Byeweek presenting different challenges
The FAU Owls are inthe midst of an unusual byeweek.
By the time they play Marshall on Oct. 24 in Huntington, W.Va., it will have been three weeks since their 21-17 season-opening win versus Charlotte on Oct. 3 at FAU Stadium — the team’s lone game so far.
Meanwhile, the Thundering Herd have won their first three games and are scheduled to face off against Conference USA foe Louisiana Tech on Saturday.
The discrepancy of game experience this season is just another challenge for an FAU team that’s had five of its first six games canceled or postponed due to COVID-19 related reasons. Two of the postponements were because of the Owls’ own coronavirus outbreaks.
“Aswe go through thisweek,” FAU coach Willie Taggart said, “it’s about trying to develop and get those guys [who aren’t in quarantine] right so they’re ready to play, honing in on the things we do well and understandwhat Marshall’s doing in all facets of the game.”
Taggart told reporters Wednesday that between 20 and 25 players were currently quarantined due to contact tracing.
Twenty-seven members of the program tested positive for COVID-19 last week, which led to the F AU-Southern Miss match up scheduled for Oct. 10being postponed two days before kickoff.
Taggart said a “handful” of individuals tested positive for the virus since he said on Monday that 18 players tested positive for COVID-19 last week. Some of those who tested positive since last week were already in quarantine before their positive test, so they’re expected to be back in time for the Marshall game.
FAU is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) current guidance, which means those who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for at least 10 days. Those who are identified through contact tracing must quarantine for 14 days from the date of the last exposure to the virus. If the exposed individual tests positive for COVID-19, they start a new 10-day isolation period.
“It’s different at every place,” Taggart said about the contact tracing. “Every school isn’t the same — and rightfully so. It’s something you wish was the same all over, but every student health is different than others.
“It’s frustrating because you have guys who are testing negative and they have to sit out 14 days, and every test they take is negative. You hate it for the young men who get it.
“This is a virus that none of us really know everything about. We’re still learning along theway. What they saywe have to do, we have to do it and deal with it.”
The Owls returned to practice Wednesday morning for the first time since Thursday’s postponement, andthe excitement among the guys who could participate was noticeable according to those who were there.
But the players acknowledged it’s been hard to stay encouraged with other teams playing games while they’ve dealt with multiple delays to playing another game.
“It’s been tough because you see everyone else in the conference is playing and getting their recognition,” senior linebacker Caliph Brice said. “Knowing how hard we’ ve worked since the summertime, it’s unfortunate we can’t display more games of what we want to put out there and show everybody. It’s frustrating, but it’s a global pandemic and we have to treat it as such.”
Taggart admitted it’s been tough for the Owls to improve since they’ve only played one game this season and have so many guys out.
But he’s looking at this week and next as another opportunity to develop players who may not have played a lot of snaps before. And focus on a Marshall team that was ranked No. 25 in the Associated Press poll in late September before falling to No. 26.
“We’re not wasting time,” Taggart said. “Everything we do is to get us better and get us prepared for the game, whether we’re practicing amongst ourselves, getting guys ready to play and going over things Marshall does. ”