If there were ever a time to be late for a football game (due to a prior commitment), then FAU’s home Opener Friday night against Wagner College was it.
I arrived at 9:10 p.m. with five minutes left in the second quarter and FAU trailing the Seahawks, 3-0. The first person I saw was Assistant Athletic Director and Media Relations Director Katrina McCormack. She smiled and said, “things worked out for you.” This meant that I didn’t miss much.
By halftime, FAU had amassed a mere 79 yards in total offense.
The Owls woke up during the fourth quarter as QB Graham Wilbert connected with wide receiver Byron Hankerson for a 39-yard touchdown pass with 11:36 left in the game. The drive was one play for 39 yards and the time of possession was seven seconds.
The 14,510 fans had their first win of the season before Labor Day. (Last season, it was after Thanksgiving before FAU won their first game. The Owls defeated UAB 38-35 on Nov. 26, 2011 in a 1-11 season.)
Wilbert went 10-13, had no interceptions for 126 yards and one touchdown. Hankerson had five receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown. Running back Martese Jackson gained 99 yards on 21 carries as FAU finished the game with 327 total offensive yards.
They defeated Wagner, which is located in Staten Island, New York and has been playing football since 1927. Going into the FAU contest, Wagner had an alltime record of 379-324-19 for a .534 winning percentage. They currently play in the Football Championship Series (FCS), a level below FAU, which participates in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
FAU has been playing football since 2001 and the Owls record is 58-74 for a .439 winning percentage. Despite being on different levels, the FCS schools compete well against the FBS squads.
(On Sept.1, 2007, Appalachian State put the FCS on the map, defeating the Michigan Wolverines, 34-32, in Ann Arbor, MI, in one of the biggest upsets in college football history.)
During week one of this season, FAU’s next opponent, Middle Tennessee State, lost 27-21 to McNeese State. Another FCS upset occurred in Pittsburgh, as Youngstown State defeated the Panthers, 31-17, of the Big East at Heinz Field.
These FCS schools are good and they produce quality NFL players. Former Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton and San Francisco ‘49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice began their Hall of Fame careers at FCS institutions.
When the game was over, FAU Coach Carl Pelini admitted he had butterflies during his head coaching debut.
“This was just another football game, but we prepared as best as we could,” Pelini said. “Nothing that happened out there shocked me. Graham did it for us. We made mistakes, no panic, and I will not apologize for a win.
“Our greatest leap should be between weeks one and two.”
