Florida Atlantic Owls

2005 Season Summary

Florida Atlantic head coach Howard Schnellenberger was the father of the Miami Hurricanes as we know them today, taking a program that was nearly invisible, down and out and turning them into a national champion in 1983 with their upset win over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Ever since that moment, Miami has been synonymous with high expectations.

Schnellenberger left Miami after winning that title for Louisville, where he was responsible for the construction of a new stadium and a modernization of that program as well. Although he did not reach the same heights at Louisville as he did at Miami, he left a permanent and positive stamp on the program.

A natural choice

With this background of building programs from the ground up, Schnellenberger was a natural choice of Florida Atlantic University to head their fledgling football program. FAU spent its first four years under Schnellenberger in Division 1-AA status and was coming off a nice 9-3 mark in 2004 as they prepared for their first ever Sun Belt Conference campaign as well as their first full year in Division 1-A status and as a regular on the betting boards.

Near complete roster turnover

The Owls entered 2005 having been nearly decimated by graduation and with a near complete roster turnover, which made them an even greater challenge to college football gamblers who already didn't have a lot to go on in the first place.

False encouragement

FAU opened at Kansas, who was respected as a home chalk with gamblers based on their strong defense. The Jayhawks were installed as 28.5-point chalks based largely on their recent history of running it up at home against weak opposition. FAU lost but covered with a respectable 19-30 effort in what turned out to be a game of false encouragement.

A drain on bankrolls

FAU next had a national television opportunity in their Thursday Night home opener against another Big 12 team, Oklahoma State. OSU was a perennial bowl team under former coach Les Miles and still carried that reputation with first year head man Mike Gundy. That being said the Cowboys were down a notch and the oddsmakers seemed to catch on to that by making them a 13.5-point chalk. FAU's opening effort at K-State also played a role in this small number, which Okie State covered in a 23-3 win.

Next FAU traveled to Minnesota to play the Big Ten bully Gophers who, like KU, had a well deserved reputation for pigging out on "cupcakes." FAU was a 33-point dog and was blown out of the Metrodome in a 7-46 loss.

Next was the Sun Belt Conference opener at home against Louisiana Monroe. Incredibly, FAU was a 7.5-point chalk, which proved to be an outrageously weak line as UL-Monroe prevailed 28-21.

Schnellenberger returned home to Louisville next for a game against the team he helped rebuild in the new stadium that he helped get built. Unfortunately, Louisville did not play the role of gracious host as they blew out FAU 61-10 as whopping 38-point chalks. It was the Owls' fourth straight loss against the pointspread, as they were becoming a drain on bankrolls.

A brief small value that was over-valued in the end

FAU covered two of its next three games against the spread, all as a dog, to serve bargain-hunting gamblers as a brief small value. FAU headed down the homestretch with three seemingly winnable conference games. They first lost at Troy 14-28 as 3.5-point dogs, then lost their home finale to North Texas 26-23 as 4-point chalks. In the season finale at cross-town Florida International, the Owls were 2.5-point dogs in a demoralizing 6-52 loss that exposed them as over-valued in the end. FAU's weak finish left many gamblers skeptical and their fans without optimism regarding 2006.