12-03-2017, 01:31 AM
Dec. 2, 2017
Final Stats | FAU Photo Gallery | USA Today Photo Gallery
BOCA RATON, Fla. - Florida Atlantic University won the Conference USA Football Championship at FAU Stadium on Saturday afternoon over North Texas, 41-17, with Kalib Woods' program single game-record 208 receiving yards earning him Most Valuable Player honors.
Quotable
"I think today was, just like the whole season, but especially today, all about the players," said Head Coach Lane Kiffin. "Our players, for the ninth week in a row, played really good football. I'm kind of speechless for them; it's a cool story. This has been different. I really have just sat back and watched these kids, and really learned to appreciate the moments more."
Quick Hits
The Owls (10-3) won the toss and chose to receive. They drove within the North Texas 10, on the strength of a 47-yard run by "Motor" Devin Singletary, and Greg Joseph made good on a 24-yard field goal to open up the scoring
The Mean Green (9-4) gained eight yards on their first play, but were stuffed on the next two runs, on a massive hit by Herb Miller, and a combined stop by Jeremiah Taleni and Steven Leggett, forcing a punt
The lead was lengthened to 10-0 on a two-play, 71-yard drive. John Franklin III shoveled it to Kalib Woods for 49 yards, and Kamrin Solomon found a wide-open Franklin for a 22-yard score
The Owl defense continued to shine on the next NT series, with a first down sack by Taleni and Rashad Smith, and a 3rd-and-1 tackle for no gain by Jalen Young
For the third straight drive, FAU recorded a gain of 40 yards or more, this time Jason Driskel to Woods for 44 yards, and he was tripped up at the NT 2
After a holding penalty, three plays later, FAU's field goal attempt missed wide right
NT posted their first two first downs late in the 1st quarter, but a Haiden Nagel sack and Azeez Al-Shaair pass breakup made it 4th-and-8, and a fake field goal pass fell incomplete
Back-to-back long gains again put the Owls on the doorstep. A 21-yard run by Singletary preceded a 34-yard pass completion from Driskel to Woods, down to the NT 6. Those were the fifth and sixth plays of 20 yards or more for FAU in the opening quarter
Singletary went in from five yards out on the first play of the 2nd, his 27th rushing score of the year, for a 17-0 FAU lead
Owls started their first sustained drive of the 2nd on their own 16, faced 3rd-and-12 but converted on a Driskel pass to Kerrith Whyte, Jr. for 17 yards, and four plays later, Driskel connected with Solomon for 51 yards to make it 1st-and-goal from the NT 5
Joseph split the uprights from 21 yards out for a 20-0 Owl advantage
NT got to the red zone for the first time midway through the 2nd, to the FAU 20, and on the very next play, Hunter Snyder recorded a sack, and two plays later, Young picked off a pass at the goal line and returned it all the way to midfield
Singletary find the end zone again, and once more a five-yard score, to push the lead to 27-0 with 4:43 left in the half. He broke the century mark in rushing yards in the 2nd quarter, and for the 11th straight game
Snyder notched his second sack later in the quarter, and a QB hurry by Taleni made for a 3rd-and-17
In the first half, the Owls posted five sacks (most in a game this year by the unit) and three quarterback hurries
The team's sixth sack, another by Taleni, stopped NT's first drive after the break
Another long connection between Driskel and Woods went for 54 yards and a touchdown, giving the redshirt senior receiver the program game record
With a 26-yard field goal at the 5:50 mark of the 3rd, NT got on the scoreboard to make it 34-3, and a 77-yard catch by Turner Smiley (with an unsuccessful two-point conversion) 1:03 later cut it to 34-9
The Mean Green made it 17 unanswered points with a touchdown and conversion with 10:32 to go
A third Singletary five-yard rushing score pushed the advantage to 41-17, and took 5:05 off the clock in the process
That score was his 29th rushing and 30th total of the sophomore's season, tying Kevin Smith in each category for the most all-time in C-USA history
FAU tied the C-USA Championship game record when Leggett got the team's seventh sack with 3:30 left
Young's second interception, at the 2:45 mark, set the program single-season record of 20
Franklin had a 67-yard rush with just over a minute to go, but dropped the ball short of the goal line, with the fumble recovered by NT
Tim Bonner dragged down Fine for the team's eighth sack with 37 seconds left to break the conference game record, and the final play of the game was sack No. 9, credited to Anthony Bennett
The Owls had nine offensive plays of 20 yards or more in the game
Singletary led a rushing attack of 281 yards with 164, on 25 carries, plus the three touchdowns
Driskel threw for 269 yards, and the Owls as a team has 352 yards in the air
After Woods' 208 yards on six receptions, Solomon had 78 receiving yards, and he and Willie Wright each had four catches
In addition to the defensive unit's nine sacks, the group had two more tackles for loss and eight quarterback hurries
Al-Shaair paced the team with 11 tackles, Smith and Young each had seven and Taleni five
Up Next
The Owls await their bowl fate on Sunday. The date, time, location and opponent will all be revealed at some point during the afternoon. Stay tuned to @FAUAthletics and @FAU_Football on Twitter throughout the day for the announcement.
http://www.fausports.com/sports/m-footbl...17aaa.html
Final Stats | FAU Photo Gallery | USA Today Photo Gallery
BOCA RATON, Fla. - Florida Atlantic University won the Conference USA Football Championship at FAU Stadium on Saturday afternoon over North Texas, 41-17, with Kalib Woods' program single game-record 208 receiving yards earning him Most Valuable Player honors.
Quotable
"I think today was, just like the whole season, but especially today, all about the players," said Head Coach Lane Kiffin. "Our players, for the ninth week in a row, played really good football. I'm kind of speechless for them; it's a cool story. This has been different. I really have just sat back and watched these kids, and really learned to appreciate the moments more."
Quick Hits
The Owls (10-3) won the toss and chose to receive. They drove within the North Texas 10, on the strength of a 47-yard run by "Motor" Devin Singletary, and Greg Joseph made good on a 24-yard field goal to open up the scoring
The Mean Green (9-4) gained eight yards on their first play, but were stuffed on the next two runs, on a massive hit by Herb Miller, and a combined stop by Jeremiah Taleni and Steven Leggett, forcing a punt
The lead was lengthened to 10-0 on a two-play, 71-yard drive. John Franklin III shoveled it to Kalib Woods for 49 yards, and Kamrin Solomon found a wide-open Franklin for a 22-yard score
The Owl defense continued to shine on the next NT series, with a first down sack by Taleni and Rashad Smith, and a 3rd-and-1 tackle for no gain by Jalen Young
For the third straight drive, FAU recorded a gain of 40 yards or more, this time Jason Driskel to Woods for 44 yards, and he was tripped up at the NT 2
After a holding penalty, three plays later, FAU's field goal attempt missed wide right
NT posted their first two first downs late in the 1st quarter, but a Haiden Nagel sack and Azeez Al-Shaair pass breakup made it 4th-and-8, and a fake field goal pass fell incomplete
Back-to-back long gains again put the Owls on the doorstep. A 21-yard run by Singletary preceded a 34-yard pass completion from Driskel to Woods, down to the NT 6. Those were the fifth and sixth plays of 20 yards or more for FAU in the opening quarter
Singletary went in from five yards out on the first play of the 2nd, his 27th rushing score of the year, for a 17-0 FAU lead
Owls started their first sustained drive of the 2nd on their own 16, faced 3rd-and-12 but converted on a Driskel pass to Kerrith Whyte, Jr. for 17 yards, and four plays later, Driskel connected with Solomon for 51 yards to make it 1st-and-goal from the NT 5
Joseph split the uprights from 21 yards out for a 20-0 Owl advantage
NT got to the red zone for the first time midway through the 2nd, to the FAU 20, and on the very next play, Hunter Snyder recorded a sack, and two plays later, Young picked off a pass at the goal line and returned it all the way to midfield
Singletary find the end zone again, and once more a five-yard score, to push the lead to 27-0 with 4:43 left in the half. He broke the century mark in rushing yards in the 2nd quarter, and for the 11th straight game
Snyder notched his second sack later in the quarter, and a QB hurry by Taleni made for a 3rd-and-17
In the first half, the Owls posted five sacks (most in a game this year by the unit) and three quarterback hurries
The team's sixth sack, another by Taleni, stopped NT's first drive after the break
Another long connection between Driskel and Woods went for 54 yards and a touchdown, giving the redshirt senior receiver the program game record
With a 26-yard field goal at the 5:50 mark of the 3rd, NT got on the scoreboard to make it 34-3, and a 77-yard catch by Turner Smiley (with an unsuccessful two-point conversion) 1:03 later cut it to 34-9
The Mean Green made it 17 unanswered points with a touchdown and conversion with 10:32 to go
A third Singletary five-yard rushing score pushed the advantage to 41-17, and took 5:05 off the clock in the process
That score was his 29th rushing and 30th total of the sophomore's season, tying Kevin Smith in each category for the most all-time in C-USA history
FAU tied the C-USA Championship game record when Leggett got the team's seventh sack with 3:30 left
Young's second interception, at the 2:45 mark, set the program single-season record of 20
Franklin had a 67-yard rush with just over a minute to go, but dropped the ball short of the goal line, with the fumble recovered by NT
Tim Bonner dragged down Fine for the team's eighth sack with 37 seconds left to break the conference game record, and the final play of the game was sack No. 9, credited to Anthony Bennett
The Owls had nine offensive plays of 20 yards or more in the game
Singletary led a rushing attack of 281 yards with 164, on 25 carries, plus the three touchdowns
Driskel threw for 269 yards, and the Owls as a team has 352 yards in the air
After Woods' 208 yards on six receptions, Solomon had 78 receiving yards, and he and Willie Wright each had four catches
In addition to the defensive unit's nine sacks, the group had two more tackles for loss and eight quarterback hurries
Al-Shaair paced the team with 11 tackles, Smith and Young each had seven and Taleni five
Up Next
The Owls await their bowl fate on Sunday. The date, time, location and opponent will all be revealed at some point during the afternoon. Stay tuned to @FAUAthletics and @FAU_Football on Twitter throughout the day for the announcement.
http://www.fausports.com/sports/m-footbl...17aaa.html