BOCA RATON, Fla. _ Florida Atlantic coach Lane Kiffin was joking when he made a social-media comment about not covering the point spread in Friday's 30-25 victory over Marshall.
According to a school spokesperson, Kiffin said he made the remark in jest. The Owls, who were a 6{-point favorite, took an intentional safety instead of punting late in the fourth quarter. After the game, Kiffin posted on his personal Twitter account:
"Didn't want to cover because of too much rat poison #keptuwatching #5-0 #cometothefau #playersgetweekendoff."
The tweet has since been deleted. Kiffin said the decision to take the safety was based on the fear of the punt getting blocked. The Owls clinched the game after Marshall was stopped on the ensuing kickoff. The mention of rat poison in the tweet was a reference used by Alabama coach Nick Saban to avoid positive media attention.
The tweet marks the second time Kiffin caused a recent social-media stir. A few weeks ago, he drew criticism when he jokingly recruited Heisman Trophy quarterback Lamar Jackson to FAU. Kiffin later clarified his tweets by saying he was simply asking if Jackson was homesick. The idea of Jackson transferring is far-fetched, considering he will likely turn pro after this season.
Kiffin often jokes on Twitter, sending tweets to everyone from the Kardashians to President Donald Trump. He uses it mostly to draw attention to the program.
Under Kiffin, the Owls are off to a 6-3 start and are 5-0 in Conference USA.
