The competitors for the sixth annual CheriBundi Boca Raton Bowl have been announced, and a familiar local team is returning to the contest yet again.
For the second time in three years, the Florida Atlantic University Owls will be playing their bowl game in their home stadium, this time against the Southern Methodist University Mustangs. The Owls will be the first team with multiple appearances the Boca Raton Bowl since its inaugural year in 2014.
The matchup features two ten-win teams, both of which are known for high-powered and high-scoring offenses. The Mustangs spent eight weeks in the college football rankings this season, rising as high as #14 in the Coaches Poll and #15 in the AP Poll in week nine.
The game will be the Owls’ first since the departure of head coach Lane Kiffin, who accepted the head coaching position at Ole Miss over the weekend. The team had a record of 26-13 during his tenure, and won two C-USA conference championships.
While the Mustangs are a more notable matchup than the Owls’ previous bowl opponents, fans may be scratching their heads as to why FAU is staying home for their bowl game yet again after analysts predicted a likely matchup in either the Independence Bowl or the First Responders Bowl. FAU has not traveled for a bowl game since a 2008 berth in the Motor City Bowl under original coach Howard Schnellenberger.
In the 2017 Boca Bowl, the Owls pummeled the Akron Zips 50-3, and the team is coming off of a resounding 49-6 victory in the Conference USA Championship game this past Saturday. FAU has never lost a bowl game.
The game will be played at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 21st at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, and will be broadcast nationally on ABC. Tickets are on sale now and available here starting at $32.
