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BOCA RATON – As much as Lane Kiffin is looking forward to the start of the season, he isn’t excited about trying to stop Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray on Saturday.
“These are the guys you want to play the least, I’ve always thought,” Kiffin said. “You look at people that give you the most problems it’s the guys that when plays don’t happen in rhythm, like a lot of plays in football, especially college, they have the ability to get out of trouble.”
Murray will be behind center when Oklahoma welcomes FAU to Norman on Saturday for the season-opener for both teams.
Last week Sooners coach Lincoln Riley officially named Murray the quarterback who will replace departed Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield.
Incredibly athletic, Murray signed with the Oakland A’s as an outfielder after the Athletics selected him with the ninth overall pick in June’s MLB draft.
“He’s very difficult to deal with, much like over the years of playing the guys at Alabama that have given Alabama problems – the guys that are really good quarterbacks but on top of that they are unique speed athletes,” Kiffin said.
Murray played in seven games last year mostly in mop up duty, completing 18 of 21 pass attempts for 359 yards and three touchdowns. He did technically start one game, against West Virginia, when Mayfield was suspended for the first two plays.
Kiffin doesn’t belief Murray’s relative lack of experience will prove exceptionally beneficial for FAU.
“Not having a lot of starts, a lot of time under him, used to be more of a [defensive] advantage than it is because offenses nowadays, spread offenses, aren’t as complicated – with changing protections and all the things why people used to have deal with – younger quarterbacks didn’t play and inexperienced quarterbacks struggled at first,” Kiffin said. “I think that’s kind of changed now when you run systems like they do or we do.”
Like Oklahoma, FAU will also be starting an inexperienced quarterback. None of the three quarterbacks currently battling for the Owls starting job has ever started an FBS game.
Graduate transfer Rafe Peavy, redshirt freshman Chris Robison and redshirt junior De’Andre Johnson all took snaps with the first team during Saturday’s mock game.
“All three made plays,” Kiffin said.
Kiffin has yet to name a starter and in recent days allowed for the possibility that more than one quarterback will play against Oklahoma.
Should Kiffin elect to start Robison, that could add another layer of pressure to the youngest QB in FAU’s battle. Robison began his college career at Oklahoma but was kicked off the team following his arrest for public intoxication.
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