Florida Atlantic Owls open season with 43-13 win over Charlotte 49ers

BOCA RATON — Florida Atlantic coach Willie Taggart celebrated his 46th birthday Saturday with perhaps his team's most complete game in his three years at the helm.

Coming off a disappointing 2021 season, the Owls dominated in their season opener, routing the Charlotte 49ers 43-13.

"I'm proud of our football team and the way we went out and performed today. I was proud of how we went out and took care of business in all three phases." Taggart said. "I'm really pleased with our guys and how we responded after the first touchdown that Charlotte scored. That's something that we've talked about all through training camp, how to deal with adversity and when things don't go our way.

"We haven't been good with that in the past, so that is something that we needed to overcome. It was great that they hit us early in the game, but our guys responded."

Here are three takeaways from the win:

An explosive offense led by N’Kosi Perry

A big question mark going into the season was how the offense would respond after an inconsistent 2021 where the unit stalled, especially when the team failed to score more than 17 points in any of the last four games.

Now, with the hiring of offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon, a more experienced wide receiver and running back room, plus sixth-year quarterback N’Kosi Perry under center, it seemed there would be no way to go but up. Saturday was a step in the right direction as the Owls totaled 482 yards on offense.

Perry looked the most confident and comfortable he’s had in his FAU stint as he completed 16 of 22 passes for 256 yards and one touchdown. He distributed the ball well among his pass-catchers, getting LaJohntay Wester, Jahmal Edrine, JeQuan Burton and Tony Johnson involved.

“I feel like we were very prepared. I feel like this may have been the most prepared I've ever been for a football game,” Perry said. “We got the win so that was great, even with the balls that we left out there. I definitely feel like I left a few throws out there and we still put up 43 points."

The running game was on point as junior Larry McCammon gave a spark to the offense early with a 52-yard touchdown run that tied the game at 7. He finished with a career-high 118 yards on 14 carries.

Owls' defense locked in after 49ers' first score

The FAU defense did not start the way it wanted as Charlotte started with a five-play touchdown drive. Quarterback Chris Reynolds found Grant DeBose, one of his three talented receivers, for a 52-yard touchdown and it was 7-0 2:44 into the game.

After that drive, it was radio silence from the 49ers’ offense.

FAU cornerback Justin McKithen recorded a pick-six in the second quarter.

“That was a big confidence booster for me because the first two years I was here, I really didn't have the confidence that I did this year,” McKithen said. “We had a great offseason as a team. And you know, I wouldn't make the plays that I made without my teammates.”

Defensive back Jayden Williams also had a solid night as he recorded five tackles and a sack.

Schedule gets tougher with games vs. UCF, Purdue

This probably was a must-win for FAU as the next four games might prove to be the toughest stretch of the 2022 season. It also was a good way to open Conference USA play.

The Owls next travel to play Ohio University. Last year, they were 1-5 on the road, and if this team truly wants to be considered a serious contender for its final season in C-USA, winning outside of Boca Raton is a key.

It doesn’t get any easier after Ohio as the Owls' next three games will be against Southeastern Louisiana, UCF and Purdue.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida Atlantic Owls defeat Charlotte in college football season opener