Odds:
FAU Over 4.5 -110 (4.5 units). Conference USA champions +2000 (0.5 Units)
Team Preview:
Florida Atlantic is one of my favorite over bets for this season. Last season FAU finished 3-9, but could have easily won six games if not for an abysmal 1-4 record in one possession games. The Owls have 14 returning starters and have added many talented juco players including a talented QB who’s ready to break out. They made the biggest move during the offseason by hiring our guy Lane Kiffin to be their next head coach. The Owls have finished with a 3-9 record in 3 out of the last 4 years, and they have one winning conference record in the past 6 seasons. Kiffin would not have taken the job if he didn’t see talented potential on this roster, but Kiffin has taken up the challenge of turning around a losing culture.
After hiring Kiffin, FAU hired Kendal Briles to be their offensive coordinator; Briles departed Baylor under the haze of the Bears’ sexual abuse scandal. In addition, FAU added juco transfer and former FSU QB, De’Andre Johnson. Johnson was a coveted four star recruit coming out of high school, where he was named Florida’s 2014 “Mr. Football.” In the beginning of his freshmen year in 2015, Johnson was infamously dismissed from the Florida State football team after video surfaced of him allegedly punching a girl at a Tallahassee bar. It’s safe to say Joey Freshwater sure knows how to create an opening scene. FAU will be an interesting storyline in college football throughout the year, and it shouldn’t be hard to find them on T.V. That’s why they will be a very fun team to bet, and gambling is supposed to be a little fun.
Offensive Preview:
Joey Freshwater brings an electric offense into Boca Raton. With Johnson at quarterback, Briles has an athletic quarterback with a strong arm to excel in his uptempo read option scheme. With the offensive combination of Kiffin/Briles and dynamic talent in Johnson the FAU offensive should be more explosive than its No. 72 ranked total offense last year. Johnson should be helped by returning rushers Devin Singletary and Buddy Howell. Singletary has the talent to become a superstar in FAU’s new offense. Singletary rushed for 1,029 yards on just 152 carries while scoring 12 touchdowns, and was named to the 1st team C-USA preseason team. The Owls also return leading receiver Kalib Woods who had 934 yards on 64 receptions last year. There is no question that FAU will be able to light up the scoreboard this fall.
Defensive Preview:
On defense, Lane hired his brother Chris away from Ole Miss to run the defense, then completed the family affair by bringing his legendary father Monte Kiffin, of Tampa 2 fame, to Boca Raton as a consultant. The Kiffin defensive legacy will be challenged to turn around one of the worst defensive teams in the country. The Owls will bring several 3-star juco recruits who could make instant impacts on the defensive side of the ball. FAU posseses raw defensive talent, so the experienced coaching staff should bring some philosophical stability to this year’s defense.
Schedule:
FAU begins the 2017 season with a tough matchup against Navy and a brutal road test at Wisconsin. After starting 0-2 against two tough opponents, the Owls will have a chance to get their team together. The Owls then get to easier matchups against Bethune Cookman and Buffalo to end their non-conference slate. The Owls open up Conference USA play at home against Middle Tennessee. If the Owls can get a win there, they can garner enough momentum to have a great conference season. Here’s the full schedule of FAU posted below:
9/1: vs Navy. 9/9 @Wisconsin. 9/16 vs Beth Cookman. 9/23 @Buffalo. 10/7 @ Old Dominion. BYE. 10/21 Vs North Texas. 10/28 @Western Kentucky. 11/3 vs Marshall. 11/11 @ Louisiana Tech. 11/18 vs FIU. 11/25 @Charlotte.
Final Projection:
FAU is projected for 5.9 wins in the S&P model from SB Nation, and have a projection for 6.3 wins in Bales Model on Fantasy Labs. Under our Student Union contributor Cody Goggin’s AGI model, the Owls are projected to win 6 games.
