The Owls had a dream season a year ago when they went 8-5, won a share of the Sun Belt title and routed Memphis in the New Orleans Bowl.

Coach Howard Schnellenberger might need to be pinched with FAU returning 18 starters in 2008.

Spring practice was centered on building depth up front on both sides of the ball and building on the momentum created at the end of last season.

The Owls will be overwhelming favorites to repeat as league champions. As with many first-time winning programs, it will be interesting to see how they handle playing with heightened expectations.

FAU is loaded offensively with skill players, led by junior quarterback Rusty Smith, who threw for more for than 3,600 yards and 32 touchdowns. The backfield features good depth and the receivers are arguably the best in the Sun Belt, led by junior Cortez Gent. Opponents began to play a more physical brand of bump coverage late in the year, but the lean Gent was still able to win using his size.

Defensively, the Owls lost an all-conference linebacker in Cergile Sincere, who had more than 100 tackles, but seniors Frantz Joseph, Andre Clark and George Allen form an outstanding group.

No team in the Sun Belt has fewer questions entering the season than FAU, easily the consensus pick to take the league title in 2008.

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