[the_ad_group id=”632″]
BOCA RATON – Each week we review the previous day’s FAU football game – in this case a huge win over Conference USA stalwart Marshall – analyzing the positives and negatives. The Owls defeated the Thundering Herd 30-25 in a nationally televised game on Friday night to become bowl eligible. There’s much to like from that outing.
BIGGEST SURPRISE
Chuck King: Where to start? FAU owns its first five game winning streak since 2004. FAU is bowl eligible for the first time since 2013 and is almost assured of its first bowl appearance since 2008. If the Owls keep this up they will host the Conference USA championship game. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. How about this: FAU’s crowds continue to disappoint, but on Friday there were some intriguing faces in the crowd. Miami Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake (photo with Lane Kiffin) watched the game from the sideline and Luther Campbell spent halftime dining in the press box. Maybe there is hope that FAU football game will become trendy.
Matt Wilson: Buddy Howell only had four rushes against Marshall. He was beat up after FAU played WKU last week but I still believe that he should have gotten more reps. When FAU runs Howell more, they have more success in the run.
GAME MVP
King: I may simply sit down and write four or five different versions of Devin Singletary-as-Game-MVP that I can use the remainder of the season. With 203 yards, Singletary posted his second consecutive 200-yard rushing game. He’s eclipsed the 100-yard mark in each of his past seven games. He scored rushing touchdown No. 19 on the season and his first receiving touchdown of the year, a 60-yarder on a double pass, changed the game’s momentum. Singletary is the Owls’ offense. He’s Conference USA’s best offensive player and deserves all the national accolades he’s receiving.
Wilson: Jalen Young loves playing Marshall. On Friday the junior safety tied a school record with three interceptions in a game – the final one clinching the victory. Last year he recorded 18 tackles. Without Young’s performance, FAU may not be on the winning side of this game.
CONTROVERSIAL CALL
King: The FAU coaching staff might want to audit a remedial math class. Leading 30-23 with 2:30 remaining, FAU thought it could take a knee three times and the game would be over. Eventually FAU figured out this wasn’t the case, which prompted them to take a safety rather than risk a punt from deep in their own zone with 14 seconds remaining. Marshall made the return of the ensuing free kick interesting before the Owls finally put the game to rest. Next time, FAU might not be so fortunate. By the way, loved the comment from quarterback Jason Driskel, an engineering major, about the situation: “They told me to go out there and take a knee and I went out there and took the best knee I could.”
Wilson: FAU made a dangerous decision by instructing punter Ryan Rickell to run out of the back of the end zone in the final seconds. It did take time off the clock but if Rickell slips on the field at the one yard line, Marshall gets the ball there. FAU was fortunate that the play went well.
EXTRA POINT
King: Yes, coach Lane Kiffin’s Twitter account is entertaining, but he’s starting to take away from some of the Owls’ on-field accomplishments with some reckless tweets. He likely committed a minor NCAA violation by suggesting in a tweet to Louisville QB Lamar Jackson that he should come to FAU – though no one in their right mind actually believes he was trying to recruit the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. Following Friday’s victory Kiffin tweeted that he ordered FAU to take a safety at the end of the game in order to keep FAU from covering the 6.5 point spread. Anyone who’s spent any time around Kiffin understands he was joking. If anything the #RatPoison comment was more of a dig at Nick Saban and the media. Still, coaches can’t make gambling jokes – not if they want to stay on the NCAA’s good side. Comedy in 140 characters isn’t easy and often backfires. Few are talking about FAU’s bowl eligibility, five-game winning streak or first ever win over Marshall, but Kiffin’s gambling tweet was at one point the lead story on ESPN.com.
Wilson: FAU is going bowling this year! FAU continues to show why they are the team to beat in Conference USA. Singletary extended his dominance with more than 200 yards rushing and even caught a touchdown. He’s likely to stay a top the NCAA leaders in rushing touchdowns with 19. With five interceptions Young is also on the NCAA leaderboard now.
Leave a Reply