FAU Dominates Wagner College in 41-10 Victory

CJ Campbell Jr. Shines as Owls Secure Second Win of the Season

Florida Atlantic University (FAU) delivered a commanding performance Saturday night, overpowering Wagner College with a decisive 41-10 victory. The Owls, now 2-3 on the season, demonstrated early dominance when CJ Campbell Jr. capped a 75-yard opening drive with a 4-yard touchdown run just 32 seconds into the game. This opening statement set the tone for the evening, as Campbell went on to rush for another touchdown, amassing 145 yards on the ground with an impressive 9.7 yards per carry.

In the post-game press conference, Campbell attributed his recent success to patience and hard work while acknowledging that the Owls still haven't reached their full potential. "We have yet to play a complete game," Campbell remarked, hinting at the team's room for growth. He also highlighted the competitive yet complementary dynamic between him and second-string running back Zuberi Mobley. Mobley, who averaged 7.0 yards per carry on 11 attempts, added his own touchdown late in the first half, further solidifying FAU's rushing attack.

Redshirt Senior Scarlee Jean celebrates after the win over Wagner. Nicholas Zukauskas/Mahi Media

The Owls faced a challenge when starting quarterback Cam Fancher left the game in the first half due to a finger sprain, after completing 75% of his passes for 150 yards. In Fancher's absence, backup quarterback Kasen Weisman stepped in, seeing his first live action since high school, nearly two years ago. Weisman finished the game 7-of-12 for 98 yards and one interception. Weisman acknowledged his need for improvement after throwing for a 58% completion rate but praised the support from the FAU quarterback room during his post-game remarks.

Defensively, senior standout Chris Jones continued his impressive season, contributing four tackles, including one sack. Jones has now recorded 18 total tackles and one sack on the season. Reflecting on FAU's defensive performance—43 total tackles, 13 of which were for loss—Jones stressed the importance of every player doing their job. "Once everyone does their job, it's hard to beat us," Jones said. He also expressed excitement about the younger players on the second-string defense, who saw action in the second half. "When you got hungry young people, it shows a bright future for you," he added.

Senior FAU DB "Buggs" Kahzir Brown stepping up to cover Wagner WR Jaylen Bonelli. Nicholas Zukauskas/Mahi Media

Head Coach Tom Herman was pleased with his team's resilience, especially after overcoming second-quarter adversity. The victory marked Herman's 60th career win as a head coach. "The theme of the week was 'do your job,'" Herman said, emphasizing that sticking to the fundamentals led to their success. Despite FAU's defense conceding 103 yards in the second quarter and 132 total for the game, the team regrouped during halftime and refocused.

Herman acknowledged the team's struggles in the second quarter, noting that they attempted to take shortcuts before reevaluating at halftime. While FAU entered the matchup with a 96.32% chance to win according to ESPN, Herman kept the victory in perspective. "I don’t think we’ll be good enough this year to do a whole lot of things," he said when asked about the team's offensive potential moving forward.

FAU’s win brings both teams to a 2-3 record on the season.

Coach Tom Herman Post game Press Conference

Kasen Weisman FAU QB Postgame Press Conference

Chris Jones FAU DE Postgame Press Conference

CJ Campbell Jr. Postgame Interview

Cam Fancher FAU QB Postgame Press Conference