Wisconsin Football: 2017 game-by-game predictions
By Shane Lunnen
The biggest news of the offseason for Florida Atlantic was the hiring of Lane Kiffin as head coach. No matter the Owls record this season, Kiffin has made the Owls a topic of college football circles.
To improve the offense, Kiffin hired Kendal Briles, Art Briles son, as offensive coordinator. Then Kiffin signed up former Florida State quarterback De’Andre Johnson, who was dismissed by the Seminoles in 2015 after a video showed him punching a woman in a bar. Johnson brings controversy but is a talented quarterback if he can stay out of trouble and on the field.
Running backs Greg Howell and Devin Singletary are a solid combination in the backfield. They combined for over 1,800 yards last season. The receiving corps is in doubt right now due to their number one receiver, Kalib Woods, being suspended indefinitely for his arrest on assault charges.
For the defense, Kiffin hired his brother, Chris, as defensive coordinator and his father, Monte, as a consultant. The Kiffin family should run a better defense this season than the one that surrendered over 500 yards a game last year. The Owls will run a 4-2-5 nickel defense and the secondary has a lot of young talent that could be a strength this season.
As for the game in Madison, the Badgers should have little trouble disposing of the Owls. Bradrick Shaw gashes the new look Owl defense with their porous defense line for 170 yards and 3 touchdowns. While the Owls do pick off Alex Hornibrook twice, they can only net a couple of field goals as the Badger defense mostly smothers the FAU offense. The Owls do get a late touchdown, but by that point, Wisconsin has the game well in hand.