Men's and Women's BBall Lose to End 2008, Play New Year's Day 2009

Both the men's and women's teams lost in heart breaking fashion to end their 2008 portion of the season.

The women fell to South Carolina State in the Burrow on Monday. They were up by five points with 21 seconds left before they fell apart at the end, something that has become somewhat of a trend, losing the game by one.

The men lost to Kentucky in Lexington on Saturday. They were up by five with about 15 minutes to go, with Paul Graham III looking outstanding once again. He finished with a career high 31 points, but the Owls still couldn't pull out the victory.

The men and women both play South Alabama on New Year's Day in the Burrow. Women start first at 12pm with the men playing afterward.

Owls Win, Schnellenberger Still Undefeated in Bowl Games

FAU knows how to win the big games, and so does their head coach Howard Schnellenberger.

The Owls defeated the Central Michigan Chippewas in the Motor City Bowl the day after Christmas, bringing FAU's bowl record to 2-0 and coach Schnellenberger's bowl record to 6-0.

FAU football is the youngest program to be invited to a bowl game, and they just keep adding to their credentials.

With high expectations this year, the Owls came out of the gates looking like the pressure of being a contender had gotten to them, starting the season at 1-5.

Now that the season has ended, that terrible start has been forgotten, almost like it was all just for the suspense. FAU ended the year 5-1, becoming bowl eligible in their last game of the year in an overtime win over their rival FIU.

Now, the focus is on the future. The defense was already somewhat of a disappointment this year, and there are a lot of seniors leaving on that side of the ball. The offensive line is also filled with seniors, and the two top running backs also just finished their last year.

No more Frantz Joseph, Jervonte Jackson, Nick Paris, or Charles Pierre. Next year will be known as Rusty's year. He will be the leader, even more so than this year, and he will control the destiny of how fast the program will rise, and whether or not he will be drafted in the NFL.

Schnellenberger said that Rusty reminds him of Bernie Kosar and Jim Kelly at that age. We'll see if Rusty proves to be that caliber of a player.

FAU Plays in the Motor City Bowl Tonight!

Attention Owl fans! As if you didn't already know, FAU (6-6) plays Central Michigan (8-4) in the Motor City Bowl Game in Detroit, Michigan at Ford Field tonight at 7:30.

Even though it's cold as hell, (you know I never understood that saying because hell is supposed to have a fire and brimstone climate) at least Ford Field is indoors so the frigid northern weather won't be a factor to the warm weathered Owls.

Last year's Motor City Bowl Game was the second highest scoring bowl game in NCAA history. Expect much of the same this year with two highly touted quarterbacks on display against two suspect defenses.

This is the third consecutive appearance in the Motor City Bowl Game for the Chippewas. They lost last year 51-48 against Purdue and won the year before 31-14 against Middle Tennessee State.

FAU's legendary head coach Howard Schnellenberger is 5-0 all time in bowl games. He says he learned how to win bowl games from his mentor Paul 'Bear' Bryant.

Let's keep that unblemished record alive and bring home a victory so we have something to brag about in the off-season.

You can watch it live tonight on ESPN.

Southern Miss Player Breaks His Leg, Not for the Squeamish

Southern Mississippi upset Troy, the Sun-Belt Champions, in this year's New Orleans Bowl 30-27 in overtime.

This was the same bowl game the Owls won last season and it's got to make FAU fans happy to see the Trojans go down, but no one can find anything positive about what happened to Southern Miss's DeAndre Brown during the game. Watch, but I warn you, this is gross!



Ouch! That could not have felt good. Thank God for doctors.

Ow-LLLLLLLL's Tack On Another Road Loss To Their Record

And the away losses continue! There's just something not clicking with the Owls men's basketball team (4-8) when they play on the road.

Proof to the point is last night's blowout defeat to the UAB Blazers (8-3). Even with All-American big man Carlos Monroe back in the lineup, the Owls got dominated in the paint, being outscored 42-8.

To add, they shot just 28 percent from the field and were just 3 for 20 from the three point line. The only strong point was their 8 for 10 shooting from the free throw line. FAU leads the Sun-Belt Conference in free throw shooting at over 70 percent.

When a team plays as well as FAU has at home (3-0) and as poorly as they have on the road (1-8) it points to the coaching. Jarvis and his staff has done a great job with these guys coaching them into a competitive team, but something has to be done to spark some energy once they leave Boca. They've been playing close games for the most part, but can't pull it out in the end.

It could have to do with the quality of teams they play on the road, and the amount of away games, but still the scheduling falls back onto the coaching staff because they set most of these games up, especially when it's a smaller school versus a larger school.

It doesn't get any easier in their next game against national powerhouse Kentucky (9-3) on December 27 at 3pm in Lexington.

What a great Christmas present that is for the guys!

Lady Owls Basketball Team Lost in the Bahamas

No, they aren't lost at sea in the Bermuda Triangle, but they did lose both their Sunshine Shootout Tournament Games in Nassau, Bahamas.

FAU (3-7) lost to East Carolina (7-3) in their last game of the tourney 68-63. The Owls had the lead through most of the game, but couldn't hold on to it in the end, which has become a recognizable trend so far this season.

One positive note on the trip is junior guard Brittany Bowe was named to the All-Tournament Team for her strong performance in the Owls' two games.

The next game for the ladies will be Monday, Dec. 29 at 7pm against South Carolina State in the Burrow.

Owls Are Swimming Faster

FAU's men and women swimmers had a meet over the weekend at the Boca pool.

A group of swimmers improved their times once again, something the Owls have become accustom to as the season has gone on.

Freshman Rick Duran (above) won the 1,000 meter freestyle event for the second time this year.

The next meet is against Clemson at the FAU pool on January 2 at 4pm.

Men's BBall Drops Second Straight Sun-Belt Game

It was pretty much the Troy Trojans hosting a basketball game against three FAU seniors.

Graham, Nwoji, and Monroe scored 74 of FAU's 87 points. Troy (4-6,1-1) held off FAU (4-7, 0-2) with a 94-87 win.

Each of the Owl seniors scored in the 20's, with Graham reaching a career high 28 points.

The road whoa's continued for FAU, who is now 1-7 in away games on the season.

This was preseason All-American Carlos Monroe's second game, with both resulting in conference losses. Hopefully he can take back his leadership role and transform the Owls into road warriors the more he gets into a rhythm with the team.

FAU is the midst of a three game road swing and end playing UAB, who have a knack for making the NCAA tournament and always put a strong team on the court, then against national powerhouse Kentucky.

FAU returns to the Burrow January 1.

It's time for the guys to step it up a notch on the road if they hope to make the NCAA tournament and add another bullet point to first year head coach Mike Jarvis' resume.

Lady Owls Lose Lead to Mercer

FAU's women's basketball team (3-6) lost to the Mercer Bears (6-3) last night in the Lady Owls opener at the Sunshine Shootout in the Bahamas.

FAU led by as much as five in the second half, but the Bears came back to take the lead. The Owls battled hard in the end, but couldn't pull out the win.

The next and final game FAU will play in the Sunshine Shootout will be Saturday at 4pm against East Carolina.

Frantz Joseph Named Honorable Mention All-American

Senior FAU linebacker Frantz Joseph is a 2008 All-American.

SI.com named him as one of fifteen linebackers on the list, which had three categories; first team, second team, and honorable mention. Joseph was an honorable mention.

He ranked second in the nation this year in total tackles, and led the Sun-Belt Conference for the second straight year. He holds the number one and two spots on FAU's all time total tackles list in a single season. He is also the total tackles leader in the Owls record books.

With a resume like that, he seems poised to be playing on Sundays by this time next year.

Men's Soccer Tryouts

The men's soccer team will hold walk-on tryouts on February 2 at 2:30pm at the FAU Glades Practice Fields.

For information for what is needed to participate click here.

Owls Snap Losing Streak, Then Lose Conference Opener

The Owls men's basketball team (4-6,0-1) have lost five of their last six games.

FAU snapped their four game losing streak Saturday against Southeastern Louisiana, but then lost to Denver to open conference play last night.

The Owls remain undefeated so far this season at home, but are 1-6 on the road.

"It's tough to win on the road in college basketball," says head coach Mike Jarvis.

Even with the return of team leader Carlos Monroe, who has been ineligible this season until last night, FAU still couldn't pull out the road win.

The Owls play their next three games on the road, so they better figure it out or they could easily be facing a 4-9 record before returning home to play South Alabama on New Year's Day, especially considering the quality of the teams they play in Troy, UAB, and Kentucky.

Lady Owls Lose Conference Opener

The Lady Owls (3-5, 0-1) lost at Denver University (4-4, 1-0) to opener up this season's Sun-Belt Conference play.

It was the first in-conference Sun-Belt game of the year.

FAU led throughout most of the game, but couldn't hold onto their lead.

They will try to snap a two game losing streak against Mercer on December 18th at 4pm in Nassau, Bahamas.

They also play another game in the Bahamas against East Carolina two days later at 4pm, and will get a break over the Christmas holiday before returning to Boca to play South Carolina State on Monday Dec. 29 at 9 pm.

I wonder if the ladies will be allowed to go sight seeing on their day off...

Owls Try to Snap Four Game Skid Against Southeast Louisiana Tomorrow Night in the Burrow

The Owls (3-5) play their first home game since November 22 tomorrow night against the SE Louisiana Lions (4-3) at 7pm.

FAU began the season 3-1, but are now on a four game losing streak, with all the losses coming on the road. The Owls are undefeated in both pre-season and regular season play at home on the year.

The Lions are ranked 10th in the NCAA in scoring (84.9 ppg). They have four players averaging double figures, including the team's leading scorer guard/forward Kevyn Green (21.4 ppg), who ranks in the top 20 nationally in numerous offensive categories.

The Lions offensive play may prove to be too much for the Owls defense that has looked sluggish at times, and has a tendency to give up easy baskets towards the end of games.

A key player that needs to play well in order for the Owls to pull out the victory is the team's leading scorer Paul Graham III (13.4 ppg), who will be honored before the game for becoming the 7th player in FAU history to score over 1,000 points.

One of the other six to score over 1,000 points for the Owls is pre-season All-American senior forward Carlos Monroe , who is expected to still be out due to being ineligible for play. I personally expect Monroe to be back once grades are released. Although the team won't release the reason for why he is ineligible and there has been no time table given as to when he will return, Jarvis did say that he expects Monroe to return before seasons end. That gives me a gut feeling that academics is the answer to why he can't play right now.

This will be the last chance to watch the Owls play at the Burrow until Thursday, Jan. 1 at 2pm when they play South Alabama.

Anyone who brings in an unwrapped toy to tomorrow night's game will receive $2 admission as part of FAU's Toys for Kids Holiday Drive. The first 50 fans will receive free popcorn and the first 200 fans will receive a free Amp Energy drink.

I hope to see you there at the game. I'll be the blond hair guy sitting at the east side scoring table in front of the Owl fans.

Cross Country Runner Reeves in a Winning Holiday Spirit

Owls junior cross country runner Taylor Reeves won the Boca Raton Holiday Road Race Wednesday, Dec. 10.

It was a mile run which Reeves completed in 4:27.5, seven seconds better than his time last year, and at least three minutes better than I could ever hope to do in my shape.

He steadily showed improvement in his times this past season, and continues to do so in the off season. Remember his name for next year, because he seems poised for a great senior season, and maybe even a run at the Olympic Games in years to come.

Rusty Smith Not On All-Sun Belt Team

Seven Owls received All-Sun Belt team honors for their performances in the 2008 season.

The surprise was a name left off the list.

Quarterback Rusty Smith, who was the 2007 Sun-Belt player of the year and this year's pre-season Sun-Belt player of the year, did not have a good enough year to add the award to his resume.

It's not shocking to the fact that he earned his spot as a top notch player this year and was snubbed, it's more because of how he was expected to play and how his numbers dropped off from last season causing him to not be recognized.

It's a fitting ending to a roller coaster ride season that has ended luckily with a bowl game.

Men's BBall Team To Have Honorary Coach at Next Home Game

Darius Weems, the subject of the award-winning 2007 film "Darius Goes West" will be helping coach the men's basketball team at their next home game against Southeast Louisiana University on Saturday Dec. 13.

The goal is to raise awareness about the disease Weems has, called muscular dystrophy.

On Thursday, Dec. 11 Weems will attend the Owls basketball practice from 11am-2pm in the Burrow before he and the basketball team screen "Darius Goes West" at Muvico Palace 20 in Boca Raton later in the night. So if you want to hang with the team, or meet the man behind the movie, here is your chance.

Visit www.charleysfund.org to purchase tickets.

Some Owls Went Swimming

FAU sent four freshman to Atlanta, Georgia to compete in the Short Course National Championships, over this past weekend.

Mikolaj Czarnecki, and Csaba Pek represented the men.

Jonna Nyback, and Ewa Jamborska represented the women.

All the Owls swimmers hit seasonal bests, with only one of the nine performances not meeting a seasonal best.

The Owls hit the water next at the FAU pool on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 10am to compete against Oregon State, Northwestern, and Denver.

FAU Accepts Invitation to the Motor City Bowl

I couldn't believe my ears when I heard the Owls would be going to a bowl game.

FAU (6-6) will play the Central Michigan Chippewas (8-4) in Detroit on Friday, Dec. 26.

Troy (8-4) was the only other Sun Belt team to get a bowl invitation. Arkansas State (6-6) and the University of Louisiana Lafayette (6-6) were both bowl eligible, with ASU defeating FAU just a few weeks back, but neither will be playing beyond the regular season.

It took some lobbying, but the Owls successfully got the nod over the other Sun-Belt teams.

The Owls started the season off going 1-5, before finishing the last six game with a record of 5-1. It was a great turn around for a team that struggled against some of the elite teams, i.e. Texas, Michigan State, and Minnesota. The Owls had huge expectations to start the year, but it looked like a grave mistake scheduling games against those teams and that they had no shot at post-season play.

In the end it turned out the Michigan State game, where the Owls lost 17-0 in a game that was closer then the score shows, helped FAU achieve their second strait bowl appearance because of the fight they put up, and the hype they brought with them.

Schnellenberger is 5-0 all time in bowl games, and looks smarter now for setting up those tough match ups earlier in the year. Congrats, and let's bring home another ring.

Wes Welker Thinks Penalized Big Hit Was Clean

It brings me joy to hear a story like this.

Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker was layed out on a huge hit by Pittsburgh Steeler's safety Ryan Clark in last Sunday's game, which was a 33-10 Steelers statement making victory.

Welker feels the hit was a good play and doesn't expect an apology from Clark. You be the judge.



Looks to me like Clark led with his shoulder. How is he supposed to tackle if he can't use his head, and now he can't use his shoulder? Should he have just stopped the coverage and let Welker catch the ball? To me that looked like a standard crossing pattern with a safety reading it perfectly.

I think it's great to hear from a guy, who was just knocked unconscious, that believes that football is still football.

Even though the guy who was knocked senseless, and is even questionable this week if he will be playing, feels it was a clean play, Clark still received a fifteen yard penalty for the ferocious hit.

Maybe the referees and the league should start listening to their players a little more. I think all professional athletes know what the consequences could be for playing a contact sport, and hey, that's why they get paid the big bucks.

I'm sick of all these roughing the quarterback and unnecessary roughness penalties . I'm agreeing with the other starting safety of the Steelers, Troy Polamalu's, claim more and more with each passing week, that it's beginning to become "like a pansy game".

The reason so many people watch and the NFL has become a billion dollar business is because of the rough, concussion causing hits. All sports have drama, rivalries, and last minute wins. A few have the big hits, i.e. hockey, boxing, and extreme fighting. But none of that suspense filled, ball in the air, wait until the receiver goes for the catch and the safety smashes his head-in collisions.

The No Fun League has already taken away "excessive celebrations", don't take away our right to watch a good spine tingling crash between two extraordinary athletes, too.

Lady Owls Basketball and Softball News

The women's basketball (3-4) team lost in an away game to the University of Illinois-Chicago Flames (4-0) last night.

The Lady Owls never led and shot poorly (26.7%)from the field. They are off until December 13th when they play at Denver University. The time off should be used to get the girls in better shape because even head coach Chancellor Dugan said, "We just got tired."

In other Lady Owl news, the softball team signed four recruits that will enter the school in the fall of 2009. Their off-season focus has been on left handed hitters and outfielders and head coach Joan Joyce feels they did a good job addressing the issue.

This years softball season starts February 6.

Plaxico Burress Situation

I'm sure any sports fan has now heard about the Plaxico Burress situation.

Here's some comments I have heard recently.

Today on ESPN's Sportscenter...

James Hasty, an ex-professional football player and current ESPN analyst, says:

It isn't about an athlete carrying a weapon, it's about an individual being irresponsible enough to bring a gun to an establishment when they don't have a permit. You have to carry responsibility when you have a weapon. You have to know that you are bringing it into a place where a lot of people can be hurt and that accidents can happen. It needs to be secured in a safe place.

He then went onto say how he doesn't know of any football player who carryied a weapon when he was playing and that no one should stereotype football players as gun toting athletes. Then he says if you don't know how to operate a weapon correctly and something happens, well, then that's your fault.

As far as Plaxico playing for the Giants again he says definitely not.

This morning on 790 am the Ticket, a South Florida radio station, host Sid Rosenburg was speaking to Dan Lebatard about the situation.

They went on to perform a beautiful radio segment...

Rosenburg, who used to be a New York radio personality and has had past problems with cocaine addiction, was not sympathetic at all and feels Plaxico should pay the price and be booted from his beloved Giants. While he knows he has received second chances, he feels Burress needs to be made an example of so the problem with guns in public can be minimized.

Lebatard was more sympathetic, considering Burress' upbringing and how he has been rewarded his whole life for bad behavior. He feels the mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg (who has already made a comment about the situation), should be more concerned with his buddies on Wall Street because they have harmed others, but are being bailed out while someone like Plaxico harmed his self but is being made an example.

Rosenburg went on to say that it could have been a lot worse if the bullet hit someone else so he should be punished, which is true. Lebatard rebuttled saying that Rosenburg should be more sympathetic since he received a second chance and the law doesn't always take into consideration what could have happened, but always take factor in what did happen.

Both feel Plaxico will never play for the Giants again.

While all are good points, I would have to agree that Plaxico should pay the price so he can maybe wake up and learn from his careless behavior, which has been displayed throughout the course of this entire season. Imagine if the bullet killed someone, what would we be saying then?

All in all, this was a horrible mistake, but if he isn't punished he will continue thinking that he can get away with whatever he wants, like what seems to be the mentality of most professional athletes. I feel bad for the guys, but I'm happy to see these guys being punished because I know if that were a regular guy like me, there wouldn't be a question on if I should be punished.

These guys make millions, they'll live, and hopefully they'll learn.

To end, I would like to make one last comment. I am a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and I was upset when they didn't resign Burress, but because of his actions since he left, all I can say now is good riddance!

Men's Basketball Heading In Wrong Direction

The men's basketball team (3-5) has lost four straight games after starting the season 3-1, which was their best start in its 15 year Division 1 history.

They lost twice over the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend. FAU lost to Mcneese State (2-2), then lost to Florida Gulf Coast (2-4).

Both games should have easily been wins. Although they were both on the road, that is no excuse for the losses.

Everyone has played well, but FAU has had a hard time closing out games this year. Even in their wins, they had been up by more throughout the game and let the other team back in it. Nearly every loss the Owls have been leading at one point but couldn't hold their lead. It is a point that needs to be taken care of if they want to have success this season.

The University of Miami lost to Ohio State last night because of the same reason. Their star player Jack McClinton was ejected during the game, and the Hurricanes couldn't close out the Buckeyes.

A big help in closing out games for the Owls could be All-American Carlos Monroe, who is still ineligible. That should be a big help when he comes back because as Jarvis says, "He is the heart and soul of our team."

FAU doesn't play again until Saturday Dec. 13 at 7pm in the Burrow against Southern Louisiana. The break is much needed for the team to get in some practice and to let Jarvis figure a way to regroup and re-energize the squad.

Lady Owls Finish 1-1 in FAU Thanksgiving Tournament

FAU defeated Tennesse Tech before losing to the nationally ranked Texas Longhorns over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The Owls looked good in their first game with four players scoring in double figures. Their second game was a completely different story against the #11 Longhorns. FAU had been on a three game winning streak coming into the game.

The Lady Owls face the University of Illinois-Chicago Flames in Chicago tonight at 8pm.

Rusty Smith and Frantz Joseph Receive Honors

Rusty Smith (left)and Frantz Joseph (below) were named this week's Sun Belt Players of the Week.

This is Rusty Smith's second time in three weeks being named the SBC Offensive player of the week. He threw five touchdowns in FAU's overtime win over FIU.

Frantz Joseph had 15 tackles in the game and concludes his senior season with the award. He is the Sun Belt Conference's leading tackler for the season with 141 stops, and is FAU's all time leading tackler with 333 total stops in his career.

Football Finishes With A Frenzy

FAU (6-6, 4-3)became bowl eligible in their regular season finale win against cross town rival the FIU Golden Panthers (4-7, 3-4).

If there is any way the game could have been more exciting, I want to hear how because the game was tied at 22 going into the fourth quarter, then ended up being tied at 50 to end regulation.

Okay, maybe if the game had some sort of meaning behind it, then it could have been more interesting, but for two teams with very little more to play for then pride, it couldn't have been a better match up.

The Owls came back from two fourth quarter 14 point deficits to tie it up. It looked a lot like both team's defenses had called it a season after three quarters. If you're a defensive junkie, the game probably got under your skin, but it still had to be somewhat humorous to see both defenses get sliced into easier than a plastic surgery addict.

It's promising to see FAU come back to give them at least a Christmas miracle's hope of making a bowl game in back to back seasons.

FIU seems to have a star in freshman T.Y. Hilton, who returns punts and kicks and is a receiver with break away speed.

Even though FAU didn't quite meet the expectations given to them before the season began, they can be proud they didn't have a losing season in conference or overall play, and that they are now 6-1 all time in the Shula Bowl.

Lets keep our fingers crossed that a bowl invitation will some how be offered to FAU.

Men's and Women's BBall Going In Different Directions

The men lost last night, and the women won, bringing both their winning percentages to .500 on the year.

The men (3-3) started the year off strong, but after last night's blow out loss to James Madison, they look like they need a spark. There's word that Carlos Monroe will be eligible soon. That could be just what the team needs to jolt them back into the winning spirits.

The women (2-2) looked good for the second strait game, stomping Bethune Cookman College.

The lady Owls host the Thanksgiving Tournament in the Burrow starting Saturday, Nov. 29 at 3 pm against Tennessee Tech, which doesn't bode well for the amount of fans that will be there since Saturday is also the FAU vs. FIU game at Dolphins Stadium at 4pm.

The men play next on Friday, Nov. 28 at 8 pm at Mcnesse State.

Hopefully the teams can digest their turkey and come out of the games with a winning record.

Improved Owls Lose to Davidson

We're not quite there yet (and when I say there I mean one of the better teams in the country), but the men's basketball team sure showed how much Mike Jarvis has improved the Owls in last night's loss to nationally ranked Davidson.

The team has gone from mediocre to all of a sudden putting up fights against some of the best teams in the nation, and all without All-American Carlos Monroe.

The only losses this year have been to Davidson, who has arguably the best player in the country in Stephen Curry (check out some highlights of him), and to Arizona, who has the nation's longest current NCAA tournament appearance streak. And we made both contests interesting, especially for it being FAU.

Anyone we are supposed to beat we have beat. Now it's time to face James Madison tonight. I expect them to come out with a vengeance after losing their chance at national recognition.

Other news:

-Jarvis and Co. signed four outstanding recruits over this past week.

-Women's basketball plays in the Burrow tonight against Bethune Cookman College at seven.

Quick Summary of this Past Week in FAU Athletics

I'm going to make this as short as possible considering I've taken about a week off from blogging.

First let's get into what nearly every American puts first in their lives... football. The Owls' (5-6, 3-3) 4 game winning streak was snapped against Arkansas State (5-5, 3-2) as FAU's inconsistency throughout the season came to a head. Passes were being dropped like they were playing hot potatoes once again. Maybe it was because it was freezing for the South Floridians, but they've been doing that all season so probably not. The defense looked pretty good again and have steadily improved the whole year. The game looked promising because they say good teams know how to score at the end of halves, and that's just what the Owls did, tying it up at 14 to end the first half. Too bad they couldn't do anything offensively in the second half. Although the Owls have played inconsistent, their wins and losses from week to week are showing a pattern. They lost their first, won their second, lost four, won four, then lost one last week. If the pattern continues, FAU looks to beat up on its rival FIU this weekend to stay bowl eligible.

Now, let's switch sports. Baseball made news this past week, even though their season doesn't start for another couple of months. They signed 10 prospects for next years team. New head coach John McCormack is already making an impact, and as sophomore pitcher Glen Troyanowski said, "He's more hand on, he's more organized, he has us feeling more together as a team."

The women's tennis team also made a new addition. They signed Marcella Hora-Cava , who brings in 26 years of experience, to lead the Lady Owls in their upcoming season that begins in early January.

More lady Owls news, the women's basketball team (1-2) got their first win of the season, defeating UCF 68-63. After looking sluggish in their first two match-ups, they came out playing hard. Maybe it was because it was an in state rivalry, but no matter what the difference maker was, look for them to play more of the same style in their next game, which is against another in state school Bethune Cookman College in the Burrow Tuesday night at 7pm.

Now, onto men's basketball (3-1), who are off to their best start in 20 years. Still no Carlos Monroe, but the guys have been looking like they're ready for an NCAA tournament birth without him. I know it's early to say it, but they barely lost to Arizona in the Wildcats own backyard, and they have won the rest of their games, and that's without their team leader. They won a close thriller against Santa Clara, and a blow out against UMKC since their only loss. Tonight the team will face it's biggest test yet at the Stephen Curry led #21 Davidson Wildcats. Tomorrow we should know just how good the team really is, well, without Monroe.

I promise to check in sooner next time. Until then, let's root on our Owls to get recognized nationally by beating one of the best basketball teams, and players, in the nation.

Men's Basketball Looks Promising, Women's...Not So Much

Even with their first loss of the season, the men's basketball team still has to feel confident in their abilities.

Last night, FAU (1-1) played Pac-10 powerhouse Arizona (1-0), who has the longest active streak in the nation with 24 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.

FAU lost 75-62 and were leading by eight points in the first half. Keeping their lead, even though the Owls had not lost yet on the season, has been a problem so far on the year.

The Owls played once again without ineligible All-American candidate Carlos Monroe. There is still no news as to why he is unable to play.

Without him, and in front of over 13,000 fans in Tucson, Arizona, the men's team proved how far and quickly new head coach Mike Jarvis had brought them along after it's history of being a mediocre team.

The team is playing with confidence and are believing in Jarvis' coaching style. We could have a new front runner as the best sports team FAU has to offer if the team keeps playing like this, especially once Monroe returns.

On another note, the women's basketball team (0-2) lost to Georgia Southern (2-0) in the Burrow last night 83-67. It was never close, and the Lady Owls look like they have the last couple of seasons, where they managed just 6-22 records each year.

Freshman guard Breana Turner, who has led the team in scoring in both games, is proving to be a great recruitment and could be just what the team needs to get out of this rut they have been in the last couple of seasons.

The men play tonight against Santa Clara for their second NIT Tournament Tip-Off game at 8:30pm in Tuscon, Arizona. The women play next in Orlando against the University of Central Florida at 5pm on Saturday, Nov. 22.

Owls Stay in Contention For Bowl Game and SBC Championship

What a day for FAU football! The Owls manhandled the Sun-Belt's best team in the conference on Saturday at the beach-like field of Lockhart stadium. The final score: FAU- 40, ULL-29.

The score doesn't represent the whooping the Owls (5-5, 3-2) layed on the Rajin' Cajuns (5-5, 4-1). FAU was up by 33 until they put their back-ups in the game to close it out.

Rusty looked like him self again, throwing four touchdowns, no interceptions, and going 17-26 with 290 yards.

He and Corey Small, right, were named the Sun Belt Conference players of the week in their win. Small intercepted his 12th career pass, three behind the school record, and 3rd on the season, tied for the team lead with Ed Alexander, who also had an INT on the day.


During the game, Rusty became the school's all time leader in completions, 572, and touchdown passes, 53. Senior linebacker Frantz Joseph had 14 tackles in the game and became the all time leader in tackles, 306. Senior running back Charles Pierre ran in his 22nd career rushing TD, which ties the school record.

The Owls defense stepped up, keeping ULL's Doak Walker Award Semi-finalist Tyrell Fenroy to under a hundred yards. Fenroy, who came into the game in the top five in rushing in the country, has never gained over a hundred yards on the Owls defense.

With one more win, the Owls become bowl eligible. Two more wins, they have a shot at a share of the Sun-Belt Title, pending some help.

With all this on the line, there still weren't many supporters out at Lockhart Saturday.

There's only one game left that the non traveling Owl fan can see, and that's at Dolphin Stadium against FIU. Get out and support your team against those hated Golden Panthers.

Next week, FAU tries to keep their title hopes alive at conference opponent Arkansas State (4-5, 2-2). The game will be aired on the College Sunshine Sports network at 3pm Saturday Nov. 22nd.

Improved Volleyball Team Concludes Season Against FIU

The Lady Owls volleyball ended it's season this past weekend with a loss to rival FIU.

Although they finished under .500, the year wasn't all bad for the team, as their 12-17 record on the season, doubles the amount of wins from last year.

Next year they return their top 5 players in kills. FAU looks poised to keep improving.

Owls Win Regular Season Opener Without Monroe

Something is up in Owl Country and no one is giving any information.

Preseason All-American senior Carlos Monroe was all of a sudden announced as ineligible before Mike Jarvis' debut game with the Owls in their regular season opener against Monmouth University.

After the game, Jarvis would not give any information as to why Monroe was ineligible and how it didn't get resolved before the season started. This is something that has happened to Monroe in the past.

The Owls won the opener 72-69 with five players scoring in double figures.

Senior Paul Graham III stepped up for the Owls, getting team highs with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Other role players helped to overcome playing without FAU's all time leading re-bounder and the team's leading scorer on Jarvis' debut night in front of the largest non-conference crowd in the Burrow, 1,404, since December 2002.

It's yet to be seen if Monroe will travel with the team to Arizona for Monday's match up.

Owls Fight for SBC Title Hopes Against ULL

FAU (4-5, 2-2) looks to keep their conference title and bowl hopes alive today at Lockhart with a win against the University of Louisiana Lafayette (5-4, 4-0), who is undefeated and number one in the Sun-Belt Conference.

ULL comes in ranked fifth in rushing offense in the nation. They play a spread offense with their running attack led by quarterback Michael Desormeaux and running back Tyrell Fenroy.

Desormeaux is playing with a bum knee, which could slow him down just enough for the Owls injury filled defense to contain ULL's rushing attack.

FAU is coming into the game with a three game winning streak. A loss would mean the Owls will need to win their last two games to become bowl eligible.

Kickoff is at 4pm. My pregame, halftime, and post game shows can be heard on FAU Owl Radio's live web stream starting at 3:30pm.

Not an Easy Start for Women's Basketball

FAU women's basketball opened up their regular season playing at Baylor, who is one of the toughest teams in the nation.

The Lady Owls were dominated on the boards, bringing down just 33 rebounds, compared to Baylor's 70. The final score: Baylor-90 FAU-45.

Owls Freshman guard Breana Turner scored a team high 14 points.

FAU plays next against Georgia Southern at 7pm on Monday night in the Burrow.

Mens Soccer Finished, Forward Shire Stadnes Receives 2nd Team Honors

The Owls men's soccer team (5-13-1, 1-4-1) lost to Buffalo (12-3-4, 4-1-2) in it's first ever Mid-Atlantic Conference game, ending FAU's season and five senior's collegiate careers.

Senior forward Shire Stadnes (above right) was the only Owl to receive post season honors, making the Mid-Atlantic conference second team.

He finishes his career in the top 10 for shots (4th, 122 shots), goals (tied-6th, 18 goals), game winning goals (2nd, 9 GW goals), and points (10th, 40 points) in FAU's history.

The Owls were coming off an Atlantic Soccer Conference title in 2007, but struggled at times in it's transfer to the more challenging Mid-Atlantic Conference. The experience should help the Owls keep building towards becoming a nationally recognized team in years to come.

The Owls gave the home fans a show they could enjoy on homecoming night at Lockhart stadium. FAU defeated North Texas 46-13.

It had everything an Owl supporter could hope for. Rusty Smith threw four touchdown passes and even got to sit out the second half so back up Jeff VanCamp could play.

Even when Mean Green (1-9, 0-5) scored on FAU (4-5, 2-2) one time the Owls blocked the extra point and took it all the way back for two points.

Fifth year senior Vinnie Henderson even got his first start of his collegiate career.

Things won't be as easy when Louisiana Lafayette (5-4, 4-0) comes to town Saturday, Nov. 15 to play at 4pm.

The Owls have won three strait after losing four in a row. A win this weekend would put them back in the hunt for a Sun Belt Championship.

Some help is needed to win out the conference, but help won't matter if they don't come out of Lockhart with a W against the ULL Ragin Cajuns.

FAU Finishes Undefeated in Preseason Play

Another close battle was fought in the burrow Monday night, with FAU defeating the Rollins College Tars 61-56.

There were some improvements from FAU's preseason opener against Lynn University.

The zone defense was implemented, something they didn't play at all in their first game. It worked well, with center/forward Brett Royster coming up with a couple of big time blocks while coming over to help out down low.

The biggest change from game one come was from the free throw line. Jarvis called game one's performance "awful" and "something to work on."

Well, they must have worked hard at it because FAU went 32-40 against the Tars after going just 16-31 against Lynn. The Owls held RCT to 13-19 from the stripe, with all the attempts coming in the second half.

Being patient and cutting down on timely turnovers are something the team needs to focus on. Also, All America Carlos Monroe had only five points against the Tars, so he needs some more touches.

Sophomore Xavier Perkins looks poised for a break out year, but he needs to stay out of foul trouble. He fouled out against the Tars after scoring 12 points.

All in all a win is a win, and the Owls finished the preseason undefeated and you can't be mad at that.

The regular season begins Friday, Nov. 14 in the Burrow against Monmouth University at 7pm.

Note: FAU women's basketball team begins regular season play also Friday Nov. 14, but will be away against nationally ranked Baylor.

Three Women's Soccer Players Receive All Sun-Belt Conference Honors

Sophomore forward Laura Hyvonen, a transfer from Vantaa, Finland, was named this years Sun-Belt Conference "Newcomer of the year." She was the only Owl to score in their 4-2 loss in the Sun-Belt Conference semifinal match up against Denver University.

The same award went to senior middle fielder Jannica Tjeder last season. This year Tjeder was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team along with teammate Ashley Mannarino.

It's just another reason to be proud of Lady Owls soccer.

Women's Soccer Ends Season With Loss to Top Seeded Denver University

The Lady Owls (7-10-2) had lost just once in their last eight games coming into their semifinals match up with the best team in the Sun Belt Conference, Denver University.

FAU ended their regular season with a scoreless tie against rival FIU in Boca. The Owls haven't lost to the Panthers since 2000.

FAU, the tournaments #5 seed, played Middle Tennesse State, the tournaments #4 seed, in the first round, defeating them in overtime 2-1.

That lead them to play Denver (18-2-2). With a win FAU would have played for the conference championship.

The Lady Owls were down 4-0 in the second half, when sophomore Laura Hyvonen answered with two goals in a span of five minutes.

FAU, who was 1-8 at one point in the season, couldn't muster up another miracle comeback.

A hard fought battle ended a hard fought season, and the girls should keep their heads held high.

Mens Soccer Begins Its First Ever MAC Tournament

The men's soccer team (5-12-1) will play Buffalo (11-3-4) on Thursday Nov. 13 in Akron, Ohio to being their first ever Mid-American Conference Tournament.

FAU lost to Buffalo 3-0 earlier in the season.

The Owls were the Atlantic Sun Conference Champions last season and made the transition to the MAC conference this year. They have struggled on the season, but have had some strong outings and close defeats.

The tournament takes place at the #1 team in the conference's home field. Akron is also ranked #4 nationally. Doesn't seem to fair...FAU has their work cut out for them.

Volleyball Team Faces Rival FIU Before Sun Belt Conference Tournament

Women's volleyball are 13-16 on the season. Although they won't have over a .500 record for the year, they still have a shot at bragging rights when they play at rival FIU on Saturday, Nov. 15th.

After the cross town rivalry game is played, it's on to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament that's being played from November 20-22 in Miami.

Take a drive down 95 and go support our Lady Owls.

Jarvis Era Begins in the Burrow

It was great to watch from my center court seat the Owls give their new head coach Mike Jarvis a winning return to the court in their preseason opener with a 73-69 win over cross town school Lynn University.

Fans showed up, 1,292 of them, to watch the coaching icon, who taught Patrick Ewing the game of basketball. The crowd was bigger than at any regular season game last year in the Burrow, which underwent about $10 million in renovations this summer. Good thing those extra seats were added to the east side of the gym or there might not have been enough room for everyone last game. FAU supporter's presence was felt, especially by referees with chants such as, "Hey ref, you suck," being cheered throughout the game.

Lynn University came back from being down 15 with 4:59 left in the first half to being ahead by three with just 3:13 left in the game. Good thing for the team's confidence they were able to pull out the victory in the end because most were expecting FAU to blow out the Division II opponent.

The main reason for the victory was the intense play of sophomore forward Xavier Perkins. "We wanted to come out and play harder then them," he says.

His 18 points along with senior Carlos Monroe's 21 points lead the Owls to the victory. Perkins first half dunk on a perfectly executed pass from Monroe was the top play of the night, getting all the fans off their seats.

Something to keep an eye on is the health of Perkins, who has a banged up knee, and Monroe, who has an ailing foot problem. Both said they are fine, with Monroe saying, "It's just a little foot cramp, nothing major."

A major problem throughout the game was FAU's ability to stop Lynn from scoring. They purposely played man to man defense during the entire game, but did not purposely leave open lanes all night.

Another issue was free throw shooting. Jarvis said, "It was awful. It gives us something to work on."

We'll see if their work paid off tonight at 7pm against Rollins College in the Burrow.

2008 Cross Country Sun Belt Championships

The women's finished sixth and the men's finished seventh in the 2008 Cross Country Sun Belt Championships last week in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

The high scorers were women's junior Patricia Gumps (above), who finished 17th, and men's junior Taylor Reeves, who finished 23rd.

The women dropped a spot while the men improved two spots from last year's championships.

Their last time competing for the 2008 season will be at the NCAA South Regional Tournaments on Saturday, Nov. 15 in Maryville, Tennessee.

Golf Teams Take Final Competitive Strokes Until Spring

Men's and women's golf finished second and fourth, respectively, completing their fall schedule for the 08-09 year in Deland, Florida this past week. Their spring tournaments start in February.

All five of the men's competitors ended in the top 20, the top half of the field. Sophomore Kelly McHugh (top left) had the low score for the Owls ending in fifth place. The winner of the tournament was host school Stetson.

Stetson also won the women's tournament. FAU overcame Bethune Cookman's two stroke lead going into the second and final day of the event, advancing to fourth overall.

Both coaches are happy with the play of the teams, with women's head coach Joan Joyce saying the need for an improved putting game is a weakness that begs for attention, but the overall play has been great.

Hopefully the winter break won't make the golfers swings too cold once Spring play comes around in a couple of months.