FAU packs defense, run game on road
Owls to visit Marshall in search of 1st victory away from home
BOCA RATON — So many Florida Atlantic players had one distinct message hammered into their heads from coach Lane Kiffin this week, a video collage of them repeating it in interviews could’ve looked like one of those where, say, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick reiterates “We’re on to [insert next opponent].”
It was some variation of this: “Like Coach Kiffin says, ‘When we go on the road, we pack our run game and we pack our defense.’”
That’s what the Owls (3-3, 1-1 Conference USA), coming off their bye week, will lean on as they go into the hostile environment that is Marshall (4-2, 2-1) for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. It’s a crucial showdown in the conference’s East division that will go a long way in determining whether FAU can repeat as C-USA champs this season.
The run game, that shouldn’t be an issue. The Owls rank 19th in the country, averaging 236.67 rushing yards per game. Junior running back Devin “Motor” Singletary leads the nation with 14 rushing touchdowns through six games.
“The running backs, we’re definitely trying to keep the run game going, even pick it up even more,” said Singletary, who is currently tied for 13th with Ian Johnson (Boise State, 2005-08) on the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision list of career rushing touchdowns. “Feel like we’re on the right track right now.”
As for the defense, that will pose a challenge. FAU enters ranked 120th in scoring defense, 114th in total defense, 105th in forcing turnovers, 118th in sacks and 96th in opponents’ third-down conversion rate. That’s out of 130 FBS teams. Kiffin called the numbers “glaring” early in the week.
Making it more of a gauntlet for the Owls, they will be without senior leader middle linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, the school’s all-time leading tackler. The Sun Sentinel reported late Thursday night that Al-Shaair suffered a torn ACL in one of his knees this week in practice. FAU is yet to make an official statement.
“When adversity hits, you just have to come back harder,” safety Jalen Young said on Wednesday, after AlShaair first missed practice this week. “It’ll be a big obstacle as he’s one of the leaders on the defense. … We just have to come together as a unit.”
FAU has never won at Marshall, and the Owls had never beaten the Thundering Herd until winning in Boca Raton last season. Kiffin is in his second season leading FAU, so he wasn’t around for all of the losses to Marshall.
“We’re kind of, after two years, I guess, used to those stats,” Kiffin said early in the week. “No disrespect, but a lot of these teams we haven’t beat on the road or haven’t ever beat Marshall in the history of the school before last year, so just another obstacle.”
Neither was wide receiver Jovon Durante, in his first season playing for the Owls since transferring and sitting out a season. Coming over from West Virginia University, he’s familiar with what a game in that state can be like.
“They don’t have an NFL team, so they have die-hard fans,” said Durante, who didn’t want to call it a homecoming since he calls FAU home now. “It’s going to be a crowded house, and the fans are diehards. They’re going to try to take us out the game — probably throw stuff at us, do everything they could. It’s a good place to be.”
“When adversity hits, you just have to come back harder. It’ll be a big obstacle as he’s one of the leaders on the defense. … We just have to come together as a unit.”
— Safety Jalen Young on the loss of linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair