Former tight end Rob Housler's NFL draft stock on the rise

After former FAU quarterback Rusty Smith made history by becoming the first Owls player drafted to the NFL, the team appears to have more talent running through the gates.

Tight End Rob Housler
prepares to catch a pass.

Tight end Rob Housler appears to be the next top prospect coming out of Boca Raton. He is listed at 6-foot-5, 248 pounds and was timed at 4.55 seconds in the 40-yard dash, which was the fastest among all tight ends at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, IN. He also finished with 39 catches for 629 yards and four touchdowns in the 2010 season. 
His mix of size, speed, and production have almost guaranteed his named called in the upcoming draft.
"Had Housler earned his second-team all conference honors in the Pac-10 or Big Ten rather than the Sun Belt, he wouldn't make it out of the second round,"wrote Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com.
ESPN's draft analysts have Housler rated as the nation's fifth ranked tight end.
"I haven't done anything different," Housler told the Palm Beach Post. "It's just getting your name out there. We don't play at the biggest school in the world and we're not on TV every weekend."
With Housler projected as a fourth or fifth round pick, he would become the highest drafted FAU player so far in the school's short history.

Tight End Rob Housler catches a pass during FAU's annual
pro day on March 3 in Boca Raton.

With three veterans gone, young defensive backs see an opportunity

Like many other units on the football squad, the defensive back position will thrust some new players into the starting lineup.
Gone are starters Tavious Polo who earned freshman All-American honors after recording seven interceptions and Tarvoris Hill who had a reputation for dishing out hard hits. They also lose safety Ed Alexander who started 11 games last year for FAU. These players helped FAU finish first in the conference and 29th nationally in pass defense.
However, the departed players give a new crop of athletes a chance to make a name for themselves.

• RS Sophomore Keith Reaser (played in 10 games, had one interception in 2010.)
• RS Junior Demetrius Williamson (played in eight games, recorded three pass breakups in '10.)
• Sophomore Treon Howard (played in 11 games as true freshman, had 17 tackles.)
• RS Freshman Christen Milstead (Proving to be a play maker during spring practice.)
• Senior Marcus Bartels (Returning starter has three career interceptions.)
• Junior Brentley Harstad (Battled injuries also has three career interceptions.)

Christen Milstead  returns an interception during
FAU's first spring scrimmage of 2011.

Baseball team pounded in rematch with UCF in Orlando

The Owls had a lot of things going in their favor heading into Tuesday's rematch against Central Florida.
FAU had just defeated the Knights a week earlier, they were riding a six-game winning streak, and Raymond Church had a 17-game hit streak. All three came to an end as the Owls were shutout 12-0 at Jay Bergman Field in Orlando.
UCF scored three runs in the second inning off of pitcher Jake Meiers and never looked back from there. The Knights scored runs in four consecutive innings, including four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. FAU's pitching staff was abused, allowing UCF to churn out 16 hits on the night.
The Owls had chances to put up runs but they left seven runners on base for the game. Pitcher Ahmed Garcia surrendered three runs in only one inning of work.
This was only the second time this season the Owls have been shutout with the first time coming in a 5-0 loss to Stony Brook in February.
FAU will resume conference play this Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Ark.

Raymond Church sets up to make a catch
against FIU on Sunday, April 17.

In the 2011 season, FAU will have big men on the block

Last season seemed like a game of musical chairs for FAU's offensive lineman.
Injuries decimated the unit so much that seldom-used walk-ons were thrust into the starting lineup against powerhouse teams like Texas and Michigan State.
Starting center Jordan Sessa suffered a season-ending knee injury near the start of training camp in 2010 and was one of three centers to get injured in three consecutive days of practice.

"That was a big blow to our mentality," Sessa told fauowlsaccess.com. "Three centers went down in three days so it was one of those paranoia things for a week or two. But everyone recovered."

The line faced major challenges protecting the quarterback last season, but the players who were able to gain experience last season are returning in 2011.

In fact the Owls return every starter on the line from last season and the team only has three senior offensive lineman on the roster for next season.

With the team uncertain to who will be named the starting quarterback next season, it's important that the line is able to protect whoever is under center.

"It's of real big importance," Sessa said. "Especially for the offensive line because we all have to work as a unit. When you have everyone coming back you know how the guy next to you plays, you know how he works and everything. It really helps to bond everyone together."

Coach Howard Schnellenberger gives instruction to offense
during spring practice on April 13, 2011.

 

Football players get a sneak peak of new home

Less than six months away from playing in their new home, the FAU football players were given a chance to check out their new digs a little early.
The ceremony allowed players to see the progress of the 30,000 seat facility as well as feed the construction workers that have been putting the stadium together at a frantic pace in the past year.
The first home game is scheduled for October 15 against Sun Belt Conference opponent, Western Kentucky.
The stadium will cost FAU $70 million dollars and features thousands of club seats and seating from the top of the club tower provides a clear view of the Atlantic Ocean.
Here is FAU's entire schedule below:

• 9/3 at Florida
• 9/10 at Michigan State
• 9/24 at Auburn
• 10/01 at Louisiana-Lafayette
• 10/08 at North Texas
• 10/15 vs. Western Kentucky (first home game in new stadium)
• 10/22 vs. Middle Tennessee
• 11/05 vs. Arkansas State (homecoming)
• 11/12 at FIU
• 11/19 at Troy
• 11/26 vs. UAB
• 12/03 vs. Louisiana-Monroe

Receivers looking to catch on quickly

Next season's batch of FAU receivers has a tall task to fill if they want to match the production of last year's unit.
Gone are talents, Lester Jean and tight end Rob Housler, who were both invited to the NFL scouting combine and look to try and make a living in the NFL.
Last year it was Jean who took over as the favorite target for QB Jeff Van Camp, however this spring no receiver has emerged as the go-to guy.
The candidates who have a chance to make a splash include (in no particular order):

• Redshirt Sophomore DeAndre Richardson (12 catches, 114 yards in 2010)
• Redshirt Junior Byron Hankerson 
• Freshman Marcus Cunningham
• Freshman DeAndre Robinson
• Redshirt Senior Darian Williams (Nine catches, 110 yards in '10)
• Redshirt freshman Alex Deleon
• Redshirt Sophomore Nexon Dorvilius (Five catches, 14 yards in '10)



Receiver Byron Hankerson cuts up field during spring
practice at FAU. From fauowlsaccess.com

 These candidates haven't shown much in two spring scrimmages to evoke memories of Jean and Housler, but only time will tell if they are up for the challenge. With a solid offensive line and a good stable of running backs there will be less added pressure to produce like Jean did. However, since the Owls run a pro-style offense that helps pass-catchers put up big numbers, someone has to step up and catch the ball.

Owls steal one from UCF in Boca Raton

Thanks to a sacrifice fly from Sean Bukovich in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Owls were able to hold on and defeat the Central Florida Golden Knights 3-2 at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton.
The Owls may have put up even more runs if a ball hit by Bukovich a few pitches earlier had stayed inside fail territory, but nonetheless it proved to be enough after FAU earned the victory.
This game could have easily went in UCF's favor Tuesday after the Owls left seven runners stranded in scoring position. FAU has had struggles in recent games coming up with clutch hits that can produce runs.
However, the Owls still played solid baseball, much to the satisfaction of the head coach.
"I thought it was a fantastic win," coach John McCormack said. "I thought the guys played their hearts out. There was energy. There was enthusiasm."
FAU will continue conference play this weekend at home against Louisiana-Monroe on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Fast facts:

• Third Baseman Sean Bukovich had a hand in two of the three FAU runs. He scored a run in the fourth and had the RBI in the seventh.
• Each FAU batter recorded a hit in the game. Ten different batters in all.
• Second Baseman Raymond Church extended his hitting streak to 14 games by going 2-for-4 against UCF.

Owls hoops set to play Kansas Jayhawks next season.

With the Owls already scheduled to play the Florida Gators in Gainseville next season, the team just scheduled a game with former number one seed Kansas in Lawrence, KS.
The Owls were thrashed by the Jayhawks by 37 back in 2007, the last time the two teams played each other.
FAU is also trying to set-up a game at Cameron Indoor Stadium against another former number one seed, the Duke Blue Devils.
Owls assistant coach Mike Jarvis II used to be the director of player development under Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski a few years back before joining his father's staff at FAU.
The Owls also scheduled another contest with the in-state rival Florida Gators. FAU has never beaten UF but stuck with the Gators during a 13-point loss last season at Florida.

 Here is a video highlight of the last time FAU played Kansas in 2007 (Not a pretty sight for FAU fans).

FAU hoops picks up a new commit for 2011-12 season

News of the Owls record breaking season is proving to be a strong selling point for coach Mike Jarvis and his staff.
The team just received a commitment from Philadelphia-based shooting guard Omari Grier. In Grier, the Owls are getting a player who can get to the basket and shoot the ball pretty well as Grier told fauowlsaccess.com following his decision to take his talents to Boca Raton.
On paper, the Owls appear to be loaded at the guard positions for next year with a number of players returning and the addition of Grier to the roster.
Grier is listed at 6-foot-4, and will give the Owls a bigger guard to add to the roster.
Grier officially expects to sign his Letter of Intent in the next day or two.

FAU baseball snaps out of its struggles at the plate

Going into last weekend's series at South Alabama, the Owls had some major concerns at the plate.
Power hitter Dan Scheffler is scheduled to be out for five weeks after a fast ball hit him above the eye and broke bones in his face. Top hitters Andy Mee and Eddie Cassidy had been through some significant slumps at the plate. In addition, the team had not been hitting well as a whole.
But thanks to some lineup changes by coach John McCormack, the Owls put up 12 runs to win their first road series of the season against South Alabama.
"This is exactly what we wanted offensively," McCormack told Fauowlsaccess.com. “We hit two home runs, we hit a couple doubles, we got a couple balls in the gap – guys were swinging a lot (more freely). We are heading in the right direction.”
Colby Gratton led the charge by hitting two home runs and driving in six RBI's for FAU.
With the win, the Owls improved to 19-13 on the season with their next game coming on Tuesday against in-state rival Central Florida at 6:30 p.m. in Boca Raton.

• Gratton's six RBI are the most by an FAU player this season.
• Raymond Church extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a single in the eighth inning.
• Alex Hudak extended his five game multi-hit streak by going 2-for-4 on Sunday.

FAU plans to grind it out with deep stable of running backs

With a lack of experience at both the quarterback and receiver position, the Owls could look to the running game as the strength of the team.

Leading the pack is two-year starter and All-Sun Belt Conference selection, Alfred Morris who already holds the school record for rushing yards in a season. In FAU's first scrimmage he had a solid outing by gaining 69 yards on 14 carries.
One of the standouts in the spring has been redshirt sophomore, Damian Fortner. In Saturday's scrimmage Fortner gained 75 yards on 11 carries and scored on a 9-yard touchdown run. While Morris is more of a power running back, Fortner is quick with break-away speed.

Next in line is redshirt freshman Travis Jones. Although he only finished with eight carries for 28 yards, Jones made a nice play when he broke three tackles on a 29-yard run to the end zone.

Also battling for carries is running back Xavier Stinson. Stinson has the biggest workload in the rotation since he also splits repetitions at linebacker but he will have a significant impact at both spots.

Defense shines in first football scrimmage

Spring football is in full effect in Boca Raton as the Owls took the field for their first intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday afternoon.
While both sides made some big plays, the defense came out victorious 38-24 thanks to a modified scoring system.
Check out some notes from the scrimmage below.

• Redshirt junior quarterback David Kooi started with the first team offense, but Graham Wilbert also saw significant playing time.
• The defense snatched three interceptions and recovered two fumbles on the day.
• The defense also recorded nine sacks (even though they weren't allowed to hit the QB.)
• The running backs had a solid showing running for a combined 200 yards.

Will coach Mike Jarvis become the new head man at Miami?

Since former Miami coach Frank Haith was announced as the new head coach at Missouri, a handful of names have been tossed around to replace him.
One of those names is FAU's own Mike Jarvis who just led the Owls basketball team to record-setting season in Boca Raton.

Coach Mike Jarvis rallies his team during a timeout.

Jarvis may have caught Miami's attention for that reason. He has had a winning record for every team he has coaches. Before taking over at FAU, Jarvis ran the program at St. John's University where he led them all the way to the Elite Eight of NCAA Tournament. Jarvis has also led three different team to the NCAA Tournament and four to the NIT, including FAU.
When asked about the Miami job, Jarvis answered from a professional standpoint by not commenting on another opening while he is still with his current employer.
“I am employed by Florida Atlantic, and grateful for that,” Jarvis said. “I am recruiting for next season. The only job I will talk about is the one I currently have.”
However, even with the politically correct answer, it does not mean Jarvis won't hear what Miami has to say if they offer him the job.
Jarvis makes $200,000 a year as FAU's coach and Miami can offer much more than that if they wish.
Haith reportedly made more than a $1 million per year even though he had no previous head coaching experience.
If Miami offers Jarvis significantly more money, FAU can do little to match because so much of its budget is tied into the new stadium, and basketball doesn't generate nearly as much as football.

As spring begins FAU looks for next in line at quarterback

As FAU moves toward its annual spring game, this will be the first time in years of uncertainty at the quarterback position.
Last spring current NFL hopeful Jeff Van Camp was handed the reins from three-year starter and current Tennessee Titan Rusty Smith. This spring the Owls have as many as four candidates fighting for the vacant spot.
The two front-runners for the spot are redshirt juniors David Kooi and Graham Wilbert. Both players lack significant playing experience, combining to throw for a grand total of seven pass attempts in 2010.

Graham Wilbert (center) tosses a pass during spring practice.

Kooi from Pensacola, is listed at 6 foot 7 inches tall and is a mobile quarterback that likes to get outside of the pocket and scramble. Wilbert, from Valencia, CA., is an inch shorter and considered a pro-style quarterback that likes to stay in the pocket to locate receivers.
According to coach Howard Schnellenberger, freshmen Nick Bracewell and Stephen Curtis will also be given a chance to earn the job.
Fans will have an opportunity to watch the competition throughout the spring at the team's practice field behind the Tom Oxley Center in Boca Raton.