Owls happy to be back at home

After three straight road games, all of them losses, the Owls are looking forward to being back at Lockhart Stadium for Tuesday's ESPN2 game against Troy.

"I am ready to play at home game. I'm kind of tired of traveling and I think it will be good for us to play at home and in an atmosphere that is for us," said defensive back Corey Small.

"Definitely good to be back home," said linebacker Frantz Joseph. "We won the only game we've had at home this year."

Joseph was referring to FAU's 49-34 win over Alabama-Birmingham Sept. 6, the Owls only home game before Tuesday's.

It's going to be in our hometown, on ESPN2. Everybody should come to play. It is going to be a good game," said offensive lineman Brandon Jackson.

The Owls are 0-4 on the road. Last year FAU was 4-1 at home, the only loss coming in triple overtime to Louisiana-Monroe.

SPECIAL EVENTS: To encourage more students to attend Tuesday's game, which will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2, free bus transportation is being provided, with shuttles leaving from the Student Union on the Boca Raton campus between 4 and 5 p.m. Fans are asked to wear blue.

Kickoff is at 8 p.m., with buses returning to the campus immediately after the game.

Students get in free to the game with a valid Owl Card.

The student section is also being moved from the west end zone to the visitors sidelines. This will also help assure the national TV audience sees as few empty seats as possible. Fans are asked to wear blue.

On Monday there is a Destroy Troy! pep rally in the FAU Arena beginning at 8 p.m. There will be live music, with free prizes, bandanas and t-shirts, along with appearances by the football team, cheerleaders and dance team.

An announced crowd of 15,143 attended the UAB game. Lockhart Stadium seats 20,500.

PARIS BACK: Center Nick Paris was full-go again Saturday, as he prepares to play his first game of the season for the Owls.

Paris, a senior, injured his foot in the final preseason scrimmage and was out for six weeks, returning to practice for the first time Friday as FAU (1-4, 0-1) prepares for its game Tuesday against Troy (2-2, 1-0) at Lockhart Stadium.

Paris' return could spark the offense, which has scored one touchdown during FAU's current three-game losing streak.

"Now that we have Nick back, I feel like the offense will start clicking more," offensive tackle Brandon Jackson said before Saturday's practice. "Having people back in certain places give people confidence."

Jackson had been moved to guard during Paris' absence, but is now back at his tackle spot.