G5 Football Daily

Week One - Florida Atlantic @ Michigan State: How To Watch, Preview, Time, Date, Storylines

The Owls will take on a Big Ten opponent to kick-off the 2024 season

Kevin Barral

Florida Atlantic head coach Tom Herman watches his team during warm ups before a 42-20 victory over Monmouth at FAU Stadium on Saturday, September 2, 2023, in Boca Raton, FL.
Florida Atlantic head coach Tom Herman watches his team during warm ups before a 42-20 victory over Monmouth at FAU Stadium on Saturday, September 2, 2023, in Boca Raton, FL. / Jeff Romance / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The last time Florida Atlantic took on the Michigan State Spartans, FAU fell by a final score of 44-0 in 2011. The Owls' last win against a power conference opponent came in 2007 against Minnesota under Howard Schnellenberger. Both the Spartans and Owls are coming off disappointing 4-8 seasons, so they will both be looking to get off to a hot start, arguably with more at stake for Jonathan Smith and Michigan State than Tom Herman's Owls.

Here's everything you need to know about the matchup.

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Florida Atlantic Owls (0-0, 0-0 AAC) @ Michigan State Spartans (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten)

Date: Friday, August 30

Time: 7:00 pm ET

Location: Spartan Stadium - East Lansing, Mich.

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: Fox Sports 640 South Florida

RELATED: Jeff Traylor on UTSA's AAC Move: "I didn't want to do it"

Storylines

Cam Fancher Set to Make Owls Debut

Recently, the Owls named Marshall transfer Cam Fancher as the team's starting quarterback. Last season, Fancher played in 10 games throwing for 2,162 yards, 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Marshall finished with a 6-7 record, with the seventh loss coming in a bowl game. In an Owls' offense that ranked towards the bottom of the conference in passing production, the addition of Fancher will be an interesting one to watch.

Spartans Quarterback Makes Bold Scoring Statement

Michigan State starting quarterback Aidan Chiles is set to make his first start. When asked about what to expect out of him knowing that Week One will set the tone, he responded with "If you bet, take the over." In nine games as a freshman, the Oregon State transfer threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns. In 2023, the Spartans had the tenth-rated pass offense and with last year's starter Katin Houser off to Kansas State, MSU hopes that Chiles, the second-ranked transfer portal quarterback according to 247Sports, can provide a spark in Jonathan Smith's offense.

What To expect From Florida Atlantic's Running Back Room

In 2023, the Owls ranked 11th out of 14 AAC teams in rushing offense. The team's leading rusher was Larry McCammon III who ran for 710 yards and five touchdowns. With McCammon wrapping up his colligate career, the focus goes towards who will take over. A combination of returner Zuberi Mosley and Florida State transfer CJ Campbell Jr. should, theoretically, be the best option.

What Does Vegas Say?

The line is much closer than expected as Michigan State is favored by 13.5 points on FanDuel. The Owls can certainly keep it close as they averaged 23.8 points per game while the Spartans averaged 28.3 points per game. With two new quarterbacks under center, there is a high chance it'll be a lower-scoring game than expected as both teams underwent plenty of turnover.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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Kevin Barral
KEVIN BARRAL

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