FAU Owls 2017 football schedule

After making Conference USA fans wait until mid-spring to announce the conference schedule over the past few years, the conference has decided to make Christmas come early for football fans as C-USA has announced the football schedule in it’s entirety for FAU this afternoon.

It’s been known for some time now that the Owls will draw North Texas and C-USA West division champion Louisiana Tech in the crossover matchup to go with their out of conference slate and intra division conference games. Now we know when FAU will play them.

Analysis

• After being the conference opener and in the middle of the season over the past few years, the Shula Bowl is back in November for the first time since 2013. I actually liked the Shula Bowl being played as a conference opener and wish it had stayed that way as it’s a great tone setter for conference play. If it’s going to be in November make it the final game of the season, not the one before the last.
• No back-to-back home games or road games. I don’t see this as a positive or a negative.
• The season opener against Navy has all the makings of a game being picked up by a major network. Whether that be FS1, ESPN2, ESPNU, or ESPN remains to be seen but the spotlight will be on FAU guaranteed.
• The conference opener will be against who I believe are the favorites in C-USA East in Middle Tennessee. In case you haven’t heard, the Owls have lost nine straight to the Blue Raiders including an embarrassing 77-56 defeat last year in Murfreesboro.
• FAU will play La Tech for the first time ever as conference mates in November.
• The three-game stretch between at WKU, vs Marshall, and at La Tech is the toughest of the season.
• Old Dominion is the only team on FAU’s schedule who will have two weeks to prepare for the Owls as they have a bye week before hosting FAU.
• FAU will play a MAC team for the third straight year when they travel to Buffalo to close non-conference play. Under Charlie Partridge FAU lost to Ball State and Buffalo. Last year Buffalo finished 2-10.
• Season ticket holders should be pretty happy about the home slate. Navy, BCU, Middle Tennessee, Marshall, North Texas and the Shula bowl is a pretty good slate of intriguing games that hopefully features really good crowds.

I like this schedule. No streak of home games is a bummer but FAU should be able to manage. I love the fact FAU has no Thursday home games as FAU Stadium should feature some great crowds this year given the hype surrounding Lane Kiffin.

It’s a bit early to be predicting records but with the schedule and the talent returning to Boca the Owls should finish no worse than 6-6. With Lane Kiffin in town this season has the potential to be the most hyped year surrounding FAU football since Howard Schnellenberger roamed the sidelines and I can’t wait for it to begin.