--October 17 2006
-- When Florida Atlantic played Louisiana-Lafayette last season, quarterback Sean Clayton's only action was taking a knee to run out the clock at the end of the game.
Clayton, then the backup to Danny Embick, had watched Embick rally the Owls to a 28-10 win by scoring 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Wednesday, Clayton will be starting when FAU hosts the Ragin' Cajuns at Lockhart Stadium, and he hopes to lead the Owls to another win over Louisiana-Lafayette in a game with major implications in the Sun Belt Conference.
"They are a really good team, probably the front-runner in the conference," said Clayton, a junior whose improved play helped the Owls (2-4, 1-0) win their past two games.
In FAU's first three games, Clayton passed for 215 yards, with two interceptions and no touchdowns, and he ran 15 times for minus-7 yards.
In the Owls' past three games, Clayton has passed for 438 yards with one interception and four touchdowns, and rushed for 155 yards on 19 carries.
Clayton, who lost his starting job before the season opener at Clemson, and then won it back in that game, said he is settling into the job and that was reflected in his play.
"I am feeling a lot more comfortable and more confident, because I have proven to the coaches I am the guy and I don't have to worry about looking at the sidelines and seeing someone else warming up," Clayton said.
Clayton (6 feet 5, 225 pounds) also has proven to be an agile runner, which is why he was switched to tight end when he went to Michigan State after graduating from high school at Poland, Ohio.
But when it appeared he would have trouble getting playing time with the Spartans, Clayton got back in touch with FAU, which had recruited him through former assistant coach Christ Vagotis, who was raised in nearby Canton, Ohio, and still had contacts there.
"They were persistent," Clayton said about the Owls, "so I came down here and liked it. What's not to like about South Florida, other than the hurricanes?"
Clayton got two starts last season after Embick broke his thumb, but then lost out to redshirt freshman Rusty Smith for the starting job before the start of this season.
Coach Howard Schnellenberger praised Clayton for how he handled the demotion and FAU's 0-4 start.
"He's the guy that is the pressure valve. His performance will rise and fall on the play around him. The quarterback is always the guy that is berated or celebrated depending on how it is going," Schnellenberger said.
Right now, a win over the Cajuns (3-2) in a 7:30 p.m. game that will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 would keep everybody celebrating.
"This is the biggest game of our season so far. If we can win this one, it would help us with momentum for the rest of the conference schedule," Clayton said.
HEALTHY HANDS
Who Clayton throws to is cloudy. Starting wide receiver Frantz Simeon is questionable with a separated shoulder, as is Cortez Gent and Casey McGahee, who both have ankle sprains. Chris Bonner has missed two days with bronchitis. That leaves Avery Holley, Chad Wilkes and Conshario Johnson as the only healthy receivers.
-- When Florida Atlantic played Louisiana-Lafayette last season, quarterback Sean Clayton's only action was taking a knee to run out the clock at the end of the game.
Clayton, then the backup to Danny Embick, had watched Embick rally the Owls to a 28-10 win by scoring 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Wednesday, Clayton will be starting when FAU hosts the Ragin' Cajuns at Lockhart Stadium, and he hopes to lead the Owls to another win over Louisiana-Lafayette in a game with major implications in the Sun Belt Conference.
"They are a really good team, probably the front-runner in the conference," said Clayton, a junior whose improved play helped the Owls (2-4, 1-0) win their past two games.
In FAU's first three games, Clayton passed for 215 yards, with two interceptions and no touchdowns, and he ran 15 times for minus-7 yards.
In the Owls' past three games, Clayton has passed for 438 yards with one interception and four touchdowns, and rushed for 155 yards on 19 carries.
Clayton, who lost his starting job before the season opener at Clemson, and then won it back in that game, said he is settling into the job and that was reflected in his play.
"I am feeling a lot more comfortable and more confident, because I have proven to the coaches I am the guy and I don't have to worry about looking at the sidelines and seeing someone else warming up," Clayton said.
Clayton (6 feet 5, 225 pounds) also has proven to be an agile runner, which is why he was switched to tight end when he went to Michigan State after graduating from high school at Poland, Ohio.
But when it appeared he would have trouble getting playing time with the Spartans, Clayton got back in touch with FAU, which had recruited him through former assistant coach Christ Vagotis, who was raised in nearby Canton, Ohio, and still had contacts there.
"They were persistent," Clayton said about the Owls, "so I came down here and liked it. What's not to like about South Florida, other than the hurricanes?"
Clayton got two starts last season after Embick broke his thumb, but then lost out to redshirt freshman Rusty Smith for the starting job before the start of this season.
Coach Howard Schnellenberger praised Clayton for how he handled the demotion and FAU's 0-4 start.
"He's the guy that is the pressure valve. His performance will rise and fall on the play around him. The quarterback is always the guy that is berated or celebrated depending on how it is going," Schnellenberger said.
Right now, a win over the Cajuns (3-2) in a 7:30 p.m. game that will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 would keep everybody celebrating.
"This is the biggest game of our season so far. If we can win this one, it would help us with momentum for the rest of the conference schedule," Clayton said.
HEALTHY HANDS
Who Clayton throws to is cloudy. Starting wide receiver Frantz Simeon is questionable with a separated shoulder, as is Cortez Gent and Casey McGahee, who both have ankle sprains. Chris Bonner has missed two days with bronchitis. That leaves Avery Holley, Chad Wilkes and Conshario Johnson as the only healthy receivers.
