2007 Statistics

QUARTERBACK
The main reason we have the Owls ranked so highly is because of Sun Belt Player of the Year and the school’s single season record holder for passing yards and TDs, 6’5 junior Rusty Smith. Smith was good for 3,688 yards (12th most in FBS), 32 TDs (T-8th most) and only nine INTs, but he won’t be taking off for big downfield gains anytime soon. In this extremely balanced attack, lots of guys get the ball via air delivery, and Smith knows which of his targets he wants for specific tasks. Schnellenberger has a sound “old school” approach with Gary Nord to apply his recent innovations, and with Smith to run the offense, it’s in good hands. Backup Jeff VanCamp is not quite the same passer, but provides a ground dimension Smith lacks.

RUNNING BACK
The rest of the ground attack is distributed amongst multiple backs. The main Owl RB is Charles Pierre, a guy who pounds it between the tackles as well as he takes a corner. Willie Rose is even more punishment, plastering guys with or without the ball. Rose is money – he had the best average per carry for Owl backs with 10 or more (5.3), and he only lost six yards in his 63 carries, with 38 catches and seven receiving TDs to bolster his totals. And speaking of backs that get the ball through the thick Fort Lauderdale air, DiIvory Edgecomb led the team with his 17+ yards per catch average. That’s accomplished since Edgecomb – who missed 2006 due to academic ineligibility, but came back strong last year – lines up on the outside, thus creating matchup problems, and his best chances for success are in open space. Broward County single-season rushing record holder Mike Barasch looks like a nice addition to the stable of backs, but he should redshirt with so many in front of him. Look for the name Alfred Morris to pop up after the fullback had a huge spring.

RECEIVER / TIGHT END
Chris Bonner is the main WR threat to also get carries, but TE Rob Housler’s 68-yard TD run versus Florida International was the longest run for any Owl on the year (27 yards more than the next longest run by Rose; it was also the second-longest play from scrimmage). Housler is an ex-long jump competitor, so he will continue to get his chances to break plays of many sorts. All-Sun Belt Cortez Gent is the pride of Chiefland and the receiver with the nation’s 25th-most yards last year. Well-sized like the other catchers, Gent tied the school record for most TD catches in a season (nine) as he proves to be somewhat unstoppable in this league. Conshario Johnson was kept underneath most of the time, but he has the speed to really stretch the field, like he did more as a freshman. The job of deep threat has been Bonner’s lately, so it’s in good hands. Like Gent, Jason Harmon is tough to cover, even when you know he’s likely getting the ball. The team’s top snarler in 2006 and not much more than a WR, he’ll keep doing the “Harmon Hop” into the endzone to close out his senior year (but will give way to a tackle-eligible for more push when that’s needed). TE Grant also offers little in the form of protection, but his upside when downfield makes him a popular choice here for those two-TE sets.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Obviously, the key to having the nation’s 13th-ranked pass protection is a stout line and, especially, a strong set of tackles. Led by two seniors on the outside, FAU looks good up front with four returning starters and decent size for this league. Brandon Jackson moved over from guard to his current left tackle spot with great effectiveness, but he will have to stay sharp to hold off Williams again (the two battled weekly last year). Bookend Rizzo is All-Sun Belt and a starter for three years throughout numerous injuries, and the former walk-on can play elsewhere if needed. The leader is Nick Paris, who moved over from guard and has started in the middle ever since. A calming agent, Paris is up 10 more pounds for battling those tougher, BCS foes. Miller is huge and started at center against Troy, proving effective enough in real game situations to earn the tentative nod at left guard. Ex-DE Matlock can also play center, but his mobility at guard works just as well. The line has started together going on three years now, with perennial brides-maids Jarrett MacDonald and Vinnie Henderson capable of stepping in with their versatility.

The ability for these 11 guys to coordinate their actions is impressive. A year wiser, they should again be the offensive class of the Sun Belt.

Ok, so nine teams went over the 30-point barrier on the Owl D last year. The mixed results seen in ‘07 must be interpreted to be understood, for things aren’t as bad as some stats might lead many to believe. The only times teams went over 40 points were when FAU played BCS teams (three times, and they even beat Minnesota 42-39), and besides the loss to then-No.5 USF and the triple-OT loss to La. Monroe, the Owls won the rest of the times (four) foes shot over 30. The games against major offensive programs like Florida, Oklahoma State, and Kentucky were tough to defend for the mostly two-star level recruits found here. But there is little excuse – even if the offense bails you out much of the time – to allow 30 points to Sun Belt foes if you claim to be a team seeking national respect. The other suspect stat was the rushing D – allowing 4.7 yards per carry and nearly 175 per game isn’t good…yes, the bigger programs gashed the Owl line pretty good, but there is no excuse in allowing 317 rushing yards to La.-Lafayette and 207 to La.-Monroe.

DEFENSIVE LINE
Lots of starters inhabit the line, so tough times can hopefully mean improved results via lessons learned. This is a nicely sized DL, one big enough to hold up girth-wise against any sized OL. The biggest impact is felt from Robert St. Clair, the end who led the entire team in sacks (four) and led all linemen in tackles. Big Jermaine Council improved steadily after taking over the other end slot. Dino Cox is being found inside these days, a hybrid of sorts that can bounce outside if needed. Ex-TE Mike Hancock is a beast at 6’7, and he rotates in for St. Clair so often that he could start and only see the field for a few more reps than what he already sees it as a reserve. Jervonte Jackson earned all-conference status by earning a stat line like St. Clair’s. Savidge’s knee injury last year was costly, but Mertilus stepped in adequately. These two will battle once Savidge is 100%. Consistency is all that is missing; the right big men are in place and just have to prove they can do the job.

LINEBACKER
The “Bone” award is given weekly (and at year’s end) to the Owl making the biggest hit. Local product Frantz Joseph had to go all the way to Boston College before realizing that he just wanted to stay home, but the multi-Bone winner (won 2006’s Ramon Rickards Memorial Bone Award, named after the Florida Atlantic DE who died that same year) is the biggest impact player on the team. He rules his middle post well enough that he’s made the Butkus and Lombardi Award watch lists, and well enough to set the team record for single-season tackles (his 131 last year led Sun Belt). A major contributor since his first snap, Andre Clark just keeps incrementally improving each year, making his senior year highly anticipated. Still, George Allen passed him to start the last four contests of ’07. Lockley also has a solid enough presence (two fumble recoveries, one blocked kick) to make a case for starting. Depth is there, especially in the middle.

DEFENSIVE BACK
The pass defense took on even more water, allowing 70 more yards per game from the previous year (when they ranked 16th in the nation). Going from allowing 16 TDs to 27 will usually elicit more losses, but the reverse was true, thus giving the secondary a reprieve until this September. The corners are as good as any pair in the nation. Only two other pairs have more than Tavious Polo (7) and Corey Small’s (5) 12-combined interceptions. But the passing yardage increases means the all-or-nothing style practiced by the Owls corners is often suspect. Hill has the size and worked on his technique in the off-season enough that he looks like an every-down CB. Greg Joseph is the first piece of the safety puzzle – the Orlando native was the state’s 170-pound wrestling champ (2003) and proved to be of great worth in nickel packages. The bigger risk is in starting Ed Alexander in front of Cardayle Brantley. Brantley was the main reserve in the deep middle in every game of ’07, so Alexander must be an upgrade to now make the grade. Knowing how well the offense can operate, the pressure on the D increases, especially with so many starters back.