FAU is 0-3 at Lockhart, which sports more sand than grass by the end of the season. Since 2006, FAU is 7-8 at Lockhart.

Some homefield advantage. And remember, they are not playing the big boys at Lockhart. Aside from South Florida, they are all Belt foes or UAB or Wyoming.

Which leads me to this theory – with FAU’s team speed, I think the sandbox at Lockhart is a big disadvantage because it blunts FAU’s speed and is a reason why slower teams, like Wyoming, ULM and MTSU, can match up better than expected.

I would hope the new stadium has artificial turf, or if it is natural grass, is maintained much better than Lockhart so the Owls can take advantage of their speed.

We'll get into this more next week when FAU faces another home game at Lockhart.

GDT PIC OF THE DAY
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Later…

Back to Game Week 8: FAU vs. UAB

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:07:48 -0500

The sad news about QB Rusty Smith has shoved aside something important – the game Saturday up in Birmingham at historic Legion Field.

The Voice was trying to make that message this week, as he wouldn’t entertain questions about Rusty’s legacy following the news his career was over.

“It is what is is. Our quarterback is done for the year and we have been preparing for this eventuality should it happen,” he said. “Thank goodness we have three quarterbacks that we feel really good about, and one is ready to play and the other two will get themselves ready in the event of another catastrophe.”

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Van Camp with offensive coordinator Darryl Jackson.
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I am sure Howard Schnellenberger will have plenty to say about Rusty when he feels it is appropriate, but this week it was about trying to keep his team focused on UAB and not on the fact they had lost their field general and primary leader.

Several players said Rusty is helping a lot by how he is taking it. He’s at practice, a big smile on his face, joking or giving advice as needed.

That seems to have made this much less traumatic.

ABOUT THE BLAZERS

FAU fans will find out how much of a “catastrophe” losing Rusty was on Saturday when FAU takes on UAB (3-5, 3-2 Conference USA).

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It’s not a bad place to make your debut if you are a QB making your first start. It’s on the road in front of what will be a small crowd in a huge stadium (think FAU versus St. Peter’s in Land Shark). It’s not far from Van Camp’s hometown of Pensacola, so a lot of family and friends will be on hand to support him.

And UAB’s defense is pretty bad.

How bad? Well FAU fans know how bad the Burrowing Birds D is, and UAB’s is worse than that. FAU is ranked No. 110 (429.7 yards per game) and the Blazers are 117 (475.5) out of the 120 I-A teams.

Teams have been torching UAB’s secondary for 324.1 yards per game passing. That’s a lot. Rusty had been on fire of late, and was averaging 323.3 yards per game in his last three, with 9 touchdowns and 2 INT.

And the Blazers are still figuring out who will play in the secondary Saturday.
http://blog.al.com/offthevine/2009/11/uab_notes_blazers_still_worrie.html

Talked to several receivers, and they said the biggest adjustment they have to make with Van Camp at QB is getting used to the velocity – Van Camp throws the ball a lot harder than Rusty.

I wish I could say Van Camp will do just fine. But how he will do is anyone’s guess right now.

I will say he has looked sharp in practice, and the players are clearly behind him. “It’s Jeff’s show now,” OL Carl Spitale said.

He sounds confident, he looked decent in that final drive last week, and I will say I would be surprised if he doesn’t have a decent outing.

He will need help – the run game has to get back on track and keep the O out of third-and-long situations. The receivers need to hang onto every ball, the line has to give protection.

More importantly, the D has to show up. Every opponent has scored at least 27 points this season. Here’s the sad tally – seven games, with opponents scoring 49, 38, 27, 30, 40, 29, 27.

STOPPING WEBB

The problem is that UAB’s strength on O is where FAU has had big problems – stopping the run and a running QB. Fans who have witnessed the games at Lockhart have seen how a decent running game with a running QB working out of the spread has decimated FAU’s D.

First it was Trey Revell and ULM (Revell had two rushing TDs, ULM had 157 rushing yards), then Austyn Carta-Samuels with 69 yards for Wyoming, which had 198 yards rushing, then MTSU’s Dwight Dasher and his 74-yard winning TD run that helped push the rushing yards to 239.
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Webb (No. 5) is 6-4, 220 pounds and fast.
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Well, meet Joe Webb, who may be the best of all of them. Statistically he is the best, averaging 122.9 yards rushing.

FAU is 116th in the country in rush defense (224.7 yards per game) and UAB is ninth in rushing offense (230 yards per game). Yikes.

To help the defense understand what they are up against in Webb, FAU enlisted the aid of TE Rob Housler to become Webb on the scout team. At 6-5, 230 and fast, Housler is as close as you could get to the real Webb.
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Getting back into game week mode, so more to come.

Later….

Rusty Smith deserved better end to his illustrious career

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:53:59 -0500

Not sure what the weather is like where you are in Owl Country, but it was gray skies and rain where I live this morning, which was fitting given the unsettling news that sent shock waves out from the practice fields behind The Oxley last evening.

Rusty Smith has played his last game as an Owl, and he deserved a better fate. Football can be a cruel game, but it just doesn’t seem right that Rusty can’t finish out this season and his career by trying to go 4-0 versus FIU on Dec. 5.
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Rusty near end of FAU's win over Troy in 2007 that gave them Belt title and trip to New Orleans
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Instead, his career ended on a fourth-and-3 at the MTSU 23, when his pass to Cortez Gent in the end zone was incomplete, and he was ridden to the ground and landed on his left shoulder.

That would turn out to be it.

A joy of covering college sports is you get to see kids grow into young men. Maturity-wise, Rusty was already ahead of the curve when he came on campus. And he took it from there.

Yeah, he was shaky as a redshirt freshman, but by the end of 2006 FAU had clearly found its QB of the future.

I became a believer in game 3 of 2007.

FAU hosted Minnesota at Joe Robbie/Land Shark Stadium.

FAU was 1-1 at the time, with a 27-14 win over MTSU and a 42-6 advanced training game loss at Oklahoma State. Rusty had done OK, throwing for 195 yards against MTSU and 125 against Oklahoma State, but nothing that made fans think he, or the season, would be special.

On that steamy Sept. 15 day, though, Rusty went crazy.

Two touchdown passes to Willie Rose in the first quarter, a TD pass to Lester Jean and another to DiIvory Edgecomb in the second and on and on.

Rusty finished with 463 yards passing and five touchdowns as FAU piled up 580 yards of total offense and won the game 42-39.

As impressive as he was on the field, what made me realize Rusty was going to be special was what happened afterward.

In the small interview room, he did not come to the podium alone. He brought out the entire offensive line and had them stand beside him.

And he praised them. Here is the video…
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That’s a sophomore after winning the biggest game of his life to that point, making sure the linemen share the spotlight.

That was a special moment for what turned into a special season, as Rusty, along with his teammates, lifted FAU football onto the national stage, as the young program, then in year seven and in just its second season as a full member of I-A, won the Belt and the New Orleans Bowl.

And the reason FAU was able to do so much so quickly can be traced to the arm of Rusty Smith. FAU’s defense was in year-one of the malaise that continues through this season, and Rusty and the O had to put up points to go 6-1 in the Belt and 7-5 overall.

And last year he did it again in the second half, and he had started it again with two huge games against NT and ULL this year.

And you not only got Rusty, but the whole Smith clan. What a great family, Dad, Mom, grandma and grandpa. The hard-working folks from Jacksonville were fixtures at scrimmages and games, home and away.
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Original Russ and Russ II
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Rusty is taking all this setback remarkably well. But I guess I should have expected that from him.

And thanks for all your messages to him, Owl Country. I know Rusty and his family are regular readers, and I am sure they appreciate those thoughts.

Fans should get a chance for a proper farewell Nov. 28, which will be Senior Day.

Later…

Rusty Smith's career is over

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:23:45 -0500

His shoulder is injured too badly for him to play again this season.

He now has to decide whether or not to have surgery. Whatever happens, he should be recovered in time for the NFL combines in February.

I thought he might miss a couple games, but it is a shame for his career to end so suddenly.

Rusty is taking it well, as you can see from this video.
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The Jeff Van Camp Era is now upon us, with David Kooi moving to No. 2.

At a loss for words right now, this is such a shock.

I never expected Rusty's career to end like this. Doesn't seem right.

The good news he is such a nice guy and comes from such a great family, you know it will all work out. As Rusty said, he is in good hands.

I'll have more to say Wednesday when I regain my bearings.

Later...

Van Camp will start against UAB

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:15:57 -0500

Made official, and just talked with Jeff Van Camp.

He is starting this week, but beyond that remains a question.
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Rusty was at practice Tuesday following a doctors visit. He hasn't talked to the press yet, so not sure what injury is or how long he might be out.
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Van Camp is confident, and he should be. He's been here four years and knows the system.

He also will be making his first start since he was a senior in high school.

Here are some shots of Van Camp at practice today...
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Van Camp with QB coach Jeff Brohm
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More to come...

Later....

Howard Bobble Head Doll Show III and more

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:07:31 -0500

Good morning, Owl Country.

HBHD has been surgically repaired, and is none the worse following his beheading in the Demolition Monday incident.

So, we are able to bring you, free of charge, Howard Bobble Head Doll Show Episode III: Not So Special Teams.

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Should find out today where the QB situation stands.

If Van Camp does get the nod, the interesting question is who will be No.2 – David Kooi (6-7, 210) or Graham Wilbert (6-6, 225). Both are redshirt freshmen and one of them will be a two-year starter when they take over in 2011, unless one can unseat Van Camp between now and next fall.

The Voice said Saturday he knew who it would be, but he wasn’t going to announce anything until he knew for certain that Van Camp would be starting.

I can’t guess on this one. Both Kooi and Gilbert have been taking a lot of snaps with the scout team and it is hard to say who has the better skills at this point.

GDT PIC OF THE DAY
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OUT OF RUNNING BACKS?

Another position to watch is running back.

FAU has no depth there right now, at least that is how it went Saturday. Alfred Morris and Xavier Stinson were the only running backs to play.

When one needed a rest, they went to two tight-end formation instead of putting in a new RB.

That limited the O somewhat, according to Rusty when asked about it after the game.

When asked about this, The Voice said Michael Barasch was the next guy to go in, but he felt they didn’t lose anything by going to two tights instead of sending in Barasch.

With MTSU’s blitzing, maybe they felt it was better to do that than put in a rookie RB who might have trouble picking up the blitzes.

Whatever, if Rose remains out and Morris or Stinson get hurt, the Owls are in trouble.

Later…

FAU faces a game without QB Rusty Smith

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:23:43 -0500

Well, it’s not definitive, and appears it won’t be until tomorrow, but Howard Schnellenberger released this statement this afternoon:

“Rusty was examined today (Monday). We will have a full report on Tuesday and will begin our game preparation then. At this juncture, we will proceed as if Jeff Van Camp will be this Saturday’s starter.”

So that means Van Camp could get his first career start Saturday on the road against Alabama-Birmingham.

Van Camp is a 6-5, 210-pound redshirt junior from Gulf Breeze. That means this is his fourth year in the system. He knows the plays and the players.

He looked pretty good Saturday when he was handed the ball with the game on the line. He completed 5 of 9 on the drive for 73 yards.
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Van Camp (12) made a brief appearance in the Wyoming game.
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On the season he is 14-of-31 for 197 yards.

If he does start…

POSITIVES:

Knows the system and the personnel.

Is a good runner and will be more of a dual threat than Rusty.

Will gain valuable experience for next season, when he will be the game one starter.

NEGATIVES:

Lacks game experience. He has only been on the field a few times when the outcome of the game has not been decided.

Inexperience in reading defenses: Schnellenberger could count on Rusty to call a new play at the line when he saw what the defense was doing. That takes time, and Van Camp can’t be expected to be able to have that same ability.

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It will be strange if Rusty is not under center. He has started 36 straight games, and one just assumed he would be around for the final five.

Hopefully he will heal quickly. I for one would like to see him finish the season as a starter and add some more to his impressive stats.

Later…