Week 1 has officially come and gone and heading into week 2 the Owls will need to make some adjustments offensively to find their identity earlier.
While Tom Herman and company make the necessary adjustments to put out a more productive unit against Army in the Home Opener, we take a look at some of the numbers that stand out from the season opener.
Receiving room becomes a bit more clear
Going into this matchup, it was a bit unknown who was going to be the guys at WR for the Owls, and although the offense struggled to really showcase what they can do, the unit was able to make some plays and a few guys established themselves as targets.
Jayshon Platt led the Owls in snaps at WR, playing 51 of the 74 total snaps on the outside for the Owls, behind him was Dom Henry who played 41 snaps on the outside, Omari Hayes was 3rd, playing 36 snaps with 95% of them from the slot.
The pass game struggled to flash, but when it did, Omari Hayes established himself as the go-to guy in the role, which in the past, Herman offenses tend to feature. He led the Owls in yards and targets, hauling in all 5 looks for 74 yards, which included the Owls longest play of the game, a 28 yard connection in the 4th quarter.
Fancher looked to him when the Owls needed a big play, which also included a 4th and 8 conversion on the last play of the game which went for 21 yards.
Look for FAU to get him more involved next week, as the offense as a whole looks to make a big jump following an up-and-down performance.
Surprises
After EJ Horton flashed an ability to be an explosive threat over the top for this offense during fall camp, he received 0 snaps in the first game of the season, which was a bit surprising considering the offense was unable to generate big plays early on. It will be something to note if he gets more involved in the offense in week 2, as FAU looks to find different ways to get the pass game rolling.
Fancher’s other Marshall connection, Caleb Coombs only received 2 snaps and one target, which was a deep shot which was incomplete. Against an Army defense that will find ways to make him uncomfortable it will be something to see if both Horton and Coombs receive more snaps to provide the Owls lead man more familiarity.
Dual-Threat TE’s
The offense was unable to generate a ton of production from the tight end position in this one, however as Zeke Moore recoverd from a shoulder injury suffered during camp, Wyatt Sullivan began receiving more and more reps. In this one, Sullivan earned the starting role and out-snapped Moore 41-28, showing the Owls depth at the position.
Both only received 1 target on the day which were incomplete, however with the way this offense has utilized the TE position in the past, it will be something to watch how the Owls utilize both of them, and who potentially establishes themself as the “#1.”
Fancher’s up-and-down debut
It wasn’t the flashiest debut for new Owls QB Cam Fancher, but there were many points in the game where the potential of this offense led by Fancher’s dual-threat ability were on full display.
The first half passing wise, was a struggle for Fancher, as a mix of lack of protection, lack of separation, and some errant throws made for an unfortunate line of 4-9 for 21 yards and 2 interceptions for him at the half.
The unit made the necessary adjustments at half, and Fancher was able to increase his production in the pass game during the second half, completing 8/14 passes for 95 yards and a score.
Fancher found the most of his success between the numbers, completing 8/14 passes for 62 yards and a score, however both of his INTs came on throws over the middle. The outside of the field was a struggle at times, as Fancher completed only 1 of his 3 attempts on the outside that went longer than 10 yards.
In the run game, Fancher lit a spark underneath the offense at times, albeit a bit erratic. Taking away sacks, Fancher rushed it for a total of 18 times for 96 yards good for 5.3 YPC. He was able to pick up 10 first downs with his legs, had 4 carries of 10+, and scrambled for 68 of the 96 yards, showing an ability to improvise.
It wasn’t the best debut for the Owls lead man, however it wasn’t solely his fault, as his offensive line allowed 17 pressures, and receivers failed to create separation at times, which made for some lack-luster offensive reps. However, Fancher was explosive in the run game, and showed improvement as a passer, finishing with a 56.5% adjusted completion percentage and in week 2 he will need to build on that second half for the Owls to have a more complete game offensively.
Big Day for the Defense
The defense for FAU was the highlight of week 1, as defensive backs were making plays and limiting MSU playmakers in coverage, while the front 7 was providing consistent pass rush and for all but 1 play, limited the run game for the Spartans.
In coverage, Buggs Brown and Daedae Hill were locked down on the outside, as Brown started the game with the spectacular toe-tap interception and it continued from there. Out of the 64 total snaps, Hill played 55 snaps and Brown played 48, Brown was targeted 4 times in coverage allowing 1 catch for 11 yards, while Hill was targeted 5 times allowing 1 catch for 5 yards, making a total of 1 of 9 on targets against the Owls top DBs.
5 different defensive lineman were able to generate pressures on the day, with Chris Jones and Devonta Davis getting home for the lone sack on the day, which was credited to Davis.
Behind Jones was Chisom Ifeanyi who established himself as another threat off the edge for the Owls. Ifeanyi played 40 total snaps, generating 2 pressures, 2 hurries, and winning 42.9% of his true pass set rushes.
It was a big first game for Ifeanyi who transferred in this offseason from Shippensburg University, and is 2 years removed from a season ending Knee Injury, and in this one he was a dual-threat force off the edge with Chris Jones.
The Owls were able to successfully rotate lineman on the interior and off the edge as Herman planned, with Ifeanyi and Jones starting off the edge and Bradley, Wilky Denaud, Eric Brantley in rotation. From the interior, Jaden Wheeler and Devonta Davis got the start, while Jacob Merrifield, Bryce Langston, and Kiemar Richardson rotated.
In the run game, Jackson Ambush and Jones led the way with 4 stops a piece, while Jayden Williams and Buggs Brown were the big contributors from the secondary, with Williams adding 3 stops and 5 tackles, and Brown 2 stops and 3 tackles.
Overall it was a really solid game for all levels of the defense, with the new additions showing why Herman and Co. brought them to paradise, and heading into the rest of the season this unit has a chance to be one of the top in the AAC if it continues its strong play.
Final thought
Although the offense struggled at times, there were positives to take away on both sides of the ball, and heading into week 2 the Owls now have a better idea of what a lot of their new additions are able to do in-game. In the home-opener, the Owls will be looking to put together a more consistent game on offense and replicate their defensive success, however against a well oiled machine in Army, execution will need to be at an all-time high.