BOCA RATON — Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley is all too familiar with the Florida Atlantic Owls.
Before joining the Sooners as Bob Stoops’ offensive coordinator in 2015, Riley worked in Conference USA as East Carolina’s quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator from 2010-14. Though the Pirates moved from C-USA to the American after the 2013 season, Riley – then ECU’s offensive coordinator – coached against FAU in a 31-13 win on Sept. 2, 2013, the Owls’ first C-USA game following their arrival from the Sun Belt.
What once was a dismal FAU program which posted non-losing records every year from 2009-16 (coincidentally, that 2013 team went 6-6) is now a dangerous, elite Group of Five team led by veteran offensive guru Lane Kiffin – and the Owls are a team that Riley’s No.