Troy embarrasses FAU on national TV

The defending Sun Belt Conference champion, Florida Atlantic, saw its chance of repeating as SBC champs greatly diminish on Tuesday.

Troy put a 30-17 schooling on the Owls in front of a national audience on ESPN.

Here are a few thoughts on the game:

Penalties, penalties, penalties

These teams did not do their conference proud on national TV. There were so many penalties in the first quarter that it made one wonder if these two squads were really Division I-A (I'm protesting renaming it FBS) teams. There were 11 total penalties in the game with nine coming in the first quarter alone. To make matters worse, most of the penalties were the kind that result from mental errors. Of the first quarter penalties, six were false starts or offsides infractions.


What happened to FAU?

FAU won the conference last season and returned nearly its entire team from a year ago. The Owls had eight players appear on the preseason All-SBC First Team, including five on defense. Cornerback Tavious Polo picked off seven passes last season. Quarterback Rusty Smith is the reigning SBC Player of the Year and linebacker Frantz Joseph is the preseason SBC Defensive Player of the Year, yet this team is 1-5 with a disappointing 0-2 conference record. Despite all the talent on defense, the Owls are giving up 30.7 points a game. On paper, this is easily the most talented team in the conference, but it sure hasn't played like it.

What happened to Rusty Smith?

Statistically, Smith was one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in 2007. He completed 58.7 percent of his passes for 3,688 yards (283.7 per game) and 32 touchdowns with only nine interceptions. He had the look of a guy that could make it into the NFL after his senior season. He had the NFL size (6-5, 212) and some amazing numbers as just a sophomore. However, he's taken a huge step back this season. Smith has a measly 48.8 completion percentage for 1,367 yards (227.8 per game) with five touchdowns and nine interceptions. Of the seven SBC quarterbacks that have thrown at least 100 passes this season, Smith ranks seventh in pass efficiency. Also, he's thrown a whopping eight interceptions over his last three games.


Turnovers

Last season, FAU had an incredible +18 turnover margin. This season, the Owls have committed 16 turnovers and forced five. In 2007, cornerbacks Tavious Polo and Corey Small combined to intercept 12 passes, the highest total among cornerback duos. Thus far, they have managed only one pick apiece. Polo is suffering the same fate as Smith--after looking like a potential pro in 2007, he's looked average in 2008. On the flip side, FAU needs to coach its players on how to hold onto the ball. In six games, the Owls have fumbled the ball 12 times. How many other teams out there fumble twice every game?

Troy is just one of those teams

Although it is on a much smaller scale, Troy is one of those teams that every season just make you say, "How are they that good this year?" The Trojans are 3-2 (2-0 SBC) despite the fact they lost all their stars from a year ago. In fact, they lost their top starter at every skill position on offense from the 2007 team. Gone is SBC Offensive Player of the Year Omar Haugabook. No more Kenny Cattouse, former starting running back. Starting receiver Gary Banks has departed. And don't forget corner Leodis McKelvin, taken in the first round of the NFL draft. Despite all the personnel losses, it looks as though Troy and Arkansas State are going to be duking it out for the SBC title.

FAU plays dirty

Following MTSU's win over FAU on Sept. 30, one MTSU player told me that the Owls are a dirty team, and after watching them tonight it's clear to see the truth in that statement. FAU receiver purposefully tore the helmet off MTSU cornerback Ted Riley last Tuesday; a foul that was completely unnecessary. Against Troy, the Owls were no more tact. Of FAU's seven penalties against the Trojans, one was a personal foul, one was an illegal block in the back and another was a face mask. FAU appears as they have no respect for their opponents, which is unfortunate considering how terrible they've played.