2017 Conference USA Football Championship Game

College football game

2017 Dynacraft Conference USA Football Championship Game

Conference Championship
| North Texas Mean Green | Florida Atlantic Owls

|

(9–3) | (9–3)
17 | 41
Head coach:
Seth Littrell | Head coach:
Lane Kiffin
|  | 1| 2| 3| 4 | Total

|
|
|
|
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North Texas | 0| 0| 9| 8 | 17
Florida Atlantic | 10| 17| 7| 7 | 41
Date| December 2, 2017
Season| 2017
Stadium| FAU Stadium
Location| Boca Raton, Florida
MVP| Kalib Woods (WR, FAU)
Favorite| FAU by 10.5[1]
Referee| Dan Gautreaux[2]
Attendance| 14,258[2]
United States TV coverage
Network| ESPN2 & TuneIn
Announcers| Jason Benetti, Kelly Stouffer and Kris Budden (ESPN2)
TJ Rives, Jay Mize (Tag Sports Group on TuneIn)
|  Conference USA Football Championship Game

< 2016 |  2018 >
2017 Conference USA football standings

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* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

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Team |  | W |  | L |  |  |  |  | W |  | L |
East Division
Florida Atlantic x$  |  | 8  | - | 0  |  |  |  |  | 11  | - | 3  |
FIU |  | 5  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 8  | - | 5  |
Marshall |  | 4  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 8  | - | 5  |
Western Kentucky |  | 4  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 7  |
Middle Tennessee |  | 4  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 6  |
Old Dominion |  | 3  | - | 5  |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 7  |
Charlotte |  | 1  | - | 7  |  |  |  |  | 1  | - | 11  |
West Division
North Texas x  |  | 7  | - | 1  |  |  |  |  | 9  | - | 5  |
UAB |  | 6  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 8  | - | 5  |
Southern Miss |  | 6  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 8  | - | 5  |
Louisiana Tech |  | 4  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 6  |
UTSA |  | 3  | - | 5  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  |
Rice |  | 1  | - | 7  |  |  |  |  | 1  | - | 11  |
UTEP |  | 0  | - | 8  |  |  |  |  | 0  | - | 12  |
Championship: Florida Atlantic 41, North Texas 17

* $ - Conference champion
* x - Division champion/co-champions

Rankings from AP Poll

The 2017 Conference USA Championship Game was played on Saturday, December 2, 2017, at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida, and determined the 2017 football champion of Conference USA (C-USA). The game was played between Florida Atlantic, the East Division champion, and North Texas, the West Division champion. The title sponsor was Dynacraft BSC.

In the 2016 championship game, hosted by WKU, the Hilltoppers had defeated Louisiana Tech 58–44.[3] The 2017 championship game was the 13th game in the championship series and was won by Florida Atlantic, 41–17.

## Teams

[edit]

### North Texas Mean Green

[edit]

Main article: 2017 North Texas Mean Green football team

North Texas claimed its place in the title game on November 11 with a 45–10 win over UTEP.[4]

### Florida Atlantic Owls

[edit]

Main article: 2017 Florida Atlantic Owls football team

Florida Atlantic clinched the East division on November 18 after defeating rivals FIU 52-24 in the Shula Bowl. The win also ensured that the Owls would host the championship game. At the time, FAU was 7–0 in C-USA play to North Texas' 6–1, with each team having one conference game to play. Although an FAU loss and North Texas win would have left the teams tied, the Owls held the tiebreaker with a head-to-head win over the Mean Green during the season.

## Aftermath

[edit]

North Texas went on to play in the 2017 New Orleans Bowl, losing to Troy. Florida Atlantic went on to play in the 2017 Boca Raton Bowl, defeating Akron.

If the winner of the C-USA Championship Game was one of the highest in the rankings of the "Group of Five" conferences, the team could have been placed in the College Football Playoff or a "New Year's Six" bowl. Otherwise, the conference champion would supposedly choose which game to attend, from those with ties to the conference. However, FAU athletic director Pat Chun said that FAU did not choose the Boca Raton Bowl, but that FAU was told where to go by the conference.[5]

## Game summary

[edit]

### Scoring summary

[edit]

Scoring summary

| Quarter  | Time  | Drive | Team  | Scoring information  | Score

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Plays | Yards  | TOP | UNT  | FAU
1  | 12:19  | 9  | 65  | 2:41  | FAU  | 24-yard field goal by Greg Joseph | 0  | 3
1  | 10:11  | 2  | 71  | 0:32  | FAU  | John Franklin III 22-yard touchdown reception from Kamrin Solomon, Greg Joseph kick good  | 0  | 10
2  | 14:55  | 6  | 64  | 1:55  | FAU  | Devin Singletary 3-yard touchdown run, Greg Joseph kick good  | 0  | 17
2  | 9:56  | 11  | 80  | 3:36  | FAU  | 21-yard field goal by Greg Joseph  | 0  | 20
2  | 4:43  | 9  | 50  | 2:54  | FAU  | Devin Singletary 5-yard touchdown run, Greg Joseph kick good  | 0  | 27
3  | 12:21  | 3  | 74  | 1:10  | FAU  | Kalib Woods 54-yard touchdown reception from Jason Driskel, Greg Joseph kick good  | 0  | 34
3  | 5:50  | 16  | 73  | 6:31  | UNT  | 26-yard field goal by Trevor Moore  | 3  | 34
3  | 4:47  | 1  | 77  | 0:33  | UNT  | Turner Smiley 77-yard touchdown reception from Mason Fine, 2-point pass by Mason Fine failed  | 9  | 34
4  | 10:32  | 7  | 62  | 2:27  | UNT  | Evan Johnson 1-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass from Rico Bussey good  | 17  | 34
4  | 5:27  | 10  | 71  | 5:05  | FAU  | Devin Singletary 5-yard touchdown run, Greg Joseph kick good  | 17  | 41
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 17  | 41

Source: [2]

### Statistics

[edit]

Statistics[2] | UNT | FAU

|
|

First downs | 26 | 22
Plays–yards | 80-437 | 72-633
Rushes–yards | 35-81 | 42-281
Passing yards | 356 | 352
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 28-45-2 | 18-30-0
Time of possession | 31:32 | 28:09

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "North Texas Mean Green vs Florida Atlantic Owls". Odds Shark. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
2. ^ a b c d "C-USA Championship: North Texas vs. FAU". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
3. ^ "C-USA Championship: Louisiana Tech vs. Western Kentucky". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
4. ^ "Fine tosses 4 TDs, North Texas cruises past UTEP 45-10". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 11, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
5. ^ "Lukewarm Embrace". FAU Owl Access. December 4, 2017. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2017.

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2017 NCAA football conference championship games

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Conference USA Football Championship Game

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Florida Atlantic Owls football

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*[v]: View this template
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*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses