BOCA RATON – When asked for one word to explain FAU this season, linebacker Akileis Leroy chose ‘fight’.
“I’d say fight,” Leroy said. “[There’s] a lot of words you can use but I like to use ‘fight’ because that’s what we had to do to get back to the top of the mountain.”
After Marshall lost to Charlotte a week ago, FAU had gained another chance to win the Conference USA East and clinch a spot in the C-USA Conference Championship, should they beat Southern Miss in the final game of the regular season.
The Owls, led by their defence, did exactly that, as they pulled away with a 34-17 win over Southern Miss to clinch their spot in the conference championship game.
As a unit, the FAU defence forced five turnovers (four interceptions and a forced fumble) and sacked Southern Miss quarterback Jack Abraham a total of three times. The Owls also held the Southern Miss rushing game to just 60 rushing yards.
“Number one in the country in turnovers, it’s pretty cool,” Kiffin said about the defense. “Really good job by the players, by the coaches. Glenn [Spencer] deserves a lot of credit, coming in with a new system, in the first year to lead the country in turnovers.”
The Owls began the scoring on a 40-yard field goal by Vladimir Rivas midway through the first quarter. Later in the quarter, a 39-yard pass to DeAngelo Antoine set up a 38-yard touchdown pass from Chris Robison to Harrison Bryant, giving FAU a 10-point lead.
FAU’s first interception came in the second quarter when Meiko Dotson intercepted a Jack Abraham pass in the red zone and returned it 50-yards into Southern Miss territory. Dotson’s interception would set up a 15-yard touchdown pass to Harrison Bryant, his second of the game.
After adding a 20-yard field goal by Andrew Stein, an interception by Malik Shorts that was returned to the FAU 8-yard line would set up an 8-yard rush by Steven Anderson, putting Southern Miss down 17-10.
Although Southern Miss would threaten to tie the game late in the first half, Meiko Dotson’s second interception would prevent a Southern Miss touchdown.
The interception was Dotson’s eighth of the season, breaking the FAU single-season interception record, which previously stood at seven.
To begin the second half, Jack Abraham would throw his third interception of the game, when linebacker Akileis Leroy intercepted Abraham’s first throw of the half and returned it to the 3-yard line. On the next play, running back BJ Emmons would score his third rushing touchdown in two games, putting FAU back up 14.
Leroy, who has dominated for the FAU defense at the middle linebacker position, finished the game with 11 total tackles, two interceptions, and a forced fumble.
“Here’s a guy, if he’s an inch taller, he’s probably playing at Georgia,” Kiffin said about Leroy. “You love those stories when you go find a kid who is a little undersized, and you learn who he is and you recruit him and bring him here. You win a lot of games with guys like that, especially at this level.”
Although an Abraham touchdown late in the third quarter would cut FAU’s lead to just seven, Bryant’s third touchdown reception of the game would provide the Owls with some cover.
Bryant, who was recently named a finalist for the Mackey Award, which awards the best tight end in the nation, finished with 75 yards and three touchdowns on just three receptions, bringing his season total to 965 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
“I’m pretty sure this one is the first time in my career, even through high school and stuff,” Bryant said about catching three touchdowns. “It’s pretty cool for Chris [Robison] to just trust me like that, throw it up and when the ball comes my way, I just try and make a play.”
FAU’s win not only clinches the team’s second division title in three seasons, but also means it will host UAB in the C-USA Conference Championship game on December 7.
