Boca Raton Bowl 2019: 3 takeaways from FAU’s big win over SMU

1. Rashad Smith had a huge day for the FAU defense

The FAU defense in general stepped up in a huge way on Saturday afternoon against SMU. Shane Buechele, the prolific Texas transfer who has lit up the scoreboard for the Mustangs all season long, struggled to put points on the board. Buechele finished 27-of-47 for 304 yards, struggling to connect with his receivers. He did throw a touchdown but also had an interception along the way.

Senior linebacker Rashad Smith had an especially impressive performance. Smith picked off Buechele right before halftime, giving the Owls the chance to score another touchdown before the break after he returned the interception inside the SMU 15. That momentum swing helped FAU pull off the rout of the Mustangs at a point when the game was still relatively close after SMU scored on two of  their previous three possessions.

Smith came up big again in the second half. Ke’Mon Freeman was brought down in the backfield for a big loss, but then the running back proceeded to cough up the football as well. Scooping up the ball cleanly in stride, Smith trotted into the endzone for a 34-yard touchdown that pushed the FAU lead to four touchdowns.

On a day when the FAU defense came up big all around the field, Smith was the brightest star of the bunch. His contribution flipped the narrative, as Smith closed out his college career with a huge performance that led to a bowl blowout in one last game on his home turf.