BOCA RATON — After taking Michigan State down to the wire last week, Florida Atlantic seemed stuck in the mud Saturday, falling to Army 24-7 in its home and American Athletic Conference opener.
It was a long day in the trenches for the Owls (0-2, 0-1 AAC) as the Black Knights (2-0, 1-0) ran for 405 yards and controlled the clock.
“I’m angry,” FAU coach Tom Herman said. “I’m angry at myself, but I do know that we’re going to get back to work tomorrow, and we have a long season. The silver lining is we don’t play another one (triple-option team) this season, but we’re not going to beat anybody if we don’t take the steps necessary to play consistently.
“We’re pretty damn good when everybody does exactly what they’re coached to do.”
The running game told the story in this AAC matchup. FAU was gashed on the ground in the opening quarter, allowing 130 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown run from Kanye Udoh. Quarterback Bryson Daily later found Casey Reynolds for a 44-yard touchdown pass to jump to an early 14-0 lead.