Even though special teams are often considered an afterthought, the Florida Atlantic program never has to worry about overlooking it.
There are times coach Charlie Partridge goes out of his way to emphasis it during practices. And nothing has changed this season. The Owls spend a large portion of workouts conducting special teams drills, including walkthroughs and film sessions, mainly because of Partridge's background.
He oversaw special teams during his time at Arkansas.
"It helps me," FAU special teams coach Chris Hurd said. "… There's head coaches out there who are offensive minded, defensive minded. We've got a head coach that understands the importance of special teams and how much you've got to devote to it.