35-618: The Manning Award has been presented annually since the 2004 football season to the collegiate American football quarterback as judged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States . It is the only quarterback award that includes each candidate's postseason-bowl performance in its balloting. The award is named in honor of former University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) quarterback Archie Manning and his quarterback sons Peyton and Eli . Archie
70-470: A man like Coach Schnellenberger. At Louisville, facing threats from the administration that the football team would be terminated, Schnellenberger made the bold (and now famous) prediction, "[We are] on a collision course with the national championship. The only variable is time.” On August 29, 2000, the first practice was held at the Boca Raton campus of FAU, and 164 students showed up to try out for
105-701: A multi-team playoff system in college football, which would later be realized with the advent of the College Football Playoff in 2014 . USC was forced to vacate its BCS title win, along with its regular-season victory over rival UCLA, due to NCAA sanctions that stemmed from the USC athletics scandal . The AP title was not vacated, as the AP does not punish teams for violations. The severity of these sanctions has since been criticized by some pundits across college football. Controversy also arose in selecting
140-530: A record of 26–13 with two first-place finishes in Conference USA . In December 2019, FAU tight end Harrison Bryant won the John Mackey Award , becoming the first FAU player to win a major collegiate postseaon award, as well as becoming FAU's first consensus, and later unanimous, All-American . FAU's first year defensive coordinator, Glenn Spencer , was named the interim head coach to lead
175-545: Is typically either in Boca Raton or Miami, though there have been meetings in other locations in the Miami metropolitan area. In total the two squads have met 21 times with Florida Atlantic holding a 16–5 lead as of the 2023 season conclusion. The 2005 game does not count with FIU having to vacate their victory due to NCAA violations and penalties. Both schools have stated they will keep the rivalry alive as they will endure
210-490: The 2007 New Orleans Bowl , its first ever bowl bid. As a result, in just the seventh year of the football program's history, and the third year playing in Division I, Florida Atlantic set an NCAA mark by becoming the second-youngest program ever to receive an invitation to a bowl game. They were surpassed only by the undefeated 1958 Air Force Falcons , who had played just one year of Division 1 football before being invited to
245-784: The AP and Coaches Polls, but the other three undefeated teams were handicapped by starting the season out of the top 15. Thus USC and OU played for the BCS National Championship in the Orange Bowl, while Auburn, Utah, and Boise State had to settle for other bowl games. Auburn played in the Sugar Bowl and beat Virginia Tech , the ACC champion and ranked No. 8 by the BCS. Utah became the first BCS Buster and beat Pittsburgh ,
280-771: The Cotton Bowl , where they played to a scoreless tie against the TCU Horned Frogs on January 1, 1959 . On August 11, 2011, Howard Schnellenberger announced he would retire at the end of the season. The Owls ended the 2011 season 1–11, with the only victory coming from a 38–35 home win over UAB. On December 1, 2011, FAU hired Carl Pelini , the Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive coordinator to become their new head coach, to succeed Schnellenberger. On October 30, 2013, Pelini resigned from his position after another coach alleged to school officials that he
315-680: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the American Athletic Conference (American/AAC). The Owls play their home games at FAU Stadium which has a seating capacity of 29,419. Following head coach Tom Herman 's firing on November 18, 2024, Chad Lunsford is currently serving as Florida Atlantic's interim head coach. Florida Atlantic University football began play in 2001 with legendary coach Howard Schnellenberger serving as head coach until 2011. Schnellenberger
350-533: The Orange Bowl , which served as the season's Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game. USC defeated Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl by a score of 55–19, which earned the Trojans their second consecutive AP title and first-ever BCS title. The Orange Bowl win and accompanying BCS title were later vacated as part of the sanctions levied against USC following an NCAA investigation . USC appealed
385-619: The 2009 season and was a third-round selection, and Stetson Bennett , who went in the 4th round. Deshaun Watson is the only player to win the award twice, for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season The 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The regular season began on August 28, 2004 and ended on December 4, 2004. The postseason concluded on January 4, 2005 with
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#1732779535656420-560: The Big East after having been an Independent since ascending to Division I-A in 2000. Troy State also left their Independent status and joined the Sun Belt Conference. Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University moved up from Division I-AA and became I-A Independents. Florida A&M also briefly attempted to move up to Division I-A and become the only HBCU at college football's highest level, but
455-535: The East Division. The Owls have won two division titles. Florida Atlantic has played in 5 bowl games, compiling a record of 4–1. The Shula Bowl is a bitter rivalry game with Florida International . It was first played in 2002 and has been played every year since then. The winner receives the Don Shula Award. The game and trophy are named after former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula . The game
490-980: The Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI and with the Broncos in Super Bowl 50 , and Eli with the New York Giants in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI ). Both won the Super Bowl MVP award, Eli twice. Archie was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989. Each of the award winners has gone on to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft , except Colt McCoy , who won the award following
525-774: The Owls at the Boca Raton Bowl. On December 11, 2019, FAU announced the hiring of Willie Taggart as the next head coach. During a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic with no prior spring practice, Taggart led the FAU Owls to a 5–4 record, which includes a loss to the Memphis Tigers in the first and only Montgomery Bowl . He was fired on November 26, 2022, finishing with a 15–18 record. Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando served as interim head coach during
560-552: The Owls moved to Division I-A and the Sun Belt Conference . Starting with the 2013–14 school year , FAU athletics have competed in Conference USA . In 1998 , Florida Atlantic University announced it was pursuing the creation of an NCAA football program and that Howard Schnellenberger was going to lead the charge, as director of football operations and head coach. After his success in rebuilding programs at Miami and Louisville, Coach Schnellenberger now undertook
595-412: The Owls to its first bowl-eligible season since 2008–09. The Owls finished 6–6 for the season but were not invited to a bowl game. On December 16, 2013, FAU announced it had hired Charlie Partridge as head coach. Prior to accepting the job at FAU, Partridge was the defensive line coach at Arkansas . On November 27, 2016, FAU fired Partridge after 3 consecutive 3–9 seasons. On December 12, 2016, it
630-639: The champion of the Big East and ranked No. 21, in the Fiesta Bowl . Boise State lost a close, high scoring game in the Liberty Bowl to Louisville , the No. 10 ranked Conference USA champion. As with previous seasons, fans of successful teams left out of BCS bowls were disappointed. Auburn, Utah, and Boise State all went unbeaten but were not offered a chance to compete for the BCS championship. Auburn
665-680: The decision but was denied by the NCAA, and the 2004 BCS title was officially vacated on June 6, 2011. To this day, USC remains stripped of this national title. The NCAA Rules Committee adopted the following rule changes for the 2004 season: Prior to the 2004 season, Miami (FL) and Virginia Tech left the Big East Conference to join the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), giving the ACC 11 members. Connecticut joined
700-547: The fourth position, which ensured they would also receive the final at-large bid. Texas coach Mack Brown was criticized for publicly politicking voters to put Texas ahead of California, and Cal coach Jeff Tedford called for coaches' votes to be made public. Texas went on to defeat Michigan in the Rose Bowl , while California lost to Texas Tech in the Holiday Bowl . Much of the pre-bowl criticisms of Texas being given
735-457: The program's first win, which came in its second game, against Bethune–Cookman , 31–28, and won in the first meeting with newly created South Florida rival , Florida International University , 31–21. On September 15, 2007, FAU defeated its first Big Ten opponent with a 42–39 victory over Minnesota . Led by Rusty Smith , FAU beat Troy in the final game of the 2007 season to become Sun Belt Conference champions and received an invitation to
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#1732779535656770-546: The role of building a program from scratch. Much like his time at Miami and Louisville, Coach Schnellenberger did not shy from placing lofty expectations and high goals on his newly created program. Even before FAU would play an intercollegiate game, Coach Schnellenberger explained the goal of FAU football would be to play the best teams it can schedule, in order for the program to aim for a national championship in Division I-A football. These extreme goals were not unusual from
805-660: The season with one loss. In 2004, the situation became even more complicated, as five teams went without losing, a record in the BCS era (later tied in 2009 ). USC of the Pac-10 , Oklahoma of the Big 12 , Auburn of the SEC , Utah of the MWC , and Boise State of the WAC all finished the regular season undefeated. USC and Oklahoma were ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the preseason by both
840-484: The second at-large team of the BCS after Utah. California expected to get the invitation, having been ranked fourth by the BCS entering the last week of the regular season. Texas , which had been left out of the BCS the previous season, was ranked fifth. Both teams finished with 10–1 records, but the Longhorns received a boost of support from poll voters in the final regular season rankings to overtake Cal and move into
875-419: The spot vs. Michigan evaporated when the Longhorns and Wolverines produced an instant classic game that was marked by a breakthrough performance by Vince Young and a Texas FG as time expired to give them a 38–37 victory. The Associated Press , as a result of two consecutive seasons of BCS controversy, prohibited the BCS from using their poll as part of its ranking formula following the 2004 season. The AP poll
910-477: The team was forced to abort its bid. Rankings reflect the AP Poll . Rankings for Week 8 and beyond will list BCS Rankings first and AP Poll second. Teams that failed to be a top 10 team for one poll or the other will be noted. The 2004 season ended with five undefeated teams vying for a spot in the national title game. In the 2003 season , no team finished the regular season unbeaten, and five teams finished
945-460: The team. Florida Atlantic joined NCAA Division I-AA, now known as Division I FCS , as an independent team for the 2001 season. Its first-ever intercollegiate competition was against Slippery Rock University , which the Owls lost 40–7 in front of 25,632 fans at Joe Robbie Stadium, now known as Hard Rock Stadium . The team finished its inaugural season at 4–6 and followed the next season at 2–9. Major accomplishments in its first two seasons include
980-408: The transition period to find a new head coach. On December 1, 2022, FAU announced the hiring of former Houston and Texas head coach Tom Herman as the next head coach. Florida Atlantic has won three conference championships, two outright and one shared. † Co-champions ‡ 2019 Boca Raton Bowl win coached by Glenn Spencer As a member of Conference USA since 2013, Florida Atlantic competes in
1015-587: Was a former offensive coordinator with the NFL ' s Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins who, as a head coach, turned around a moribund Miami football program and won a national championship in his fifth season in 1983 after back to back nine win seasons in 1980 and 1981. Schnellenberger also turned around a downtrodden Louisville football program, winning the Fiesta Bowl in 1990. After competing their first four years as an NCAA Division I-AA independent ,
1050-866: Was also the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints , Houston Oilers , and Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). Peyton was a star quarterback at the University of Tennessee as well as with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos of the NFL. Eli was also a star quarterback at Ole Miss and was the quarterback of the NFL's New York Giants . Both Peyton and Eli were All-America selections during their college careers and both led their respective professional teams to 2 Super Bowl championships (Peyton with
1085-399: Was announced that former USC and Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin would become the Owls' next head coach. Kiffin resigned from FAU on December 7, 2019, after a 49–6 blowout win against the university of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and before FAU's Boca Raton Bowl appearance against SMU Mustangs to become the head coach at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). Kiffin left FAU with
Manning Award - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-422: Was especially the focus of national media attention on this topic, since Auburn managed to go undefeated in the traditionally tough SEC. Adding to the frustration with the BCS system was that Auburn and Utah, though both picked to play in BCS bowl games, would not be able to play each other as a match-up of highly ranked unbeatens. This confluence of events made 2004 a seminal year for serious momentum building behind
1155-507: Was forced to vacate two wins in 2010 as a result of NCAA sanctions. Rankings given are AP rankings going into bowl games The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player Florida Atlantic Owls football The Florida Atlantic Owls football program represents Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in the sport of American football . The Owls compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of
1190-754: Was replaced by the Harris Interactive poll starting in 2005, and the AP continues to award its own national championship trophy. In another first, the LSU Tigers lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes on a last second Hail Mary pass in the Capital One Bowl , becoming the first school to lose a non-BCS bowl a year after winning the BCS National Championship Game . * USC finished the season with a 13–0 record but
1225-419: Was using illegal drugs, charges that Pelini denied. He, along with defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis, officially stepped down from their positions only three days before the school's homecoming game, which they won 34–17 under interim head coach Brian Wright . Under Pelini, the Owls compiled a 5–14 record. Wright finished the 2012–13 season as the interim head coach, winning the team's last four games and led
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