FAU hopes to stay alive in division race
BOCA RATON — Florida Atlantic stumbled out of the gates the last time it was in this position.
Even though they still won the game, the Owls didn’t play to their standard the first time they were coming off a bye week earlier this season.
They fell behind early to Middle Tennessee State in the first quarter and trailed 13-9 at halftime. FAU took home the victory after outscoring the Blue Raiders 16-0 in the second half, but the Owls admit that they didn’t execute like they needed to.
“Last bye week, we played Middle Tennessee and we won the game, but it definitely wasn’t execution where we needed to be,” tight end Harrison Bryant said. “Coming off a bye you have a few days off so it’s tough to get to that conditioning. When you go in and don’t execute, it’s very annoying coming off a bye week because you should have everything knocked down from having extra practices.”
FAU (7-3, 5-1) isn’t worried about a similarly slow start when they matchup against UTSA (4-5, 3-3) on Saturday at the Alamodome, even though the Owls are coming off another bye week.
The Owls feel like they’ve practiced better leading into the game against the Roadrunners than they did heading into their matchup against Middle Tennessee.
“That’s something we’ve definitely talked about,” quarterback Chris Robison said. “We can’t start slow like we did after the last bye week. We have to make sure we come out really strong.”
A convincing win, which Las Vegas expects with the Owls favored by 20 1⁄2 points, is needed for an FAU team that isn’t in full control of its conference championship aspirations.
Marshall (7-3, 5-1) holds the tiebreaker against the Owls in the division after defeating them on Oct. 18 in FAU Stadium and is on a five-game winning streak. The Thundering Herd are favored by a touchdown against Charlotte on Saturday and will be expected to be favored against FIU on Nov. 30 to close out the season.
“We don’t control our destiny when it comes to the conference championship,” Robison said. “But for the next two games, we still control that. That’s what we’re worried about, these next two games.”
Coaching connection
FAU coach will be coaching against a familiar face when the Owls play the Roadrunners.
UTSA coach
was on Kiffin’s staff as the wide receivers coach at Tennessee in 2009. Wilson spent the following five seasons as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at LSU under
before arriving in San Antonio.
“I always thought a lot of him,” Kiffin said. “I always thought he’d be a good head coach and recruit really well. Players really love playing for him.”
Wilson took over the head coaching reigns at UTSA in 2016, going 19-27 in the past four seasons. He referred to Kiffin’s dad, Monte, as a mentor earlier in the week with reporters.
“I have much admiration and respect for his football intellectual prowess,” Wilson said about Lane. “He is a good man, he has always been good to me. His family has always been good to me. I respect the job that he does. His dad, there is none better than Monte Kiffin as a man and as a coach.”
“Lane has been like a brother to me. It’ll be fun. He’s innovative and he’ll have some trickery, which has always been his call.”