Must-win time is here for the Owls
BOCA RATON It hit Lane Kiffin this week as Florida Atlantic prepares to host Old Dominion in another Conference USA game and turn the page after dropping a crushing conference opener at Middle Tennessee State.
“For the first time since being here, we don’t control our own destiny to win the conference,” Kif- fin said. “Obviously, don’t have any margin for error anymore. … It’s a new obstacle for us.”
It’s doubly tough on FAU because Middle Tennessee is in the East division of C-USA with the Owls, meaning for them to get the conference championship game berth over the Blue Raiders, they’ll likely have to win out while MTSU loses two conference games. Should both finish with one conference loss, the Blue Raiders own the head-tohead tiebreaker, although a third team getting tangled with them could complicate that.
What all that means is that every game from here on out is essentially a must-win for FAU (2-3) if the Owls are to repeat as Conference USA champions – or even East champs. So is life when a team starts the conference slate 0-1. Just don’t use the “must-win” terminology around Kiffin.
“Everything is a mustwin. We don’t talk that way,” he said.
Saturday’s game is set for 5 p.m. at FAU Stadium.
Old Dominion is a more formidable foe than its 1-4 record (0-2 C-USA). The Monarchs sent shockwaves through the college football world with their upset of Virginia Tech two weeks ago for their lone victory.
Old Dominion will look to put FAU in passing downs, so they can let their pass rush go to work. Senior Oshane Ximines leads a group of three prominent edge rushers, and the Monarchs utilize packages to get all on the field at the same time.
Getting the running game going, as the Owls have done of late, will be critical in marginalizing that pass rush and putting redshirt freshman starting quarterback Chris Robison comfortable in manageable down-and-distances.
Junior running back Devin “Motor” Singletary has eclipsed 100 yards in each of his last two games after gaining less than 100 yards in each of the first three games. He has scored 10 rushing touchdowns in his last three games. Kerrith Whyte has spelled him efficiently, averaging nearly seven yards per carry.
Kiffin didn’t rule out the possibility early in the week of making a quarterback change, but by Tuesday, Robison continued to
FAU vs. Old Dominion
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Quick slant: get all the first-team reps in practice, according to backup Rafe Peavey. Along with redshirt junior De’Andre Johnson, Peavey, an SMU graduate transfer, lost a preseason battle to Robison for the starting job.
When ODU is on offense, the Monarchs may look to use the size advantage of their wide receivers on the outside over smaller FAU cornerbacks. Leading receivers Jonathan Duhart (34 receptions for 606 yards and six touchdowns) and Travis Fulgham (17-284-2) both are 6-3. Junior Monarchs quarterback Blake LaRussa has completed 60 percent of his passes (63 of 104) for 928 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception.
The Owls defense has been lacking in the turnover department and in getting pressure on the quarterback. FAU defensive backs have not intercepted a single pass through five games. The team’s three interceptions have come from linebacker Rashad Smith.
Nickel cornerback James Pierre forced a fumble at Middle Tennessee that drew praise from Kiffin for the aggressiveness with which Pierre, a Deerfield Beach product, punched the ball out. The fumble was recovered by defensive end Ernest Bagner, and the hope is that takeaway, plus a Smith pick, will snowball into more going forward.
“They start to come in bunches sometimes,” Kiffin said. “Hopefully that’s the case.”
FAU looks to bounce back from the disappointing 25-24 loss to Middle Tennessee in which it squandered a 21-3 firsthalf lead.
“We just came together as a team, talked it out,” redshirt senior left tackle Reggie Bain said. “We want to make sure we don’t feel that feeling again.”
Bain added that if the Owls have an issue playing down to opponents once they get a lead, “This [past] weekend fixed it – knowing that we were looking at the scoreboard and we got whooped. That shouldn’t be a problem with our team no more.”