After picking up a win last Saturday against the Air Force Falcons, the Owls are set to face off against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats tonight. When these two teams met in 2017, FAU shut them out 45-0. If the Owls wants to recreate that beatdown for a second straight season, these three things need to happen.

1. Offense needs to shine again

FAU’s air attack was on point last week thanks to an outstanding performance from Chris Robison, who threw for three touchdowns and 471 yards. If he brings back that same magic and chemistry with his talented receivers Jovon Durante, Tavaris Harrison and Willie Wright, this game can get out of hand quickly. Looking at the matchup, this is a good opportunity to get Devin “Motor” Singletary and the running game going, which would take the FAU offense to another level.

2. Run defense needs to improve

Over the past two games, FAU’s run defense has been shaky. While struggling against powerhouse Oklahoma is understandable, the inability to stop the run against Air Force was a bit more concerning. The Falcons totaled 209 yards on the ground against the Owls, with fullback Cole Fagan accounting for 80 of them. If the FAU defense can stifle the committee rushing attack of the Wildcats and force them to throw the ball, players like Azeez Al-Shaair, Rashad Smith, and Ernest Bagner will have more of an opportunity to tee off on the quarterback.

3. Handle business against an inferior team

The Owls are a much better team than the Wildcats on paper. They don’t play games on paper, however, so FAU needs to avoid complacency or risk being victim to an upset. If coach Lane Kiffin and his coordinators can focus their team on the fundamentals like tackling and run blocking, they should control this game from start to finish.  

FAU hosts the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats tonight at FAU Stadium, kick-off set for 6 p.m.

Zachary Weinberger is a contributing writer with the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him @ZachWeinberger