As owls rise, Driskel takes flight
FAU quarterback’s growth is key part of team’s surge to title.
In the first postseason game of his life, Florida Atlantic quarterback Jason Driskel
did what he’s done all season. Win.
Having never participated in a playoff game from Pop Warner through high school, Driskel performed impressively in his playoff debut, playing turnover-free ball in Saturday’s 41-17 Conference USA Championship win over North Texas.
“It’s a long time coming for a lot of us,” said Driskel, who was 15 of 27 for 269 yards and a touchdown for the Owls (10-3, 9-0 C-USA). “I’ve been here for a long time, had rough times, and it’s just a culmination of a lot of our work.”
At the start of the season,
Driskel, a redshirt junior who started the majority of last season, was on the bench. Dwyer graduate Daniel Parr started the Owls’ first three games and went 1-2, but he was replaced by Driskel for the Sept. 23 game against Buffalo.
Driskel didn’t even see game action until Sept. 16, in a 45-0 win over Bethune-Cookman, and that was in garbage time. Owls coach Lane Kiffin said the team’s first four games, all of which were non-conference, were almost like preseason games because the coaches were “experimenting” with their quarterbacks.
“We want to win every game, but the bottom line is your conference,” Kiffin said last week, explaining Driskel gave them the best chance to win in C-USA play and thus the QB switch.
In the nine games since the 34-31 loss to Buffalo, Driskel has set a careerhigh for touchdown passes (13) and quarterback rating (145.0), and he’s on track to finish with a personal-best 65.6 completion percentage. Oh, and the Owls have not lost since then.
Driskel also has 360 rush- ing yards and six touchdowns, four of which came in a 58-28 win over Old Dominion on Oct. 7. Of FAU runners not named Devin Singletary, who leads the nation with 29 rushing touchdowns, no one has more scores on the ground than Driskel, who earned honorable mention All-Conference honors on Tuesday.
“I don’t think we would’ve thought he’d have this many rushing yards when we first went to him,” Kiffin said. “I just think he’s kind of a crafty runner ... he didn’t look pretty (running) sometimes but he finds a way to make some yards.”
While fellow quarterback De’Andre Johnson’s future is uncertain following September surgery for blood clots in his arm, Kiffin still could potentially enter next season with another quarterback battle. Driskel has one year of eligibility left while Parr has two. Also, former Oklahoma quarterback Chris Robison will be eligible to play after being a redshirt this season.
For now, it will be Driskel who leads the Owls onto the field for their Dec. 19 matchup with Akron in the Boca Raton Bowl.
“I’m proud of all our guys and just proud to be here,” Driskel said.