Kiffin: If Owls win 6, bowl bid will be there
There’s a possibility that Florida Atlantic could win on Saturday against Charlotte, get its sixth victory to become bowl eligible and still not get chosen for a postseason bowl game.
But FAU coach Lane Kiffin appeared confident in a conference call with reporters on Sunday, indicating someone from the inside of the bowl selection process let him know the Owls would be playing in a bowl if they reach that sixth win.
“I have not heard that [not getting selected at six wins]. We win, we’re going to a bowl game. I don’t know anything about not going at 6-6,” Kiffin said.
While Kiffin would not reveal his source, he did add, “It was discussed a week ago – which bowls we’d potentially be able to go to with six or seven wins. So we’ll see.”
Six Conference USA teams are already bowl-eligible ahead of the final week of the regular season: FIU, Marshall, Middle Tennessee State, UAB, North Texas and Louisiana Tech. FAU and Southern Miss are both sitting at five wins with an opportunity to earn their sixth this Saturday.
While Kiffin has stated throughout the latter half of his second season as FAU head man that he doesn’t use gaining bowl eligibility as a motivator, he does believe in the benefits of playing that extra game in a season where the Owls took a step back following an 11-win, Conference USA championship-winning 2017.
“Obviously, we want to go to a bowl,” Kiffin said. “It’s more practices for your team, developing young players, excitement for the fans. I think if anybody, when we got here, said, ‘Hey, we’re going to two bowls the first two years after not going the [last eight] years,’ that’s pretty good.”
Thursday night’s loss at North Texas for FAU (5-6, 3-4 CUSA) was the third in the conference where the Owls fell while finishing within one possession.
“It’s frustrating,” Kiffin said. “The good thing is we’re right there in the game, and we’re ahead in all these games. It shows that we’re really good when we play well. The bad thing is one play in all those games makes a difference. Makes it tough to deal with.”
He touched on the play of quarterback Chris Robison, who didn’t put up a winning performance but showed flashes, a rarity for him on the road.
“I thought the way he played was kind of indicative of the season. Some really good plays, you know, and then second interception’s not his fault. That’s a catchable ball,” said Kiffin, adding Robison was culpable on the first of his two picks. “Some really good stuff and then some disaster plays.”
Ahead of his game against the 49ers, Kiffin reacted to the firing of Charlotte coach Brad Lambert on Sunday, which was reported by FootballScoop.
“I did hear that,” Kiffin said. “I don’t know that it changes much game plan because – unless the head coach is calling the plays on one side of the ball. Both the coordinators are still there, so I don’t think it’ll change much.
With Thanksgiving on Thursday, the Owls will prepare for Charlotte on Saturday like they would on a normal week. Kiffin said Monday is a meeting and walkthrough day, and then from Tuesday on, the team practices as usual.