2009 Florida Atlantic Owls NCAA Football Predictions
Written June 30, 2009 by Jason Lowry
The Florida Atlantic Owls had a miserable start to the 2008 season, as they dropped five of their first six games, and after coming into the season as the favorite to win the division, the Owls were forced to fight just to finish around .500. The Owls were able to put together a very strong run to finish the season, as they went 5-1 in their final six games to finish up the regular season at 6-6. With their strong finish the Owls received their 2nd straight bowl game appearance, and made good use of it upsetting Central Michigan 24-21in the Motor City Bowl. The Owls return 11 starters in 2009, but just 3 on the defensive side of things. Even with few starters coming back, with a head coach like Howard Schnellenberger the Owls are in strong consideration to be a force once again in the Sun Belt this year.
The Owls have 8 starters coming back on an offense that could really put up some big numbers this season if starting quarterback Rusty Smith can stay healthy and on the football field. Smith who separated his shouler in the opener against Texas last year, didn’t really get it going until the 2nd half of the year, and still he had a number of long touchdowns dropped when he was on the field. Smith when healthy is one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football, and should be ready to really get this team going in 2009. At running back the Owls lost their top two leading rushers from 2008, and that means sophomore Alfred Morris will really have to step up and be a factor this season. With teams unable to crowd the box because of the talent Smith has at the quarterback position, Morris should come right in and have some decent holes to run through. It will also help that the Owls return 3 starters on the offensive line, and figure to have senior Carl Spitale take over at right tackle and junior Ryan Wischnefski the man in the middle at center. At wide receiver the Owls have a ton of talent coming back, as they not only return their top 6 receivers from 2008, but they get back tight end Jason Harmon, who missed the entire 2008 season after catching 63 passes in 2007. Harmon figures to jump right back into the starting lineup and will play along side senior receivers Cortez Gent and Chris Bonner. Gent is the playmaker for this team, as he led the team with 60 catches for 935 yards and 9 touchdowns last season. The offense looks poised to really light up the scoreboards in 2009, but the question will be can the defense do enough to not lose the game. Bet the Owls this season at Sportsbook.com.
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The Owls lone returning starters on this side of the ball are senior defensive tackle Josh Savidge, junior cornerback Tarvoris Hill, and junior free safety Ed Alexander. Up front the Owls will likely be counting on two sophomores in defensive end Jamere Johnson and defensive tackle Jarvis Givens, but have a very talented senior in Jermaine Council to step in and play the other defensive end spot. At linebacker the Owls will have three new faces, but the good news is they are all juniors or seniors. Junior Michael Lockley will take over at middle linebacker, while junior Malik Eugene and senior Edward Bradwell take over on the outside. Junior Tavious Polo will team up with Hill at the corner postion, while junior Austin Jensen is expected to start opposite of Alexander at the strong safety position. While coaching can do a lot to make a team better, it’s going to be a tough task for the coaching staff to get this unit to play at a high enough level to win this conference. Bet the Sun Belt Conference at Sportsbook.com.
My 2009 Prediction: Tie for 3rd in Sun Belt Conference. I think this team is going to be a lot of fun to watch this season, as the Owls figure to play in a lot of high scoring games. As good as the offense is I feel like they have to play at such a high level every week just to give this team a chance to win, that they are bound to have their off games. I still think this will be a solid football team and could even finish as high as 2nd in the SBC, but either way I have them going to their 3rd straight bowl game this season.
For those of you looking to do some college football betting this upcoming season, be sure to check back for our expert college football picks and the latest college football odds for all the games at Betfirms.
If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:
- 2009 Temple Owls NCAA Football Predictions
- 2009 Rice Owls NCAA Football Predictions
- 2009 Florida Atlantic Football Predictions
- Motor City Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Florida Atlantic Football Picks
- 2009 Florida International Golden Panthers NCAA Football Predictions
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