Owls set to take practice on road to Liberty City
BOCA RATON — In the first of two planned road practices, coach Lane Kiffin and the FAU Owls will travel today to Liberty City’s Charles Hadley Park.
While FAU has dipped into Broward County before, holding spring practices at Sunrise’s Carter Park the past two years, the Miami area is uncharted territory for an Owls practice.
“We wanted to get out as much as we could,” Kiffin said. “It allows maybe some people who can’t get up here to come see us, whether it’s coaches, players or fans.” Story lines to watch today: Quarterback competition: Even if the starting quarterback for the Sept. 1 opener against Navy isn’t announced today, a brief change of scenery may help De’Andre Johnson and Jason Driskel get back to their spring form.
At Carter Park in April, each quarterback totaled two touchdowns, with Johnson finding Bobby Mitchell for a 60-yard score and then running for a TD. Driskel threw touchdown passes to Mitchell and Dante Cousart.
So far in fall camp, turnovers have affected both quarterbacks, and the battle is at a stalemate.
With less than a month left until Navy, how much will a strong practice in Miami help the cause of one or the other?
Offensive weapons: Though the quarterbacks are struggling, some of their top targets are enjoying strong fall camps and making highlight-reel plays daily.
With Kalib Woods and Kamrin Solomon gone on short notice, receivers DeAndre McNeal, Tavaris “Pico” Harrison and Henry Bussey III are among those who dazzled through the first week.
“As a core, we need to step up — everybody all around the depth chart,” Harrison said. “We’ve got to be the key to the offense; the offense is run through the receivers.”
The tight ends group has also shown promise, with Harrison Bryant and John Raine hoping to give the Owls production from a unit that has underwhelmed in recent years.
“Every time we get an opportunity, we’re just trying to make the best of it,” Bryant said. “Make our blocks, catch the ball, make plays and when we get the ball in the game, we’ll do what we can.”
Woods was suspended from the team in June after he was charged with felony battery in connection with a fight at an off-campus party in January. He is set to have a trial by jury this month. Solomon, whom Kiffin praised in spring practice, was given a no trespass order by the university in June for his role in the same incident.
2 Live FAU: Practicing in Miami is new for the Kiffin-led Owls, but the fifth head coach in program history already has a major fan in his court: Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell of rap group 2 Live Crew fame.
Campbell, a lifelong Hurricanes fan, took to Twitter on Thursday to encourage his 42,000-plus followers to join the Lane Train.
“Make sure y’all come out this Saturday,” Campbell wrote. Kiffin “is bringing his team to Liberty City to practice at Charles Hadley Park just epic.”
Friday practice notes: Kiffin has found a new offensive lineman.
Zach Stefo, a 6-foot-5, 290pound tackle from Colorado, practiced for the first time Friday. Officially listed as a graduate student with two years of eligibility remaining, Stefo impressed in offensive lineman drills and worked with the second unit during Friday’s practice.
“He is a guy who was highly recruited coming out and the coaches there speak very highly of him at Colorado State,” Kiffin said. “He got in with the twos today even though he’s not in pads yet and we’ll continue to push him.”
Stefo redshirted with the Rams in 2014 and missed all of 2015 with a severe concussion. While Stefo did earn significant reps Friday, he donned a black jersey — usually reserved for those injured and working on stationary bikes — for most of practice.
With offensive lineman Jack Breshears and Tarrick Thomas injured, Stefo figures to earn significant playing time in the coming weeks.
Noteworthy: The scheduled Aug. 12 practice at Sunrise’s Carter Park has been moved back to Boca Raton.
Follow Jake Elman on Twitter @JakeElman