Florida Atlantic absolutely clapped back after that season-opening loss, snagging their first win against Navy! After giving up a historic amount of points last week, the Owls rode Caden Veltkamp’s five touchdown passes and somehow held off a crazy Midshipmen comeback for a tight 38-30 victory on Saturday night. Talk about a statement!
Veltkamp’s Masterclass and Offensive Firepower
FAU’s offense was straight-up cooking from the jump in this American Conference opener. Just the second play of the game, Veltkamp dropped back and dropped a 76-yard bomb to Easton Messer for a touchdown. Veltkamp ended up slinging for 373 yards, with 179 of those going to Messer for a career-high. Coach Zach Kittley was hyped, saying Messer “just ran right past them. Then what a ball!” Veltkamp’s five touchdown passes tied his personal best as an Owl, and those 373 passing yards were his most since Nov. 22 against Connecticut. He was incredibly sharp against Navy, hitting four different receivers for TDs, including A.J. Johnson’s first as an Owl. And get this: Veltkamp showed incredible poise, protecting the ball all night. That’s a huge flip from last season when he led the nation in interceptions, and he even had two last week in that 66-21 loss to Florida. He’s aiming for perfection, and it showed.
Weapons Everywhere and Defensive Grit
It wasn’t just Messer tearing it up. He snagged eight catches for 179 yards and two scores, but Texas Tech transfer Kelby Valsin was right there with him, pulling in eight passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. Valsin already has 18 catches and two TDs in just two games with FAU, after only six catches in two years at Texas Tech. He’s proving to be one of the most vital transfers on the roster, and Messer is still playing out of his mind. Messer isn’t holding back, saying with Valsin, Dom Henry, AJ, a strong run game, and a “stud at quarterback,” nobody should be able to stop this offense. And let’s talk defense: after giving up 66 points and nine touchdowns against UF, this unit stepped up huge. They held Navy, a team that rushed for over 500 yards and six touchdowns in their opener, to only one touchdown until the fourth quarter. That’s tremendous improvement, plain and simple. Even special teams were clutch, with kicker Collin Rogers breaking a school record with a monstrous 60-yard field goal right before halftime. Rogers said, “No one expects you to make it, so you go out there and drill it and go from there.” What a mentality!
This 38-30 victory against Navy wasn’t just a win, it was a total identity check for FAU. They’re 1-1 overall, 1-0 in the American Conference, and they definitely found their stride, especially Veltkamp. That kind of sharp, turnover-free play from your QB, combined with electric receivers and a defense that can flip the script after a rough outing, means this team just might be cooking with gas. They gotta keep that same energy and build on this momentum, no question.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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