FAU (8-3) GETS VOTES IN POLL FOR FIRST TIME IN FOOTBALL
C-USA East champs starting to attract national attention.
BOCA RATON — While Lane Kiffin can still be divisive, his contemporaries have acknowledged the job the well-traveled coach has done in turning Florida Atlantic into one of the nation’s top teams.
For the first time in program history, FAU (8-3, 7-0) received votes in the Coaches poll following Saturday ’s 52-24 win over FIU.
With the win, the Owls clinched Conference USA’s East Division and will host C-USA West winner North Texas (8-3, 6-1).
FAU did not receive any votes in the Associated Press top 25 poll.
“It doesn’t matter until the end,” Kiffin said. “That’s what matters and what gets remembered. No one says, ‘Hey, in Week 11, you guys were this ranking!”
Of the nation’ s top 25 teams in either poll, FAU has only played Wisconsin (No. 5 AP, No. 4 Coaches), losing to the Badgers 31-14 on Sept. 9.
FAU is 8-1 since losing to the Badgers and has its first winning regular season since going 8-5 in 2007. In their past three seasons, the Owls went a combined 9-27.
“None of (being ranked) matters (to the team),” Kiffin said. “It matters to fans. ... That’s why we need to keep improving, keep playing better regardless of who we’re playing.”
Added Kiffin: “I told them today: if you want to be a top25 program, you need to finish the year that way, so you better get better regardless of who you’re playing each week.”
No game plan changes: Despite having clinched both bowl eligibility and a spot in the C-USA title game, Kiffin said he will not rest his starters Saturday against Charlotte (1-10, 1-6).
“We don’t think that way,” Kiffin said. “We don’t care where we play, who we play; our job is to win. ... It’s not the NFL where the game doesn’t matter because you’ ve already clinched and a lot of times, they don’t play their starters because they basically want a bye week.”
While FAU has gone to the backups in blowout wins — quarterback-turned-receiver John Franklin III will lead a Wildcat formation on offense — Kiffin routinely keeps his starters in as long as possible.
Kiffin believes properly preparing for Saturday ’s game against the 49ers can send a message to future opponents.
“We want to be undefeated in the conference,” Kiffin said. “We want to leave no doubt about that in the regular season, how we played. ... An eight-game winning streak would be huge.”
Bowl projections: ESPN has FAU playing either San Diego State in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl or taking on Florida State in the Independence Bowl. ... Sports Illustrated believes the Owls will travel to the Bahamas for a showdown with Northern Illinois. ... SB Nation predicts FAU will play USF in the Boca Raton Bowl.