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For a third straight season FAU heads into week three 0-2. FAU played Miami tough in the 44-20 loss but the Owls are through taking moral victories. Lucky for FAU, they welcome the Buffalo Bulls, who has not won a non-conference game on the road since 2009.
Start Time: Sept. 19, 12:00 P.M. ET.
Where: FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida
TV: American Sports Network
Streaming: Here.
Radio: FAU here.
Series: First ever meeting
Live Stats: Here.
Betting Ling: Pick em', Over/Under Point Total: 63.5
Forecasting Buffalo: Buffalo will stroll into FAU Stadium with a ton of confidence after keeping up with Penn State for three quarters before eventually losing steam in the fourth. After dominating Albany from the FCS 51-14, Buffalo struggled to build any consistency against Penn State's front seven before eventually scoring all of their 14 points in the second half. However, the weather was awful as heavy rain influenced both teams' ability to move the ball effectively.
Buffalo's offense relies on getting production from senior quarterback Joe Licata and running back Anthone Taylor. Because Buffalo has played one inferior team, and one superior team, its hard to gauge where this team is at in Lance Leipold's first year. This game will be a good measuring bar for Bulls fans for how they should project going into conference play.
Forecasting FAU: The main storyline entering this game is the injuries in the backfield for the Owls. Jay Warren and Jaquez Johnson are both game-time decisions. If Warren can't suit up, Greg Howell - who leads the team with 216 rushing yards - will get the start.
But who will be the starting quarterback? FAU has threatened to ban reporters if they talk about who is receiving reps as QB1 in practice this week after Jaquez Johnson suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter last week against Miami.
Jason Driskel looked decent in relief in his collegiate debut, completing 17 passes for 155 yards, while tossing a touchdown and a pair of interceptions. Behind Driskel is highly touted freshman Daniel Parr. My guess is Driskel will get the nod if Johnson is out.
Regardless of who gets the start, this game is a must win for FAU. Before the season started I said anything worse than a 2-2 record out-of-conference and FAU can forget about going to a bowl game. The Owls technically still have a chance of reaching that record but its highly unlikely with a game against Florida near the end of the season.
Prediction: Bottom line, FAU is more talented than Buffalo. They should win. But if the Owls come out lethargic to start the game - in front of what will be a much-less enthusiastic crowd compared to last Friday night - they will be in trouble. The seniors must ignite the team to play with a sense of urgency from the beginning. I think they will. Jaquez Johnson will start, and behind his leadership FAU will defeat Buffalo in a slugfest. The game could be a shootout but the weather forecast calls for rain showers throughout the afternoon so take the under. Limiting turnovers will be key for both teams as points will be at a premium if the forecast holds true. If Driskel or Parr winds up starting, I'm not confident in either leading the Owls to a win.
FAU 28 Buffalo 21
Season Record: 1-1 straight up, 2-0 ATS, 2-0 Over/Under
What say you?