Defense shines in FAU spring game

Published April 22nd, 2008

By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS EDITOR

Last year, FAU won the Sun Belt Conference and the New Orleans Bowl largely on the strength of an offense that scored nearly 30 points a game.

The defense struggled, allowing as many points per contest, and the pass rush was nonexistent after defensive linemen Josh Savidge and Josh Pinnick were lost for the season in week 5.

Thus, this spring defense was the rallying cry for Coach Howard Schnellenberger, who wanted to see more pressure on FAU quarterbacks.

The defense did that and more in the spring game Saturday, as Tavious Polo and Erick McIntosh intercepted passes, and lineman Jervonte Jackson batted down a fourth down pass at the end to give them a 38-37 win over their offensive counterparts.

Reflecting the team’s successful season, a record crowd of 1,091 Owls fans were on hand for the game.

“I think we’ve got a couple of young guys that really can come off the ball and go with reckless abandon,” Schnellenberger said. “If we would allow them to really come after the quarterback and not give them the responsibility of pulling off, I think we would really, really have a knock-down, drag out scrimmage.”

One defensive player who applied consistent pressure was sophomore defensive lineman Dino Cox. Cox registered two sacks and forced a fumble during the spring game.

“I just came in focused,” he said. “I know my reactions, I know my plays. I just have to come off the ball.”

Cox is listed as the backup right tackle behind Savidge, but he should see a lot of playing time with the way the Owls rotate their linemen.

“The defensive line understands that we didn’t get much pressure, and we’re all hungry to get to the quarterback,” he said.

McIntosh, a junior from Fort Myers High who was academically ineligible last year, showed playmaking skills with an interception and a 21-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.

“McIntosh is probably the most talented of all those defensive guys out there,” Schnellenberger said. “He wasn’t eligible to play last year and that hurt us badly. I think he’s learned that he has to go to school and has to do what’s right, and he’s out here as a prodigal son and he’s been rejuvenated and reprogrammed and he’s going to be very instrumental in our secondary.”

McIntosh said, “It felt real good to be back out, be in the mix, not being off on the side or on the scout team.”

McIntosh is currently second on the depth chart behind Polo, the Owls’ interception leader last year.