Florida Atlantic's locker room last Saturday was a joyous scene, the stage for a concert of the fight song and the filming site of a social-media craze.
It was a welcome release for the Owls after beating Rice, when they could burn the memory of a seven-game losing streak and move past the close calls and injuries that dogged the season's first two months.
The Owls collected their second win of the season and first in 63 days with their 42-25 victory in Houston. It allowed their confidence to swell and their frustration to dip heading into Saturday's tilt against UTEP at 6 p.