Kiffin: Opportunity is there for Owls to make statement
FAU faces UCF, owners of nation’s longest win streak
BOCA RATON — Florida Atlantic has the opportunity all set up.
“It’s an ESPN game, Friday night. We know that it’s all lined up,” FAU coach Lane Kiffin said this week.
The Owls (2-1) go into Orlando’s Spectrum Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff on national television with a chance to knock off No. 16 Central Florida (2-0), which owns the nation’s longest win streak at 15 after a 13-0 season last year. FAU can take down the Group of 5 sweetheart, a team that has wholeheartedly owned its claim to be defending national champions, despite not getting into the College Football Playoff last postseason.
Kiffin has downplayed the impact of what a win would mean for FAU, which has never defeated a ranked opponent.
“It would mean we’d be 3-1,
pretty good,” he said.
“That’s tough to beat these guys anywhere, especially in there, really loud environment. These guys are playing as well as anybody in the country.”
Last time FAU had a chance to prove itself on the road in front of a national TV audience, it didn’t go smoothly. At Oklahoma in the opener, the Owls were down 21-0 by the time Fox switched over from the John McCain funeral during the first quarter, trailed 42-0 at half and lost 63-14.
“I feel it’ll be big for us, kind of redeem ourselves from last time being on TV,” said junior running back Devin “Motor” Singletary, who leads the nation with seven rushing touchdowns.
The Owls, who have since won home games against Air Force and Bethune-Cookman, feel they have made vast improvements and will enter this challenge more prepared than they were against the Sooners.
“I feel we came together more,” Singletary said. “We stay a lot more focused to the small details, the real small details and just trying to execute the plan.”
Players feel they know how to handle adversity now when it strikes within games.
“You could just feel everybody in the locker room or even just on the sideline just get down on themselves [against Oklahoma],” said redshirt freshman quarterback Chris Robison, promising that won’t happen again. “I think that actually helped us going forward and moving forward to this game.”
Added left guard BJ Etienne: “It kind of humbled us. Got us back on track, back to reality. Not the outcome we wanted, but it definitely was like a wakeup call for us to get back to work.”
Players relish the chance to play tonight and have the spotlight on this game ahead of the rest the week’s college football action Saturday.
“It doesn’t matter which day of the week it is, but it’s pretty exciting to play on that stage in front of all those people,” receiver Tavaris Harrison said. “It’s going to be amazing.”
Said cornerback Chris Tooley: “It’s definitely added to my big-game collection. UCF’s a great team – undefeated, and they changed the whole program around. It’s going to be real fun playing against them.”
FAU enters on a short week, playing Friday night after a game last Saturday night. UCF, meanwhile, had last week’s scheduled game at North Carolina canceled due to Hurricane Florence.
“It’s going to be amazing.”
Tavaris Harrison,
FAU receiver on playing UCF in Orlando