Florida Atlantic 2005 Season | Team Page	Select Conference ACC Big East Big Ten Big 12 Conference USA Independents MAC Mountain West Pac-10 SEC Sun Belt WAC Select Team

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The Lowdown 2006 Schedule Coach: Howard Schnellenberger (2nd season, 2-9) 2005 record: 2-9 Sun Belt finish: 2-5 (t-7th) 2005 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: n/a (114.5 ypg) Passing: n/a (177.8 ypg) 2005 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: n/a (218.1 ypg) Passing: n/a (176.6 ypg) Date Opponent Sept. 2 at Clemson Sept. 9 at Kansas State Sept. 16 at Oklahoma State Sept. 23 at South Carolina Sept. 30 at UL Monroe Oct. 18 UL Lafayette Oct. 28 Arkansas State Nov. 4 at Middle Tennessee Nov. 11 Troy Nov. 18 at North Texas Nov. 25 FIU Depth Chart: Offense 7 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. WR 7 Casey McGahee Sr. 16 Cortez Gent Fr. WR 6 Frantz Simeon So. 82 Chad Wilkes So. LT 52 Nello Faulk Sr. 70 Lavoris Williams Fr. LG 68 Nick Paris So. 67 Zach Wichner So. C 78 Jarrid Smith Jr. 72 David Matlock Fr. RG 65 Brandon Jackson So. 79 Jarrett McDonald So. RT 63 Antes Perkins Jr. 71 John Rizzo So. TE 85 Mike Wilds Jr. 20 Jason Harmon So. QB 15 Sean Clayton Jr. 11 Rusty Smith Fr. FB 46 William Rose So. 35 Aaron Sanchez Sr. TB 31 Charles Pierre So. 32 DiIvory Edgecomb Jr. Depth Chart: Defense 5 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 77 Robert St. Clair So. 93 E.J. Jones So. DT 92 Jervonte Jackson So. 96 John Mertilus Fr. DT 90 Vinnie Henderson So. 99 Randy Hunter So. DE 91 Josh Jenkins Sr. 97 Josh Pinnick Jr. SLB 49 Andre Clark So. 50 George Allen Fr. MLB 56 Frantz Joseph So. 51 Brad Gagne So. WLB 45 Cergile Sincere Jr. 47 Edward Bradwell So. CB 10 Quincy Skinner Sr. 21 Erick McIntosh Fr. CB 26 Corey Small So. 13 Rickey Bethel Sr. SS 27 Kris Bartels Jr. 3 Greg Joseph So. FS 40 Troy Pindell Sr. 9 Taheem Acevedo Jr. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. Ps. No. Player Yr. K 34 Warley Leroy So. KR 32 DiIvory Edgecomb Jr. P 30 Keegan Peterson Fr. PR 7 Casey McGahee Sr.

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Building a Division I-A football program from scratch, as coach Howard Schnellenberger has done at Florida Atlantic, is not a linear project. Two years ago, the Owls reeled off nine wins as a senior-laden provisional independent. Reality set in as those veterans moved on; Florida Atlantic cratered to 2-9 in its first season as a full-fledged member of the Sun Belt Conference.

FAU returns 12 starters, but sophomores predominate on the two-deep. The non-conference schedule, including Clemson, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and South Carolina, is rated R for obscene road content. The Owls are breaking in a new quarterback and searching for a defensive leader.

OFFENSE

At quarterback, junior Sean Clayton is poised to be the Owls' third full-time starter in as many seasons. Clayton, a tight end at Michigan State before transferring in 2004, replaced an injured Danny Embick in the last two contests of '05 and won his first start, 26-23 over North Texas. Clayton completed 31-of-57 passes for 329 yards last year.

Sophomore DiIvory Edgecomb posted FAU's only 100-yard rushing game of the season when he gouged North Texas for 118 yards. He and the heftier Charles Pierre, the Owls' leading returning rusher, are back to pilot a nondescript ground attack (1,259 net yards in '05).

"We consider them both starters," offensive coordinator Gary Nord says. "They'll both play a lot, and they're both very explosive running backs."

The wide receiving corps was so green last season that Casey McGahee, a defensive back in 2004, was third on the squad in catches (23) and third in yards (269). Now McGahee, a senior, is something of an elder statesman, along with sophomore Frantz Simeon (18 receptions, 274 yards).

With tackles Nello Faulk and Antes Perkins among four returning starters on the offensive line, the Owls are positioned, at least up front, for a big leap forward after scoring the fewest points in the Sun Belt in '05.

DEFENSE

Boston College transfer Frantz Joseph should take over for graduated team MVP Shomari Earls at the mike linebacker, while junior Cergile Sincere, the Owls' third-leading tackler in 2005, mans the will spot.

Josh Jenkins and Josh Pinnick are the only defensive linemen with more than a season of experience; they figure to jostle sophomore Robert St. Clair, the Owls' Most Improved Player as voted by the team, for time at end. St. Clair came to Florida Atlantic at a svelte 192 pounds. Forty pounds later, he led the squad with eight tackles for a loss as a redshirt freshman defensive end.

"Robert certainly was a bright spot in a lean year," defensive coordinator Kirk Hoza says. "We're just awfully young."

The Owls graduated corners Willie Hughley and Lawrence Gordon from the Sun Belt's best pass defense a season ago. However, safeties Kris Bartels - the team's second-leading tackler in '05 - and Troy Pindell return to the back line.

SPECIALISTS

Sophomore Warley Leroy takes over for Daniel Kennard as placekicker and kickoff specialist. The punting job could fall to Mike O'Neill or Keegan Peterson. McGahee and Edgecomb will be featured in the return game.

FINAL ANALYSIS

The combination of 14 graduated starters from 2004 and the first schedule full of Division I-A opponents yielded Florida Atlantic's disappointing 2-9 record last season. Is there reason for optimism in Boca Raton? Part of that depends on which Sean Clayton shows up at quarterback - the one who cleanly guided the Owls by North Texas, or the one who threw three interceptions in three quarters against Florida International.

At least FAU's offensive line returns virtually intact, but it has to open more holes for a rushing game that averaged 3.0 yards per carry last fall. Frantz Simeon is the best bet to stretch the field at wide receiver; don't be shocked by a breakout campaign from him.

The Owls' pass defense was rated first in the Sun Belt in 2005, but that's because opposing teams ran for almost 2,400 yards against FAU's green defensive front. That group is still inexperienced, although the linebacker corps is deeper this time around. Pressure on the quarterback must improve; FAU registered six measly sacks in 2005.

Special teams may be the least of Schnellenberger's worries, but finding a punter to replace Mike Brown and a dependable placekicker are still elephants in a tiny room.

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