The Florida Atlantic football team opened their 2024 season against Michigan State on Friday night, coming up just short in a defensive battle by a score of 16-10.
A tone was set with an interception on the opening play of the season and then throughout the night; Points are not going to come easy against an Owls defense that worked tirelessly in the offseason on becoming takeaway kings and boasts a healthy mix of returners and newcomers.
This marks the third season in a row in which FAU has taken part in a one-score game on the road against a Big Ten opponent.
The defense made their presence known on the very first play from scrimmage, when senior CB "Buggs" Kahzir Brown battled the opposing wideout on a deep pass and snatched away the football for an athletic interception.
With each possession in the first quarter, the defensive unit stepped up in big moments to keep the Spartans offense from scoring. Senior defensive lineman Devonta Davis bringing down the QB on third down to take them out of field goal range was followed by a forced fumble by senior DB Michal Antoine, Jr. and a defensive recovery in the red zone on the following drive.
The Owls ultimately entered the locker room trailing 16-3.
A corner was turned with three minutes to go in the third quarter. With the Spartans on the Owls' five-yard line, junior safety Phillip Dunnam leaped in front of the receiver to intercept a pass and record the team's second red zone takeaway of the game. No stranger to making plays in a Big Ten stadium, the Indiana transfer brought the ball back 58 yards.
The offense took advantage of the gift with their first touchdown of the game. On a fourth-and-one, redshirt junior QB Cam Fancher found a wide-open junior WR Jayshon Platt in the back of the end zone to bring the score to 16-10.
Michigan State was held scoreless in the entire second half as the Owls forced three punts, an interception, and a turnover on downs.
With three minutes remaining, Florida Atlantic's offense took over on their own 22 and drove to midfield, highlighted by redshirt sophomore WR Omari Hayes hauling in a 21-yard pass over the middle of the field on a fourth-and-eight. This marked the final first down for the Owls of the night, with Michigan State taking over possession in the game's final minute.
- In his first start as the Owls QB, Fancher showcased his ability to extend plays with his legs, rushing for 67 yards on 25 attempts
- Platt's touchdown was the first of his collegiate career
- Hayes led the way for receivers with 74 yards on five catches, two of them going for 20+ yards
- The Owls won the takeaway battle 3-2
- Brown and Dunnam now have seven and four career interceptions, respectively
- Coming off a 2023 in which they tied a team record in tackles for loss (88), the team recorded five TFLs
- Florida Atlantic forced two fumbles in the first quarter: first from the Davis sack (recovered by the offense) followed by Antoine Jr's punch out (recovered by the defense)
- Graduate ILB and team captain Jackson Ambush led the team in tackles with 10
- Redshirt junior kicker Morgan Suarez returned to the field for the first time since 2022 and put the Owls on the board with a career-high-tying 43-yard field goal
QUOTABLE
Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Tom Herman
"To Michigan State, the fans, that's how you put on a Friday night game on Big Ten Network. That was a show."
Redshirt Sophomore WR Omari Hayes
"I'm proud of my team. Coaches put trust in me, my quarterbacks gave me a chance and I just came through."
Senior DE Chris Jones
"The effort was there, everybody wanted it. Just a tough game. It's not really a disappointment, it's just a learning opportunity. Every day, you want to get better and go 1-0. There's obviously things we can get better on, so that's what we're going to focus on."
Redshirt Junior QB Cam Fancher
"I feel good, a lot of respect for those guys, they're a great football team. Today wasn't enough, we have to do better."
