Breakdown Box
Pelini sees boost in recruiting
BOCA RATON – More than 200 recruits were in attendance for FAU's 34-27 victory against Troy on Saturday and Owls coach Carl Pelini is hoping they enjoyed themselves and the outcome of the game.
“It helped that we had 200 recruits there,” Pelini said. “Recruits were excited and that helps.”
Recruiting for 2013 has been going well, Pelini said, but he is hoping that winning for the second time this season will show some recruits the program is improving.
“Not surprisingly - because our coaches work so hard at it - I think we've been very well received on the recruiting trail and we are really putting together a solid class,” Pelini said. “But it's like the same old thing. I'll equate it to when coach Schnellenberger was promising a new stadium and had some recruiting momentum and won a couple of championships. But suddenly there was no new stadium and how long can you keep singing that same song before people start questioning you.
“Now there's a new coach with a vision for the future. High school coaches and high school players are buying in to that vision and what we can do here , but how long can you sing that tune before people start saying 'show some evidence of it.' The more wins we get, the more my vision starts to sell itself.”
Pelini hopes winning Saturday's game will not only attract more prospects, but more fans as well.
“Filling that stadium won’t be hard but we’ve got to give them a product and a reason to come out and a certain entertainment value,” Pelini said. “As we have more games like we had the other night, they’ll start to come.”