Parting the Vail - Coaching Legacy of Tyler Vail (CFB 26)

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Week 3 NCAA Recap

- Oklahoma staves off upset minded Oklahoma State thanks to 18 point third quarter to escape with a 18-14 win despite pair of turnovers and 3 sacks on (QB) John Mateer
- Late Brendan Sorsby quarterback sneak leads Cincinnati Bearcats to upset victory over the Kansa State Wildcats
- Caden Durham (LSU) scores three rushing touchdowns as the Tigers rout the Gators 30-10
- Gio Lopez throws 4 interceptions and is sacked twice as the Tarheels implode against the SMU Mustangs and are throttled 54-10. Kevin Jennings tosses 3 touchdowns and adds another on the ground for the Mustangs.
- Byrum Brown (USF) throws for 2 touchdowns and rushes for another but can't overcome Mark Fletcher Jrs 126 rushing yard, 2 touchdown performance as the Hurricanes survive 38-30.

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A lot of this first season is already done, I'm doing a lot of sim the first season and will likely do something a bit similar for the second before settling into a more weekly pace as recruits come in and Vail's career continues. Hope everyone is enjoying so far, I've been having fun and now that I have a little more time I need to do a little more testing on sliders since the patches, but the results have been pretty good so far.

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Week 4 Recap

- Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State - WR) dislocates elbow and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Tyson is projected an early round draft pick and has likely played his last collegiate snap.
- Hugh McCray (WR) the #1 overall prospect decides to stay in his home state after committing to the Georgia Bulldogs
- Louisville's undefeated season stays alive for another week after surviving against the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets, 28-20. Cardinals sack Haynes King (QB) 5 times in the victory. Denzel Lowry (DT) accounting for 2 of them.
-Bulldogs go down! The Texas A&M Aggies stun the Georgia Bulldogs in overtime on touchdown pass from Marcel Reed to Terry Bussey, 44-41.
- The Florida Gators leave Miami victorious in their rival game, 27-22. DJ Lagway throws for a pair of touchdowns and adds another on the ground.

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Owls stun #22 Memphis at home with 10 point 4th quarter rally, 17-14

Florida Atlantic Owls (3-1) 17
#22 Memphis Tigers (3-1) 14

(Boca Raton, FL) - The Owls picked up a major win on Saturday after stunning the #22 Memphis Tigers in a hotly contested 17-14 match up. The Tigers looked to be fully in control of this one, after an early touchdown by the Owls in the first quarter, they climbed back on top for the lead that would hold until the fourth quarter when the Owls offense came alive.

"Last week our execution wasn't there, this week we saw what can happen when you go out and execute. Not every game is going to go our way, but we powered through this and got the win. The guys should be proud of what they did out there." Spoke Tyler Vail in the post game press conference following the Owls victory.

It was tough sledding for the Owls, who after two weeks of solid rushing performances they ran into a roadblock once again against a staunch Tigers defense that didn't want to allow any kind of movement. The Owls ground game was held to just 2.4 yards per carry and as a team ran for only 57 yards. On top of the ground game struggles, the offensive line allowed the Tigers pass rushers to get three sacks on Caden Veltkamp.

Thankfully for the owls, Caden Veltkamp dialed in another strong performance finishing just shy of 300 passing yards, he dialed up a pair of touchdown passes and continued his no-interception streak in this one. Jabari Smith and Easton Messer each caught a touchdown pass, Messer catching the game tying touchdown in the fourth quarter on a contested pass.

The loss is a tough one for the Tigers whose passing attack couldn't get going. Senior quarterback Brendon Lewis completed only 42% of his passes for just 141 yards and had no touchdowns or interceptions. The Owls pass rush also got to him three times, stiffling an offense for the Tigers that had outscored opponents by 47 points coming into this game.

In fact the lone offensive bright spot for the TIgers on Saturday was halfback Greg Desrosiers Jr, the senior had 109 rushing yards and added a touchdown, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. While the ground game kept the sticks moving and churned the clock the lack of aerial attack soon proved too difficult for the Tigers to overcome, not able to put up enough points to outlast the Owls offense.

The win improves the Florida Atlantic Owls to 3-1 and gives them their first conference victory of the season and the first under Tyler Vail. The loss drops the Tigers to 3-1 on the season and will likely knock them from the Top 25 polls after a brief appearance at #22 going into this game. The FAU Owls will travel to Texas to take on their fellow Owls of Rice next week. For the Tigers, they will try to right the ship against the Tulsa Hurricane at home next week.

Team Leaders

Florida Atlantic Owls

Passing - Caden Veltkamp (QB) 25-40, 291 PaYds, 2 TD
Rushing - Xavier Terrell (HB) 15 Carries, 44 Yards (2.9 YPC)
Receiving - Jabari Smith (WR) 5 Receptions, 96 Yards, 1 TD
Defense- Wendol Philord (SS) 6 Tackles, 2 PBU
Deshaun Batiste (DE) 2 Tackles, 1 Sack
Tyler Stolsky (ILB) 6 Tackles, 1 PBU

Memphis Tigers

Passing - Brendon Lewis (QB) 11-26, 141 PaYds
Rushing - Greg Desrosiers Jr. (HB) 25 Carries, 109 RuYds, 1 TD
Receiving - Jamari Hawkins (WR) 3 Receptions, 43 ReYds
Defense - Omarion Cooper (CB) 9 Tackles
Chauncey Logan (CB) 8 Tackles, 0.5 Sacks
Drue Watts (OLB) 6 Tackles, 1 Sack

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Florida Atlantic Owls (4-1) 17
Rice Owls (2-4) 10


All we do is win? Owls rattle off 4th straight with victory over Rice Owls

(Houston, TX) - Another week and another win for the Owls? The Owls in five weeks have won more games than all season a year ago under new head coach Tyler Veil. The Owls picking up another key conference victory this time over the Rice Owls in a 17-10 fashion in the battle of the Owls. It also marks the second consecutive week that the Owls won while scoring 17 points against their foes from Texas. The victory continues the Owls climb in the American conference and has them oriented towards potentially making a splash in the conference after a conference opening win against the Tigers a week ago planting them early in the top of the standings at 2-0 in conference play.

Caden Veltkamp and the Owls aerial attack again proved to be a key element of this offensive attack that while not making many waves did enough to earn the win in the end. Veltkamp finished the game throwing for 235 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He'd finish just a hair above 50% on completion rate as he saw to take more strikes downfield in this one limited some of his aerial success rate. Easton Messer had a huge game on this one, though he was held out of the end zone, the junior wide out had 104 yards on 8 receptions for the Owls. Jabari Smith (82 yds) and Dominique Henry (37 yds) each added a touchdown in the aerial attack.

It was a second week however where the Owl's rush offense was kept in check. Halfback Gemari Sands had a decent game turning in 78 rushing yards on 3.5 yards per carrier but Xavier Terrell only averaged 2 yards per carry and as a whole the Owl's rush offense checked in a 2.5 yards a carry. It was a second week of tough sledding for the Owls on the ground, as they struggled to move the chains with regularity which caused some sputtering. They only had 16 first downs on the afternoon along with a 40% conversion rate on 3rd down. Punter Logan Lupo's leg was well tested punting the ball six times against Rice.

Vail while known for his offense can thank the defense for another week for turning in a strong performance. It was especially apparent in the aerial attack which held Rice passing for under 150 yards on the day and only 12 first downs and a 25% 3rd down conversion rate. Freshman quarterback Patrick Crayton Jr. played much as one would expect a freshman to play, completing nearly only 40% of his passes. He had to leverage his legs a lot, but his speed kept him from taking sacks as the Owls defensive rush only had one sack on Saturday. Crayton added 30 yards scrambling, including a few first downs to extend plays, 17 of his rushing yards coming after contact showing flashes of what the young signal caller may be able to do for the Owls in the future.

The victory moves the Owls to 4-1 on the season, now having won 4 straight after a tough season opening loss against the Maryland Terrapins and are 2-0 in conference play. The loss meanwhile knocks the Rice Owls to 2-4. Rice has had a rough start to the season and haven't had a chance for a week off yet. They will turn their attention to San Antonio where they take on the UTSA Roadrunners next week. For Florida Atlantic they will head back home to Boca Raton where they will take on the 3-2 UAB Blazers in American conference play.

Team Leaders
Florida Atlantic Owls
Passing - Caden Veltkamp (QB) 20-39, 235 PaYds, 2 TD
Rushing - Gemari Sands (HB) 22 Carries, 78 RuYds, 0 TD
Receiving - Easton Messer (WR) 8 Receptions, 104 ReYds, 0 TD
Defensive - Tyler Stolsky (ILB) 8 Tackles, 1 PBU
Mike Wright (FS) 5 Tackles
Wilky Denaud (DE) 4 Tackles, 1 for loss, 1 Sack

Rice Owls
Passing- Patrick Crayton Jr. (QB) 14-34, 147 PaYds
Rushing - Quinton Jackson (HB) 9 Carries, 42 RuYds
Receiving - Braylen Wlaker (WR) 4 Receptions, 64 ReYds
Defensive - Max Ahoia (CB) 13 Tackles, 1 PBU
Omari Porter (CB) 9 Tackles, 2 PBU
Dillan Botts (DT) 4 Tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack

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Week 6 Recap

- Wake Forest stuns Clemson, 27-21 with 4th quarter touchdown. Demond Claiborne (HB-WF) averaged 6.9 yards per carry and added a touchdown as the Deacons steal a victory over the Tigers.
- Down goes Michigan in Ann Arbor! The Wisconsin Badgers rally in the fourth quarter to stun the Wolverines. Ricardo Hallman (CB-WISC) returned an interception for a touchdown off a pass from senior quarterback Mikey Keene
- Miami continues to struggle against Florida rivals, this time losing 31-30 in Tallahassee to the Seminoles. Tommy Castellanos (QB-FSU) passes for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the victorious Seminoles
- Auburn throttles LSU 34-13 as Jackson Arnold (QB) goes off for 352 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns. Garrett Nussmeier (QB-LSU) sacked 4 times, 2.5 times by senior edge rusher Keyron Crawford
- Texas A&M drops the Volunteers 42-30 in quarterback battle. Joey Aguilar (QB-TENN) tosses for 420 yards and 2 touchdowns while Marcel Reed (QB-TAMU) has 378 yards and 4 touchdowns.
- Colorado loses two key offensive contributors, Kaidon Salter (QB) has a ruptured Disk and Jordan Seaton (LT) has a broken collarbone doctors confirm. Both are expected to miss most of if not all of the season. Salter has NFL aspirations, looking to join Shedur Sanders as back to back NFL selections for the Buffalo. Seaton is a sophomore and should return to Boulder next year.

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Florida Atlantic Owls (5-1) 30
UAB Blazers (3-3) 22

Make it Five! Owls hold off the Blazers fourth quarter rally to win fifth in a row

(Boca Raton, FL) - Just like that the Owls are a win away from being bowl eligible and suddenly look to be in very promising position to compete for the American Conference Championship. While still early into conference play, the Owls 30-22 victory over the UAB Blazers keeps them atop the American conference and positions them to be very competitive heading into the middle portion of their conference slate. Early season expectations were four wins and just six games in the Owls and Tyler Vail have surpassed that total in another impressive victory for the Owls.

This one was an offensive slugfest after two weeks of back to back defensive struggles for Florida Atlantic. Both team's offenses came out slugging, but the key area the Owls can point to for their win is third down success rate. The Blazers converted just 25% of their third down attempts while the Owls were at a healthy 47%. Nearly doubling their competition in performance in that aspect of the game proved to be valuable for an Owls team that came out firing and put up enough fireworks to stave off a valiant Blazer rally.

The Owls looked in control of this one early. Quarterback Caden Veltkamp completed two touchdowns in each half of this contest and finished with 292 passing yards on 65% completion. While his stats aren't leading the American conference he is definitely turning heads as one of the best in the conference. The junior Veltkamp completed a touchdown pass to 4 different receivers including Dominique Henry, JR Wilson, Jabari Smith and tight end Gary Nelson. Veltkamp outshined son of NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, Jalen Kitna in this one. Kitna a University of Florida transfer threw for 244 yards but had no touchdowns or interceptions, his passing inconsistent but a few big shots were a key part in getting the Blazers downfield for their dual tandem halfbacks Jevon Jackson (SR) and Isaiah Jacobs (SR) to pound the rock. Both backs would have a touchdown a piece, and proved to be tough for the Owls to take down all day Saturday as they had a combined 52 yards after contact which accounted for nearly half of their total rushing yards (110).

On the other end, Gemari Sands likewise saw a bit of a renassaince, the sophomore halfback had 85 yards on the ground including rushing for 33 after contact proving to be the shifty run that Vail had hoped him to be, able to stretch the field horizontally which helped open up the passing game. "We need all phases of the ball to contribute. Our offense works best when the defense is off kilter and has to be ready to defend all parts of the field because of our ability to make plays. Gemari [Sands] was a huge part of this win today, his running especially after first contact was a huge boost to this offense" praised offensive coordinator Jim Walker.

The win is the fifth in the row for the Owls who have been on a tear. They have a challenge next week when they travel to Tampa to take on the USF Bulls in a battle of in-conference undefeated squads. For the Blazers, the loss drops them to 3-3 on the season and 1-2 in conferenced play. They return home to Birmingham where they will take on the Memphis Tigers. In a curious trend this also marks the fifth consecutive game of no turnovers for either team in Florida Atlantic Owl contests.

Team Leaders

Florida Atlantic Owls
Passing - Caden Veltkamp (QB) 27-41, 293 PaYds, 4 TD
Rushing - Gemari Sands (HB) 19 Carries, 85 RuYds
Receiving - Dominique Henry (WR) 7 Receptions, 88 ReYds, 1 TD
Defensive - Derrick Rogers Jr. (CB) 11 Tackles
Kyle Boylston (FS) 6 Tackles, 1 for loss, 1 PBU
Zac Watkins (DE) 2 Tackkles, 1 For loss, 1 Sack

UAB Blazers
Passing - Jalen Kitna (QB) 16-38 , 244 PaYds
Rushing - Jevon Jackson (HB) 17 Carries, 59 RuYds, 1 TD
Receiving - Corri Milliner (WR) 6 Receptions, 106 ReYds
Defensive - Tariq Watson (CB) 12 tackles
Perry Fisher (CB) 11 Tackles
Josh Baka (FS) 8 Tackles

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Week 7 Recap

- Pittsburgh Panthers rout the Seminoles, 45-24, force 3 interceptions of Tommy Castellanos. Jaxson Joseph (JR-CB) of Pittsburgh picks off a pair of passes.
- No mercy! #2 Penn State hangs 66 in throttling of Northwestern, 66-14. Halfbacks Kaytrion Allen (SR) and Nicholas Singleton (SR) of Penn State account for 7 touchdowns on the ground. Singleton added another on a touchdown reception.
- Another one? Clemson slides to 24 following 38-36 defeat to Boston College. Clemson's rally falls short after 16 point fourth quarter. Cade Klubnik (QB) threw 60 passes for 483 yards along with 3 touchdowns, but two costly interceptions sunk the Tigers.
- Gunner Stockton (QB) rallies the #15 Georgia Bulldogs past the Auburn Tigers with late touchdown pass. Stockton had 274 passing yards and his only passing touchdown was the game winner.
- Julian Lewis (QB-Colorado) throws for a pair of touchdowns as the Buffaloes survive against Oregon State, 32-31 thanks to a furious 18 point fourth quarter rally after major injuries to key contributors a week prior.

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Florida Atlantic Owls (5-2) 31
USF Bulls (4-3) 32

Furious Fourth Quarter rally sinks the Owls ending their five game win streak, 32-31

(Tampa, FL) - The fourth quarter saw fireworks like it was Sunday afternoon for a Buccaneers game as a combined 36 points would be scored but it would be the Bulls who emerged on top of the furious offensive rally in the final frame to end the Owls win streak and position the Bulls as the class of the American conference. Quarterback Byrum Brown (USF-SR) overcame 3 interceptions to rally the Bulls to the win and bump their record above the .500 mark as both teams turn focus to the second half of their respective seasons. Byrum Brown has been a star for the Bulls this season and while their record hasn't been quite where they wanted they will go as the senior quarterback goes and if today is any indication they could be going for an American Conference Championship.

The Bulls struggled early as the Owls jumped out to an early lead that had them looking like they would be cruising to their sixth straight victory and bowl eligibility in a stunning turn around for the Boca Raton based program. A pair of interceptions in the first half thrown by Byrum Brown would position the Owls in excellent position that they would capitalize on. Caden Veltkamp had one of his lowest yardage performances of the season in only throwing for 215 yards, but he was decisive in the red zone and accounted for all 4 of the Owls touchdowns through the air while spinning his sixth consecutive game without an interception. His touchdowns in the first half to Easton Messer and Dominique Henry (who would go on to catch his second in the fourth quarter) helped propel the Owls to a 24-10 after an early touchdown in the fourth frame jumped the Owls out further ahead.

The Bulls would rally furiously however as the ground attack started to spur to life and break off chunk runs that they weren't doing earlier in the game. Senior halfback Cartevious Norton finished with 85 yards and both of his touchdowns came in the fourth quarter, including the game winning score that put the Bulls ahead for good late in the fourth. The one-two combo of Norton and quarterback Byrum Brown (70 rushing yards) proved difficult for the Owls to stop and once the ground game got going in earnest the play action opened up allowing the Bulls offense to shine as it had done in the past with Brown under center. Chas Nimrod (JR-WR) broke the century mark with 108 yards and Jaden Alexis (SR-WR) got free on short pass and broke free for a 45 yard touchdown strike that helped swing momentum back in the Bulls favor and bring life back to Raymond James Stadium.

Turnovers have been rare for either side in Owls games so far this season, though that changed against the Bulls. 3 Interceptions gave the Owls short fields and helped put points on the board. While historically in lower levels of competition, Vail's defenses have been more opportunistic in creating turnovers, this one offered insight into how the team needs those explosives. Three different Owls had an interception, Wendol Philord (SR-SS), Mike Wright III (SO-FS), and Kyle Boylston (FR-FS). Boylston nearly broke free for a touchdown but would be caught by quarterback Bynum Brown as the last tackler, though the Owls would go on to score offensively on the drive that followed.

The loss is only the Owls second of the season and keeps them on the edge of bowling as they fall to 5-2, this is also their first lost in American Conference play, despite the setback they remain strongly in contention for the American Conference Title. The win improves the Bulls to 4-3 and surges them up to the top of the conference standings and likely cements them as the team to beat in the conference the rest of the way. The Bulls contest against Memphis next week will be a test to see if they can hold the pole position. The Owls will make the trip north to Annapolis to take on the Navy Midshipmen next week as they look to earn bowl eligibility.

Team Leaders

Florida Atlantic Owls
Passing- Caden Veltkamp (QB) 19-32, 215 PaYds, 4 TD
Rushing - Gemari Sands (HB) 15 Carries, 86 RuYds
Receiving - Dominique Henry (WR) 9 Receptions, 114 ReYds, 2 TD
Defensive - Wendol Philord (SS) 7 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 PBU
Char'Quez Lee (OLB) 6 Tackles, 1 for loss
Kyle Boylston (CB) 1 Tackle, 1 INT, 2 PBU

USF Bulls
Passing - Byrum Brown (QB) 26-44, 350 PaYds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing - Cartevious Norton (HB) 25 Carries, 85 RuYds, 2 TD
Receiving - Chaz Nimrod (WR) 9 Receptions, 108 ReYds
Defensive - Mac Harris (ILB) 13 Tackles
Josh Celiscar (DE) 2 Tackles, 1 for loss, 1 PBU, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 1 sack
Rico Watson III (DE) 5 Tackles, 3 for loss

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Week 8 Recap

- Colorado falls short in Eugene, fall to the #16 Ducks 31-24. Makhi Hughes(HB-ORE) explodes for 169 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.
- #3 Ohio State outlasts the Wisconsin Badgers, 42-35 as Julian Sayin (QB-OHST) throws for 5 touchdowns and 400 yards against the Badgers.
- Liam Clifford's huge 3 touchdown 200+ receiving yard performance vaults the Penn State Nittany Lions to #1 following 48-42 victory over Illinois.
- Louisville's undefeated season ends in Miami due to a safety, 12-10. Quarterback Miller Moss (UL) would be sacked by OLB Mohamed Toure (MIA) for the difference making safety.
- Notre Dame is no longer #1 following loss to Lincoln Reily and the USC Trojans. Jayden Maiava throws for 400 yards and a touchdown.
- #4 overall, and top rated cornerback Finau Cushenberry (5*, Phelan, CA) has verbally committed to the Washington Huskies. Cushenberry was deciding between the Huskies, Arizona, and Washington State.

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Florida Atlantic Owls (6-2) 31
Navy Midshipmen (4-4) 21

Owls right the ship, best the Midshipmen 31-21 in Annapolis

(Annapolis, MD) - The Owls returned to the state where they lost their season opener and delivered in a big way against the Navy Midshipmen, cruising to a 31-21 victory over the Service Program. The Owls again came out on top in the turnover battle, forcing a fumble on the Midshipmen's vaunted rushing attack which otherwise picked up 214 yards on the ground. The Owls offense was almost a polar opposite, the Owls rushing attack averaged a paltry 1.9 yards per carry and 60 yards on the ground. Despite their struggles the offensive line was able to hold it's own in the redzone leading to the Owls matching the Midshipmen's rushing touchdown total at 3 a piece despite nearly being quadrupled in rushing yards by the rushing heavy MIdshipmen. Gemari Sands had two touchdowns and Xavier Terrell added the third on the ground.

"It's not ideal to struggle on the ground like we did but when push came to shove we held our own and did what we needed to do in the redzone. The field shrinks in the back end and getting those scores through the air get much harder. It's essential we can score in the ways we did today, and as a coach it's good to know that even if we are struggling we are able to fall back on it when we need those last few yards." Spoke Tyler Vail, the Owls head coach has seen a rather inconsistent performance from his ground game in his first year at the helm and today was no different against the Midshipmen.

Caden Veltkamp was again solid in this one, completing 65% of his passes for 245 yards and a touchdown through the air. He averaged over ten yards a completion and looked decisive in looking downfield. It's a reassuring sign as the Owls look to stay in the race for the American Conference Championship to see their junior quarterback continuing to grow and mature as a passer in Vail's offensive system. He continues to be strong, the only negative in his game being the three sacks he took. Two of which were from holding onto the ball too long on some deeper routes when he should've checked down or threw the ball away to avoid the hits, but it's hard to find too many faults when he continues to be the glue that holds this offense together.

Blake Horvath (Navy) isn't asked to pass a lot in the Midshipmen's offensive system, but when he had to he looked every bit as capable as one would expect the senior quarterback to be, he completed just shy of 60% of his passes and while his passing yards were under 150, he threw under twenty passes. His connection with Nathan Kent (SR-WR) was strong, with 4 receptions for 57 yards. Kent also showed off his speed in picking up 14 yards after the carry, most coming on a good chunk completion of 21 yards. Horvath completed 2 passes of twenty or more yards. The ground game is where this Midshipmen team shines and Horvath continued to roll, adding 71 more yards on the ground along with a pair of touchdowns. Junior Halfback Isaiah Bryant led the Midshipmen in yards with 86 but had a costly fumble on the Owls 33 that ended a promising Midshipmen drive, though he had a huge 31 yard run that nearly broke free for a score. Alex Tecza who has hung around the top of the rushing board in the American conference finished with 51 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively the Midshipmen knew the gameplan which has become clear for Owls opponents this year. Rush the quarterback. The Owls rush game has been inconsistent throughout the year and largely have been a passing driven team. Putting pressure on Junior Quarterback Caden Veltkamp has become increasingly important in stopping the Owls and the Midshipmen found home three times and pressured Veltkamp multiple other times. Senior Defensive Tackle Landon Robinson had a pair of sacks, proving to be a defensive force up the middle while defensive end Luke Pirris (SR) and safety Kush'i Abrahama (JR) combined for another sack. The pressure kept the running game stiffled as the Midshipmen piled up 13 tackles for losses.

The Owls victory has the team bowl eligible for the first time since 2019 when Lane Kiffin was at the helm. The Owls welcome the Houston Cougars of the Big 12 to Boca Raton as the Owls hope to earn their first victory against a Power 5 school under Tyler Vail. The Cougars come in after an off week but are on a losing streak, their last game a 34-6 loss to the Texas Longhorns. The Cougars are currently 3-4. The Midshipmen drop top 4-4 on the season and will travel to North Texas to take on the Mean Green next week.

Team Leaders
Florida Atlantic Owls
Passing - Caden Veltkamp (QB) 21-32, 245 PaYds, 1 TD
Rushing - Gemari Sands (HB) 16 Carries, 53 RuYds, 2 TD
Receiving - Jabari Smith (WR) 6 Receptions, 100 ReYds
Defensive - Tyler Stolsky (ILB) 13 Tackles, 1 PBU
Tyler Shields (SS) 4 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR
Wilky Denaud (DE) 7 Tackles, 1 for loss

Navy Midshipmen
Passing - Blake Horvath (QB) 11-19, 136 PaYds
Rushing - Blake Horvath (QB) 17 Carries, 71 RuYds, 2 TD
Receiving - Nathan Kent (WR) 4 Receptions, 57 ReYds
Defensive - Landon Robinson (DT) 8 Tackles, 5 for loss, 2 sacks
Luke Pirris (DE) 7 Tackles, 4 for loss, 0.5 sacks
Kushi Abraham (SS) 5 Tackles, 1 for loss, 0.5 sacks

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Week 9 Recap

- First week of the CFB Playoff rankings have been published for the 2025 season.
- Auburn takes down the Gators, 30-26. Jackson Arnold again sharp with 274 passing yards and a touchdown.
- Florida State routs the Louisville Cardinals, 34-14, Miller Moss (QB-UL) takes 3 sacks including a strip sack in the Cardinals loss. Daniel Lyons (DT-FSU) led the way for the Seminoles with 1.5 sacks.
- USF overcomes injury to starting QB Bynum Brown. Back up Locklan Hewlett steps in to lead game winning drive against Memphis Tigers to keep the Bulls atop the American Conference.
- LSU downs the Texas A&M Aggies, 39-31 in overtime. Garrett Nussmeier (QB-LSU) throws third touchdown of the afternoon in overtime to lead the Tigers past the Aggies.
- New look Bama? #17 overalll prospect and #3 QB Maurice Zunega (5*) of Pike Road, Alabama stays in state to join the Crimson Tide. Zunega is considered a dual threat prospect.
- Top Defensive recruit, Teddy Crichton (OLB- 5*) of Winter Garden, FL verbally commits to leave the state, joining the Georgia Bulldogs over Florida State and Florida.

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Florida Atlantic Owls (6-3) 14
Houston Cougars (4-4) 17

Wings clipped! Owls drop a heart breaker to the Cougars, 17-14

(Boca Raton, FL) - The Owls looked to be on the verge of their first Power 5 victory under head coach Tyler Vail, but 14 unanswered Cougar points including 11 in the fourth quarter ended the game for the Owls. The Cougars offense was largely kept in check the entire day by the Owls, but they did just enough in the final frame to come out on top. The Owls inability to get the Cougars off the field (50% 3rd conversion rate - 9 of their 13 first downs came on third down) along with offensive miscues was too much for the Owls to overcome as they fell short in this contest.

The Cougars rode the back of Dean Connors, their senior halfback to this victory. The senior ran for 115 yards and average 5 yards per carry. Seemingly a human wrecking ball on the field, he broke 4 tackles and piled up 32 yards after contact and had one explosive run for 22 yards, but regularly was able to pick up crucial yardage especially on third down. The senior back was able to step in to help mitigate the struggles that junior quarterback Connor Weigman had against the Owls. Weigman was sacked 3 times and hurried multiple other times, resulting in either short rushing gains or errant passes. Thankfully the Cougars defense rose to the challenge and kept them in this long enough to win it, even if it took the Cougars until the fourth quarter to finally put the ball into the endzone.

Quarterback Caden Veltkamp was punished in the pocket, sacked 4 times (by 4 different Cougars), he was also hurried into his first interception since Week 1, his pass picked off by senior cornerback Marc Stampley II and brought back 20 yards, a saving tackle by Gemari Sands stopping the touchdown. Compounding the problems the Owls faced, Latrell McCutchin Sr (CB) also forced wideout Jabari Smith to fumble possession away on what would've been a first down completion. The Cougars defense provided challenging fronts that made it difficult to move the ball against them causing one of the worst offensive performances of the season by the Owls.

For the Owls, sophomore end Wilky Denaud was a menace off the edge regularly pressuring Connor Weigman and recording 3 sacks along with 3 tackles for a loss in what was a career day for the Auburn / Mississippi State transfer. Days like today show the kind of talent the Owls have on the edge with him starting over there and he should be a stalwart for this defense for the next few years.

The loss drops the Owls to 6-3 on the season, their out of conference schedule concludes with a 2-2 record, both losses to Power 5 schools in Maryland and Houston. The Houston Cougars look to use the win for some momentum as they've had a troubled season, the Big 12 program improved to .500 and looks to earn bowl eligibility in the coming weeks, they have a conference match up against the UCF Knights next week. For the Owls they return to American Conference play when they take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (2-7), the Hurricane are still looking for their first conference victory and have been eliminated from post season eligibility.

Team Leaders

Florida Atlantic Owls
Passing - Caden Veltkamp (QB) 21-34, 234 PaYds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing - Gemari Sands (HB) 13 Carries, 67 RuYds
Receiving - Easton Messer (WR) 5 Rec, 65 ReYds
Defensive - Derrick Rogers Jr. (CB) 7 Tackles
Wilky Denaud (DE) 5 Tackles, 3 for loss, 3 sacks
Zyere Horton (ILB) 6 Tackles

Houston Cougars
Passing - Connor Weigman (QB) 16-30, 164 PaYds, 1 TD
Rushing - Dean Connors (HB) 23 Carries, 115 RuYds
Receiving - Amare Thomas (WR) 4 Rec, 58 ReYds, 1 TD
Defensive - Jesus Machado (MLB) 9 Tackles, 1 for loss, 1 sack
Marc Stampley II (CB) 6 Tackles, 1 INT
Carlos Allen (DE) 5 Tackles, 1 Sack

[K0ZZ]

Week 10 Updates

- Boston College stuns the Irish, win 31-24.Grayson James (QB-BC) throws for 284 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
- Boiling over?! #1 goes down, the Boilermakers score a late touchdown on a career day from quarterback Malachi Singleton, 307 passing yards and 3 touchdowns to upset the Nittany Lions.
- Gator Chomp! Florida runs away from the Georgia Bulldogs, 45-14. Jadan Baugh (HB-UF) rushes for 120 yards and a touchdown. Gunner Stockton sacked 5 times in the loss.
- Baylor best their rivals Texas in a weekend packed with upsets. Bryson Washington (HB-BAY) had 136 yards on the ground as the Bears win 34-31.