Destined To Happen

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

If there was a matchup that was destined to happen in The Ryan Conference-USA Championship Game, this afternoon’s FAU Stadium matchup between the UAB Blazers vs FAU Owls is it.

In 2018, UAB defeated Middle Tennessee 27-25 to capture the C-USA Championship.

In 2017, FAU mauled North Texas 41-17 in Coach Lane Kiffin’s first season and the Owls finished the regular season 10-3 then proceeded to defeat Akron 50-3 in the Boca Raton Bowl. This culminated in an 11-3 campaign.

Going into this contest, one storyline that was common has centered around Kiffin, who has been linked to Power Five job opportunities, with the most rampant one circulating being the Ole Miss Rebels of the SEC. At the end of the game, that speculation became a reality and resigned immediately.

Kiffin finished his tenure with FAU compiling a 26-13 mark.

Defensive Coordinator Glenn Spencer was named interim head coach and will lead the team in the Bowl Game which will be revealed Sunday Night.

Going into the game, Kiffin has abstained from discussing his future to concentrate on this Championship Game.

When the game was over, he only wanted to reflect on an outstanding season for his team as well as the successful three year run he had with the program.

On Thursday’s Sports Exchange, I predicted that FAU would win 21-17.

Whether this would be his final game, the Owls responded by jumping out to an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter. The team played hard-hitting inspired football from the get-go.

By the 14:09 mark in the second quarter, the Owls matched my predicted point mark, jumping out to a 21-3 lead. The Owls led 35-6 at the half as they also blocked a punt deep in Blazers territory which was recovered for a TD. FAU also added a late score with 26 seconds left in the half.

FAU has now scored over 30 points in 10 games. The Owls amassed 304 yards in the first half.

The Owls were in cruise control the rest of the contest. The Owls would come out on top 49-6 and out gained UAB 585-223.

QB Chris Robison was the Championship Game MVP as he threw for 267 yards and four touchdowns. He rushed for an additional 30 yards.

Prior to today’s game, the largest margin of victory for the Owls was a 49-34 win at the now demolished Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on September 6, 2008, which I covered. The largest margin of victory in this series occurred November 7, 2009 on the road when the Blazers routed FAU 56-29.

The Owls now lead the lifetime series 5-2 and await their Bowl opponent.

Meanwhile, Blazers Coach Bill Clark has done a tremendous job with his program as he owns an all-time career mark of 34-18.

He’s been with the school since 2014 and despite a two-year hiatus, UAB in an elite program in Conference USA.

The future looks bright for UAB as they’ll play in a brand new 45,000 downtown stadium that will open in 2021.

As of this post, UAB also awaits its Bowl destination.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottbm33@gmail.com and is the CEO and Founder of The South Florida Tribune.

He also owns the South Florida Tribune Broadcasting Network.

Been There And Done That

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTO BY CANDY EBLING

Prior to the game between the Florida Atlantic Owls and Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, one of my followers asked whether Owls Coach Lane Kiffin would leave to take a more high profile job.

I told him that it’s possible but Kiffin can afford to be selective of his next gig.

In 2017, the former USC-head coach led FAU to an 11-3 record and the Owls trounced Akron 50-3 in the Boca Raton Bowl. The Owls were Conference USA Champions, even appearing in the AP Top 25 rankings for one week.


The 2018 season saw FAU finish with a 5-7 mark and it missed a bowl game.

As the 2019 season concludes, chalk up another successful season for Kiffin and his Owls.

The Owls defeated Southern Mississippi 34-17. The game was televised nationally on the NFL Network. FAU won The Conference USA East Division title. The exposure was priceless.

They'll face the University of Alabama-Birmingham on Saturday at 1:30 PM in The Conference USA Title Game at FAU Stadium.

On Saturday, Former Green Bay Packers Hall Of Fame QB Brett Favre wasn’t in the building to lead his Alma-Mater.

But how has Kiffin managed to compile a pair of winning seasons at a mid major university?

1. He gives fresh starts to players at major universities such as QB red-shirt sophomore Chris Robison, who played at Oklahoma before being dismissed for disciplinary reasons. Robison has been Kiffin’s biggest reclamation project thus far during his tenure at FAU.

2. He knows the value of Social Media and takes full advantage of as he has 434,400 followers on Twitter.

3. His offense is real good. The team has eclipsed 30 points in nine of it’s games. FAU gave the Ohio State Buckeyes a battle by losing the opener 45-21.

4. FAU has amassed 300 or more yards in 11 of its 12 contests.

5. Against Southern Mississippi, FAU forced five turnovers and just committed one.

The coaching carrousel has already begun.

Florida State, Arkansas and Missouri are Power Five Schools looking for new coaches. You can rest assure, this is just the beginning of many more job openings.

Will Kiffin, who has head coaching stops at USC, Tennessee and the Oakland Raiders be ready to leave a university which at the rate he’s going being a Big Fish in a Little Pond eventually erect a statue for him outside of FAU Stadium?

Time will tell.

Will Kiffin follow the likes of Butch Davis (FIU) and Frank Solich (Ohio University) and coached at Nebraska along with Miami, North Carolina be happy to stay put, thus putting them in the been there and done that category?

I’ll be curious to see how this plays out.

But with Bowl Season upon us, this is the time when coaches do jump ship and take the greener pasture jobs and as a result, interim coaches audition for opportunities to be permanent coaches. Will the coaches take the money and run or stay put and be happy?

One thing is for certain, Kiffin is earning close to $1 Million annually in an area where there is no state income tax and his father Monte Kiffin is on his staff.

Life isn’t all bad coaching football in paradise in the Sunshine State.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottbm33@gmail.com and is the Owner of the South Florida Tribune & Broadcasting Network.

Breaking In My Prize Pupil

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

There was a different feel to this football game than I normally experience.

Tonight, I won't have to write a normal game story filled with statistics and quotes.

This time, I'm writing a sidebar.

As I continue to build the South Florida Tribune both on the business, editorial and broadcasting sides, I've turned over the reigns to my young Sports Writer Louis Addeo-Weiss.

When I hired Addeo-Weiss a few months ago, he's written primarily baseball and music stories.

As the company has grown, so has he.

My prize pupil knows that he must get familiar with all sports to be well rounded.

As the Sports Exchange transitions to a new home on the South Florida Tribune Broadcasting Network, through his consistent production, Addeo-Weiss has now joined Myself as a Co-Host.

He knows that to continue to be on the air, he must continue to write regularly and at a high level.

I told Addeo-Weiss that when I made the decision to mentor and develop  him, that I expected him to eventually hire and build his own staff.

This is the only way we can grow the company and secure his role and future.

If there is ever a time to break in a new writer at a live event, this was it.

The first FAU Game I ever covered was on September 1, 2007 when the Owls faced Middle Tennessee State at Lockhart Stadium.

FAU won the contest 27-14 as QB Rusty Smith guided a Howard Schnellenberger coached squad.

Schnellenberger was in attendance for this game.

Smith was 12-26-195 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions in the triumph.

Blue Raiders Head Coach Rick Stockstill also coached in 2007 and he remains at the helm for the university located in Murfreesboro, TN.

Going into this game, Stockstill has an 89-81 record.

FAU won lost last years game 25-24 in OT.

Middle Tennessee  led the all-time series 12-4.

At home, the Blue Raiders lead the series 7-2 and on the road, lead 5-2 in South Florida.

Twelve years later, Addeo-Weiss was making his debut and once again, the Owls are facing FAU but in an on campus stadium which is facing the Atlantic Ocean.

This is the only venue in the country that faces this body of water just 1.8 miles east.

There was no view at the now demolished Lockhart Stadium, but there is a gorgeous one on the sixth floor of the Press Box.

Lane Kiffin is running the show for FAU and sophomore QB Chris Robison is under center.

How would things turn out in Addeo-Weiss debut covering his alma-mater?

FAU defeated Middle Tennessee 28-13 to improve to 4-2 while Middle Tennessee fell to 2-4.

Like Myself, Addeo-Weiss' first game was a victory as mine against the Blue Raiders.

Ironically, the same amount of total points were scored in both contests with 41.

Both FAU wins were in double figures.

Robison was 15-30 for 145 yards, one touchdown pass and zero interceptions. His passing yards were close to Smiths' in 2007. Robison added 11 yards rushing.

Next up for Addeo-Weiss, he's going to cover two more football games for us in November. He'll get a taste of basketball during the winter and spring.

Then I'll turn him loose and he can cover his specialty baseball on a regular basis while we continue to develop the business and broadcasting parts of the South Florida Tribune.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com and is the CEO and Founder Of The South Florida Tribune and South Florida Tribune Broadcasting Network.

The Weekend In Review

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

During the weekend, our football teams were 2-1.

The Florida Atlantic Owls improved their record to 3-2 with a 45-27 road win against the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

FAU Coach Glenn Spencer coached at UNCC a year ago and when the game was over got a cold shower.

FAU QB Chris Robison picked up where he left off against Wagner the previous week.

In this Nationally televised game on The NFL Network, he was 20-27 with 312 yards and two touchdowns.

Florida Atlantic showed some balance on offense by amassing four rushing touchdowns, two of which came from running back Malcolm Davidson, who had 13 carries for 83 yards.

Two touchdowns occurred in the air.

The Owls have a bye this weekend.

They return to action on Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 4 PM as they face Middle Tennessee State at FAU Stadium.

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The struggles continued for the Miami Dolphins against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The last time the Chargers won a game in South Florida was an overtime playoff thriller on January 2, 1982, in The Orange Bowl in what was regarded as one of the greatest games in NFL History.

The Chargers won a classic 41-38.

Miami proceeded to win eight straight.

QB Philip Rivers threw for 310 yards and two scores to lead LA to a 30-10 win, ending 38 years of frustration. LA improved its record to 2-2 while Miami dropped to 0-4.

Miami has been outscored 163-26 this season, which is the NFL's worst four-game point differential since at least 1940. Moreover, Miami has been outscored 81-0 in the second half this season.

Chargers running back Melvin Gordon was active after reporting this week ending his holdout, but he didn't have a carry.

Dolphins QB Josh Rosen threw for 180 yards and a touchdown, but had an interception and was sacked four times.

Up next for Miami, they have a bye this weekend, then play host to the Washington Redskins on October 13.

The Redskins are 0-4 and are 0-5 at Miami, with the most recent game in 2011. There are rumors that Coach Jay Gruden is on the hot seat.

This game could be the best opportunity for the Dolphins to avoid the 0-16 club which has two members, the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns.

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Finally, the Jacksonville Jaguars earned a thrilling 26-24 win over the Denver Broncos in Colorado to improve to 2-2.

The Jaguars won despite Jalen Ramsey being inactive for the first time in his career and ending his streak of 131 straight games missing the first game in his four-year career. He missed practice all week, first with an illness, then a back injury and finally for paternity leave.

Despite the drama, Minshew Mania went to the Rocky Mountains and the rookie didn't disappoint his followers.

Despite being sacked five times, Minshew II was 19-33 for 213 yards and two touchdowns. He didn't throw an interception.

Jacksonville's rushing game came alive as running back Leonard Fournette had 29 carries for 225 yards and also caught two passes for 20 yards.

Fournette's career day topped his previous high of 181 yards on October 8, 2017 at Pittsburgh.

Kicker Josh Lambo booted all four of his field goals including the game winning 33-yarder as time expired to send the Jaguars home happy.

Minshew II Mania travels to NASCAR Country as the Jaguars visit their expansion brother, the Carolina Panthers.

The Broncos visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

FAU's Tune-Up To Conference Play

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

When Candy and I left our house for FAU Stadium to cover the Wagner Seahawks vs FAU Owls, we were definitely not worried about a traffic jam.

The Seahawks (0-3), who are based in Staten Island, NY, are an FCS School (one division beneath FBS) with an enrollment of 2000. The school was founded in 1883 and has played football since 1927.

Wagner plays it's games at Hameline Field (3,300 capacity) and it's overall all-time record is 406-351-19 (.535).

The Seahawks have had three undefeated seasons in 1960, 1964 and 1967.

They were Division III National Champions in 1987 and became an FCS program in 1992.

I was intrigued by the fact that the school has 13 Floridians on its roster. Six were from Palm Beach, Broward and Dade Counties.

The Owls played Wagner on August 31, 2012 and defeated the Seahawks 7-3 in front of 14,510 at FAU Stadium.

FAU entered the game with a 1-2 record. It won on the road on Saturday, September 14, 2019, 41-31 over Ball State. Their losses came to Ohio State and UCF.

Thus, it was no surprise FAU entered the Wagner game as 39.5 point favorites.

The over-under was 54.5 points.

Would the point spread be justified?

FAU won the coin toss and drove the length of the field and scored at 12:01 mark in the first quarter. The drive was nine plays for 53 yards with 2:59 elapsed.

FAU took a 7-0 lead as QB Chris Robison threw a five-yard TD pass to John Raine and Vladimir Rivas made the PAT.

It didn't take long for the Owls to match their point total in 2012 against Wagner.

With 42 seconds left in the first quarter, Robison connected with Deangelo Antoine for a 37-yard touchdown and Rivas made the PAT to give FAU a 14-0 lead.

Robison went 9-13-119 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter.

This combination connected again for 17-yards with 11:40 remaining in the second quarter to give FAU a 21-0 lead.

The Owls took a 28-7 lead at halftime. Robison and Antoine had three touchdowns to this point.

From this point on, as expected, the game turned into a scrimmage for FAU which has been on the wrong end of these outcomes plenty of times.

The dynamic duo of Robison and Antoine connected for their fourth score, this one was for 57-yards as FAU increased its lead 35-7 with 50 seconds left in the third quarter.

The back-up QB #6 Nick Tronti got into the act by scoring at 11:33 of the fourth quarter with a three- yard run. FAU's lead increased to 42-7 as it got closer to eclipsing the point spread.

Wagner was driving late in the game, but FAU's defense held at the 4:11 mark giving the offense one more opportunity to score. FAU took a timeout on third down and two with 2:54 left in the fourth quarter to call a play for Tronti.

FAU would not convert on this set of downs, the game ended 42-7 and the Owls improved to 2-2.

When the contest was over, here were some interesting statistics.

FAU outgained Wagner in total yards 507-212. Yet Wagner (0-4), led in time of possession 36:30-23:30.

FAU had more penalties as it committed 12-95 while their visitors from New York had eight for 67 yards.

Robison had a record night going 25-36 for five touchdowns. Antoine had a monster night with 11 catches for 173 yards and four touchdowns.

Coach Lane Kiffin was pleased with his squad's performance.

This was a good team win and we've improved in all areas the past two weeks," Kiffin said. "The QB played real good again and has had nine touchdown passes the past two weeks. It was good for another receiver to step up.

"Chris has been very accurate and didn't force too many balls. We've done a good job the past two weeks scoring in the red-zone. Our goal today was to have a shutout with no turnovers and we did that today."

FAU's next game is against the University of North Carolina Charlotte on the road on Saturday, September 28 at Jerry Richardson Stadium.

The Owls have a bye week after that before returning to FAU Stadium on Saturday, October 12, 2019 for a 4 pm contest versus Middle Tennessee State.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

Tale of Two Games

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

If there was ever a game that would be more lopsided than the other, I would  have guessed it would have been the FAU Owls traveling to Ohio Stadium and facing the Ohio State Buckeyes, rather than the Wisconsin Badgers visiting the USF Bulls in Tampa.

Boy, was I wrong!

Wisconsin Heisman Trophy Candidate Junior Running Back Jonathan Taylor put on a clinic as he scored four touchdowns as the No.19 Badgers pounded my Alma-Mater the South Florida Bulls 49-0 in a game that was delayed by lightening.

Two of Taylor's touchdowns were on the ground for 37 and 38-yards, respectively.

Wisconsin (1-0) led USF 28-0 at the half. Taylor also had two catches for 48 yards. Both receptions resulted in two touchdowns and were the first of his career in the air.

Last season, he had eight catches for 60 yards proving that he is a dual threat.

Taylor ran for 135 yards as he picked up where he left off a year ago when he amassed 2,194 yards and 16 touchdowns, for a squad whose mascot is Bucky The Badger.

USF lost its seventh straight game and did so by committing three turnovers.

The Bulls (0-1) lost six straight to finish the 2018 season at 7-6 much to the displeasure of Coach Charlie Strong.

From a statistical standpoint, all you need to know is Wisconsin outgained USF in total yards 433-157.

The Badgers rushing attack, led by Taylor, overwhelmed USF 234-26. The Badgers dominated in first downs 22-9.

The attendance at Raymond James Stadium was 46,704.

The 49 point loss to Wisconsin was USF's largest margin of defeat in program history.
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As for FAU, the Owls (0-1) should feel very good about themselves.

They lost 45-21 to new Buckeyes Coach Ryan Day.

After trailing 28-0 seven minutes into the contest, and being mauled early by the heavy 28-point favored Buckeyes (1-0) , FAU competed and trailed 28-3 at the end of the first half.

But Owls QB Chris Robison let 103,228 Buckeye fans know that this opponent would not be just an early season pushover.

Robison had a solid performance by completing 22-34, for 178 yards and one touchdown and zero interceptions.

His three favorite targets were Harrison Bryant, who had six receptions for 79 yards, Tavaris Harrison four receptions for 57 yards and John Raine, who caught six passes for 29 yards and a touchdown.

Larry McCammon III scored the Owls lone rushing touchdown. He had 11 carries for 22 yards.

In the end, FAU held its own against an opponent that has National Championship aspirations.

Buckeyes highly touted transfer QB Justin Fields scored five touchdowns in his debut.

The Owls can build on this performance as they open their home regular season versus the Central Florida Knights on Saturday, August 28 at 7 pm at FAU Stadium.

Central Florida clobbered the Florida A&M Rattlers 62-0 on Thursday Night in Orlando.

I'm not a big believer in moral victories.

But when you go to Columbus, Ohio, and play in an intimidating venue which is considered the Horse Shoe, and compete against an elite program in OSU, let alone collect a huge payday, it was a good weekend for FAU.

Former FAU Athletic Director Patrick Chun previously worked at OSU and managed to get this contest scheduled.

At the beginning of the game, I thought that with the big lead OSU took, the Buckeyes would easily score above 70 points.

Despite the fact that OSU outgained FAU in total yards 469-228, the Owls outscored OSU 21-17 to end the game.

They showed a FOX National TV audience that the university located in Boca Raton, FL., has an upstart program coached by Lane Kiffin, who is in the photo in the Spring Game.

As for USF, Strong has a lot of work to do after an embarrassing performance on Friday Night.

It will be interesting as a tale of two programs which I'm deeply connected fare not only this season, but will face one another in 2020.

This tale of two games were against two of the best Big 10 opponents in Wisconsin and Ohio State. Both figure to be big contenders to possibly play in the Big 10 Championship Game in December.

Stay tuned!

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com and is the Founder and CEO for The South Florida Tribune.