FAU Posts 50 On Tulsa, Charlie Partridge Earns First Win

Florida Atlantic routed Tulsa in Boca Raton on Saturday night, 50 - 21. The Owls threw for over 310 yards against a porous Golden Hurricane defense.

Quarterback Jaquez Johnson burst out the gate and completed a career-long 74 yard pass to William Dukes on FAU's second drive. Johnson looked poised and calm in the pocket and found Dukes for only his second completion of the season.

Tulsa quarterback Dane Evans orchestrated a ten play, 89 yard drive that was punctuated by a nine yard touchdown pass to Conner Floyd. The Golden Hurricane led two drives deep into FAU territory early in the game that resulted in turnovers. Tulsa would take advantage of an Owl pass interference call and score their second touchdown at the beginning of the second half.

D'Joun Smith returned to the field Saturday for Florida Atlantic. The senior cornerback intercepted Dane Evans in the 1st quarter off a tipped pass and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown.

The Owls continued to score in a multitude of ways against a broken Golden Hurricane defense. Johnson found Jenson Stoshak downfield for a 59 yard touchdown pass and Alex Deleon down the seam for a 14 yard score as well. Kicker Greg Joseph converted two field goals for FAU and the Owls even enjoyed a safety by Robinson Eugene. Florida Atlantic moves to 1-2 on the season and travel to Wyoming next weekend to take on the Cowboys.

Game Notes:

• The Owls debuted red chrome helmets for the first time in program history. Entering the field to a cloud of red smoke, FAU impressed the large student crowd and yours truly with the sleek look. I still have my fingers crossed for an all-red uniform and tonight was definitely a step in the right direction.
• Lucky Whitehead continued his productive season with a huge 47 yard run off a jet sweep. Lucky was involved early and often in the offense and has really separated himself as a weapon that must be accounted for on every play. With the rest of the Owl receiving corps struggling to begin the season, Whitehead's consistency has been a breathe of fresh air.
• Speaking of the receivers, William Dukes and Jenson Stoshak finally appeared for the Owls. The two veteran receivers combined for 240 yards receiving and two touchdowns. These guys will need to keep up the good work if the Owls want to perform well in conference play.
• D'Joun Smith picked up an interception, a fumble recovery and a touchdown in what proved to be a great first game back for the senior cornerback. He was all over the secondary and the units play really stepped up with him on the field.
• Coach Partridge has stressed fundamentals since the day he stepped foot in Boca Raton. Tonight, the Owls moved away from this philosophy and continued to allow ball-carriers to run free. FAU enjoyed success in other facets of the game, but if they want to win in C-USA, they will need to make these tackles.