April 22, 2005

Boca Raton, FL - The Florida Atlantic football team wrapped up its final practice of the spring Friday afternoon at the Tom Oxley practice fields. The Owls practiced in shorts and without pads in preparation for Saturday's Spring Game.

"With a young group, you're a little bit concerned that they'll treat [a practice without pads] as a light day, but they didn't," assistant head coach Kurt VanValkenburgh said. "They focused very well, so we were pleased with their approach."

The offense ran some trick plays and misdirection early on in the session, and they used several motion plays that the defense hadn't seen before. The defensive unit responded well to the challenge, nabbing several pass breakups and a couple of interceptions over the course of the afternoon.

FAU's spring practice now culminates in the Spring Game to take place Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will be held on the Tom Oxley Fields, located behind the Oxley Center on the FAU Boca Raton campus. Food, merchandise and ticket information will be available along with a bounce house and other games for the kids. The Buzz 103.1 will host a live remote from 11 a.m. through 1 p.m. on the practice fields.

The Athletics department will also host a "yard sale" of new and used equipment, shoes, warm-ups, and uniforms from various sports. Sale items will be located on the first floor of the Tom Oxley Center beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Notable: Among the misdirection plays practiced included a hook and ladder, and several different screen passes. Quarterback McKinson Souverain ran effectively in the option and had a nice breakaway run late in the session.

Injuries: Senior tight end Dantson Dareus dressed but didn't play after injuring his knee in Wednesday's practice. The early diagnosis is a sprain with an MRI to come Saturday.