No Kiffin, no problem: FAU rolls

BOCA RATON, FLA. » Lane Kiffin was watching his now-former Florida Atlantic team play from elsewhere. A bunch of key FAU starters, including the school’s only first-team AllAmerican, were missing. The coaching staff the Owls had Saturday faces a very uncertain future starting Sunday.

Adversity was everywhere. The Owls were unfazed. Chris Robison passed for 305 yards and two touchdowns and FAU (11-3) scored two touchdowns in a 24-second span late in the first half to take control on the way to beating SMU (10-3) 52-28 in the Boca Raton Bowl on Saturday night.

“This is just one of those feel-good things that the game of football brings out every now and then,” FAU defensive coordinator and interim coach Glenn Spencer said. “It’s all about relationships. I was telling those guys in there, no matter what happens tomorrow they’ve got a friend for life. It’s just an emotional night.”

Spencer held a game ball — a gift from the players — for the entirety of his postgame news conference. Spencer was on Kiffin’s staff, and now that Kiffin has taken over at Ole Miss after three seasons with FAU he’s among the coaches who probably aren’t too sure about where they’ll be next season.

Spencer took minimal credit for the win. SAN DIEGO STATE 48, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 11 » Ryan Agnew passed for 287 yards and three touchdowns, Jesse Matthews caught three passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns and San Diego State (10-3) won a bowl game for the first time since 2016, beating Central Michigan (8-6) in the New Mexico Bowl. ARKANSAS STATE 34, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 26 » Layne Hatcher passed for 393 yards and four touchdowns, including a late 13-yarder to Jonathan Adams, and Arkansas State (8-5) beat Florida International (6-7) in the Camellia Bowl.

LIBERTY 23, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 16» Frankie Hickson ran for 120 yards on 22 carries, Stephen Calvert went 16 of 35 passing for 270 yards and two TDs in (8-5) Liberty’s Cure Bowl victory over Georgia Southern (7-6).