Dec 21, 2019 5 min read

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Lane Kiffin was watching his now-former Florida Atlantic team play from elsewhere. A bunch of key FAU starters, including the school’s only first-team All-American, were missing. The coaching staff the Owls had Saturday faces a very uncertain future starting Sunday.

Adversity was everywhere.

The Owls were unfazed.

Chris Robison passed for 305 yards and two touchdowns and FAU scored two touchdowns in a 24-second span late in the first half to take control on the way to beating SMU 52-28 in the Boca Raton Bowl on Saturday night.

“This is just one of those feel-good things that the game of football brings out every now and then,” FAU defensive coordinator and interim coach Glenn Spencer said. “It’s all about relationships. I was telling those guys in there, no matter what happens tomorrow they’ve got a friend for life. It’s just an emotional night.”

Spencer held a game ball – a gift from the players – for the entirety of his postgame news conference. Spencer was on Kiffin’s staff, and now that Kiffin has taken over at Ole Miss after three seasons with FAU he’s among the coaches who probably aren’t too sure about where they’ll be next season.

Spencer took minimal credit for the win.

“I got them to the practice field on time,” he said.

Clearly, he did more than that.

James Charles ran for two touchdowns for FAU (11-3), which tied a school record for wins in a season and improved to 4-0 in bowl games. The first of Charles’ scores came with a minute left in the first half to break a 14-14 tie, Robison found Brandon Robinson for another touchdown 24 seconds later after an SMU interception and the Owls were off and running.

Rashad Smith ran a fumble back for a score in the third quarter to help FAU blow the game open. Robison completed 27 of 37 passes for FAU, which was playing a bowl game on its home field for the second time in three years.

“Adversity always comes during a season,” Robison said. Änd although this might have been a big one in the eyes of a lot of people, we really didn’t think it was anything. That’s why we didn’t let it affect us.”

Shane Buchele completed 27 for 47 passes for 303 yards for SMU (10-3). The Mustangs were seeking their first bowl win since 2012, this game coming a day after they gave coach Sonny Dykes – who has gone 15-11 in his first two seasons with the team, including the 2017 Frisco Bowl loss – a contract extension.

Xavier Jones had a pair of rushing touchdowns for SMU. James Proche, who entered as the NCAA’s active career leader in receptions and receiving yards, had nine catches – giving him 301 for his career – for 86 yards and a score for the Mustangs.

Liberty23, Georgia Southern 16:

Liberty coach Hugh Freeze went from coaching from a hospital bed at the start of the season to standing with a bowl championship trophy.

Frankie Hickson picked up 120 yards rushing on 22 carries, Stephen Calvert went 16 of 35 passing for 270 yards and two touchdowns, and Liberty beat Georgia Southern 23-16 in the Cure Bowl.

Freeze began his first season coaching at the school from a hospital bed in the press box for the season opener against Syracuse following back surgery two weeks earlier on Aug. 16.

“I actually look back on that and think I was stupid for trying it,” Freeze said. “I wasn’t very much help that night. I was pretty worthless. I didn’t add much value to it.”

Freeze missed 24 practices, coached another game from the press box in a medical chair, and four more on an elevated platform on the sidelines before returning to a traditional standing position on Oct. 19.

Shai Werts completed 10 of 19 passes for 95 yards and gained 57 yards on 22 carries for Georgia Southern (7-6). Wesley Kennedy III had 104 yards on nine rushing attempts.

“Got beat,” Georgia Southern coach Chad Lunsford said. “They wanted it more than us and they got it.”

San Diego State 48, Central Michigan 11: Ryan Agnew passed for 287 yards and three touchdowns, Jesse Matthews caught three passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns and San Diego State won a bowl game for the first time since 2016, beating Central Michigan 48-11 in the New Mexico Bowl.

Jordan Byrd ran for a career-high 139 yards and a touchdown to help the Aztecs (10-3) cap their 10th straight bowl appearance with a victory. San Diego State opened 7-1 record, then dropped two of its last three conference games to fall out of contention for a Mountain West title game berth

It was a homecoming for San Diego State coach Rocky Long. He last won the New Mexico Bowl in 2007 as New Mexico’s coach. Long is 4-9 in bowl games.