Owls won’t rest on laurels
Large point spread not important, Kiffin says
BOCA RATON — Call it the latest battle with “rat poison” for Florida Atlantic coach Lane Kiffin.
The Owls are favored by 22 1⁄2 points against Akron on Tuesday in the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium. It is the largest spread in a bowl game since Oklahoma State was a 17-point favorite against Purdue in the 2012 Heart of Dallas Bowl.
Kiffin called the spread another dose of unwanted attention that could affect the team’s focus.
“1-0 is all that matters,” Kiffin said. “It’s not about the opponent. It’s about you. That means nothing, except for that is a product of what has happened already on the field.”
The Owls (10-3) are the overwhelming favorite because of what they have accomplished this season. They are on a ninegame winning streak and breezed through Conference USA play. All but one of their nine league victories were by double-digit margins.
The Owls defeated the conference’s second-best team, North Texas, twice by a combined score of 110-48. So, naturally, the prediction experts are picking them to roll against an Akron team that lost to Toledo in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game.
“The spread is high for this game for two reasons,” said Brad Powers, a college football gambling analyst at pregame.com. “No. 1, you have a unique situation where FAU is playing a bowl game in their home stadium. That in itself is worth three points to the Vegas line. No. 2, you have a head coach in Lane Kiffin that has a proven track record of not being afraid to run up the scores on lesser competition.”
Still, the players don’t expect overconfidence to set in because this is their first
bowl game experience. They want to end the historic season on a positive.
“Why take it for granted?” running back Gregory Howell Jr. said. “It’s the first bowl game I’ve been in with these guys. It’s a lot of excitement, but at the same time, you never get complacent. We want to go out there and dominate, no matter what.”
The Owls are one of only two teams who are a double-digit favorite in a bowl game. Florida State is favored by 15 against Southern Mississippi in the Independence Bowl. The last 20-point postseason spread was Oklahoma against Wyoming in the 1976 Fiesta Bowl. The Sooners won 41-7.
“It means something for people who aren’t playing,” quarterback Jason Driskel said. “It’s going to be 0-0 on the scoreboard. That’s really all that matters. We’re going to have to execute and play well to win.”
What the Owls have going for them is their mentality. All season, they have
embraced the underdog role. They still feel they haven’t earned enough respect despite owning the nation’s second-longest current winning streak. Central Florida tops the list with 12 consecutive wins.
“We kind of still feel like the underdog thing, but now that we know that we are on the top of the hill, people are going to try to knock us off,” Howell Jr. said. “We’re not going to let that happen. Competing is the biggest thing that helps us stay grounded because every day we are competing with the defense. They’re going to make sure we tighten up and we’re going to make sure they tighten up. So that keeps us from falling off.”
“It’s a lot of excitement, but at the same time, you never get complacent.” RB Gregory Howell Jr.