The FAU Owls play well but collapse late in a 41-37 loss to North Texas

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By Bob Markey II

Despite playing their best game of the season, amassing 519 yards and holding the prolific North Texas offense to 27 points, the Florida Atlantic Owls staged a historic collapse in the final 2:38 of the fourth quarter, giving up two touchdowns to make it 41- 37 to lose.

“I’m not angry. “For long stretches tonight we played like an American Athletic Conference championship team,” said head coach Tom Herman. “We haven’t seen that in a year and a half. I was really proud of them for playing so well over a long period of time against a really, really good team.

“Now, of course, we still have a long way to go,” said Herman. “I would rather be beaten at 50. It’s hard to be so close and still know we still have a lot of work to do.”

On a miserable, rainy evening in front of their smallest crowd of the season, the Owls (2-4, 0-2 AAC) stormed to a 27-17 halftime lead. But early on, 13-point favorite UNT (5-1, 2-0 AAC) gave Owls fans a sense of de ja vu as it rushed for 75 yards in seven plays, capped by a 19-yarder -Pass from Chandler Morris to Dalton Carnes for a TD (10:29, first).

The Owls’ offense was lively and played well throughout the game, led by QB Cam Fancher, who rushed three times for 351 yards (22 of 30), three touchdowns and one interception and ran 15 times for 69 yards. CJ Campbell ran for 89 yards on 18 carries and Zuberi Mobley ran nine times for 27 yards.

The Owls managed to maintain a lead of 3 or 10 points for much of the game, despite the quick-hitting ability of the Mean Green and its QB Morris.

The receiving corps came to life, led by Omari Hayes, who had five catches for 89 yards and a TD, Cambell (6 catches for 74 yards), Wyatt Sullivan (three catches for 71 yards and his first collegiate TD), Milan Tucker ( two for 69) and Jabari Smith (3 for 30).

FAU answered UNT with a 14-yard Fancher pass to Omari Hayes, tying the score at 3:51 in the first. The key to the drive was a 31-yard run by Campbell, his longest run of the night.

The Owls next forced a UNT punt, but Hayes dropped it at the FAU 25 and the Mean Green scored on the next play with a complete Morris pass to Nick Rempert at 5:11 of the first play.

FAU stormed back on the next drive with three runs for 39 yards from Fancher, who also passed 38 yards to Sullivan to the UNT 9. But Fancher was sacked, the Owls settled for a 26-yard Morgan Suarez FG second at 14:19.

FAU held UNT on the next series and added another TD on a 28-yard throw from Fancher to Sullivan to take a 17-14 lead (7:34, second).

UNT added a FG from 47 by Kali Nguma with 2:54 left in the second quarter. But FAU wasn’t finished yet. Fancher, playing like the highly recruited Marshall transfer he supposedly was, engineered a nine-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with a 5-yard pass to Smith (1:20, second).

FAU led 24-27, stopped Morris and the Mean Green at the FAU 48 and then drove to the UNT 9, which was decisive with a 37-yard pass to Campbell. As time expired, Suarez hit a 32-yard FG to put the ball up 27-17 at halftime.

The running game, driven primarily by Campbell, opened up passing lanes and put UNT in a catching-up position. However, for most of the game, the Owls’ defense was fantastic on one drive and almost collapsed on another. It was Morris, who was 27 of 45 for 336 yards with four touchdowns and an INT, who played the hero late.

FAU gave up a touchdown early in the third after threatening to score. Makenzie McGill scored on a 3-yard run to cap a 65-yard, seven-play drive.

Suarez missed a 51-yard FG attempt with 5:25 left in the third. But one play later, Jackson Ambush beat Morris at the UNT 12, and one play after that he ran for a 12-yard TD with 5:06 left.

Again with a lead of 10, FAU allowed Morris to pass mostly to the Owls’ 22 yards, but UNT settled for a 3 (Nguma from 40 yards).

FAU couldn’t sustain its drive, but Logan Lupo buried UNT inside its 1 with a 45-yard punt. The Owls held the Mean Green to a fourth-and-6 at the UNT 32 and drove to the 14 before Saurez made a 32- Yard FG scored to put FAU ahead again by 10, 37-37 with 4:21 to play.

UNT then quickly drove to the FAU 8 before Morris passed all the way to Sheffield and got within 3 points.

FAU managed just 12 yards on its next drive and stumbled to the UNT 42 with 1:43 to play. UNT then ran 58 yards in five plays to take a 42-37 lead.

FAU drove to what appeared to be a game-winning touchdown, but stalled and settled for a 32-yard Morgan Suarez FG with 4:21 to play. But UNT stormed down the field after a long kickoff return with 2:43 left, scoring an 8-yard TF from Morris to DF.T. Sheffield.

With 2:38 to play and a 3-point lead, FAU needed just a few first downs to seal the game, but came up short and missed a punt. Morris fended off the Owls’ defense and brought the Mean Green to the FAU 3 before throwing to the wide-open Sheffield for the final score.

The Owls had a chance to win with :58 to play, but Fancher ran 14 yards to the FAU 41, then ended the game with an interception.

FAU will travel to Texas San Antonio for a must-win game if the Owls want to go bowling.

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