Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
FAU defense faces tough task
Stopping UCF’s high-powered offense the goal
BOCA RATON — Lane Kiffin summed it up well in few words this week when he was asked about Florida Atlantic’s level of motivation facing a team that went undefeated last season and is riding a 15-game win streak — and doing it on ESPN on Friday night.
“I don’t think we need added motivation. We need to tackle,” Kiffin said.
What does FAU face after a defensive performance against Bethune-Cookman that the Owls were not pleased with — surrendering 28 points and forcing one turnover against the lone Football Championship Subdivision opponent on their schedule?
The nation’s No. 2 offense in UCF.
Although just through two games, the No. 16 Knights are averaging 609 yards per game — 306 rushing and 303 passing. It’s a continuation of last season, when they were fifth in the nation in total offense as they marched to a 13-0 record and a win over Auburn in the Peach Bowl. That turned into a self-proclaimed national championship, although Alabama would disagree after going through the College Football Playoff.
Junior quarterback McKenzie Milton leads the high-powered attack. Last season he threw for 4,037 yards and 37 touchdowns, both school records, as he finished eighth in voting for the Heisman Trophy. He’s picked up where he left off in blowout victories over Connecticut and South Carolina State.
“It’s going to be a great challenge for us,” said FAU senior safety and Seminole Ridge grad Jalen Young, who returns from injury this week. “The emphasis is just doing your job. If everyone just does their job and not try to be Superman and do anything more, we should be fine.”
It may sound simple, but Kiffin, in addition to tackling, noted something that appears even simpler on the surface.
“We’ve got to get lined up first,” he said. “These guys snap the ball faster than anybody in the country.”
Since the Owls’ offense is up-tempo, will that help — since FAU’s defense is accustomed to it in practice?
“The hope is that helps you,” Kiffin said, “but you look around the country, these fast teams play fast teams — Houston-Texas Tech and they went 70-60 [the actual score was 63-49 last Saturday]. The theory that if you’re fast on offense your defense is going to play well against fast teams doesn’t always work. I know it should make sense that it does, but when you really look around the country, it doesn’t.”
Getting pressure on Milton could boost FAU’s chances of containing UCF, but that’s an area where the Owls have been lacking thus far. They’ve collected four sacks in three games — granted, one was against a triple-option team in Air Force and another was Oklahoma.
“I just feel like we just got to finish, to be honest,” defensive tackle Kevin McCrary said. “We’re working, pressure, everything — just got to finish.”
Boost at safety
Young’s return, along with that of free safety
Zyon Gilbert (undisclosed disciplinary reasons), should help to the secondary.
“Stressful, frustrating, but I’m happy to be back out there,” he said after missing the Bethune-Cookman game.
Young was on the sideline acting as an extra coach while Quran Hafiz and
Ocie Rose got the starts.
“If I saw little things, I would let them know alignment, stuff like that,” Young said. “Just trying to be there for them, looking from a different perspective.”
“He’s a big piece to the defense,” cornerback Chris
Tooley said. “It’s real good having him back. We all can play fast and we all can play physical together once again.”