Easton Messer just went full cheat code, adding a mind-blowing 73-yard punt return touchdown to his highlight reel in Florida Atlantic’s 45-17 demolition of ULM, making him the only player in program history to notch passing, rushing, receiving, and return touchdowns. Seriously, the guy is finding new ways to get into the end zone, and the rest of the American Conference better be taking notes.
Messer’s Monster Week and Unprecedented Prowess
This isn’t just about a single game-changing play, although that 73-yard punt return was straight fire. It tied Lucky Whitehead for the second-longest punt return in FAU history, snagged Messer American Special Teams Player of the Week honors, and landed at a cool No. 3 on SportsCenter’s daily Top 10. This was FAU’s first punt return touchdown since LaJohntay Wester back in 2023, so you know it was a big deal. But what really sets Messer apart? He’s got a rushing touchdown, a receiving touchdown, and even a passing touchdown already checked off his list. He’s literally doing it all. How many players can say they’ve scored in every single offensive and special teams category? It’s wild, and it’s making everyone wonder what this dude’s going to pull off next.
The City Rivalry That Took 34 Years to Remember It Existed
Talk about a long-lost rivalry! UAB and Samford, two schools separated by a mere 3.2 miles, are finally squaring off on the gridiron for the first time in 34 years. Their last game? Halloween 1992, with Terry Bowden’s Samford crew stomping UAB 49-3 when the Blazers were just in their second season of football and chilling in Division III. Samford went on to the Division I-AA playoffs that year, while UAB was basically learning to walk. It’s almost unbelievable that these two “neighbors” let over three decades pass without a rematch. Adding another layer to the story, UAB head coach Alex Mortensen actually played quarterback for Samford in 2006, after transferring from Arkansas. He appeared in eight games, so this game has a serious personal connection for him. You gotta wonder if somebody could’ve just walked down the street and asked for a game sooner!
Tulsa’s 28-Year-Old Punter and Navy’s Unique DB
Meanwhile, over at Tulsa, they’ve got a punter who’s probably old enough to be some of his teammates’ older brother. Max Tulen, born July 12, 1998, is 28 years old! This dude, hailing all the way from Melbourne, Australia, has taken quite the journey to Tulsa, stopping for three seasons at Bethune-Cookman first. There, he wasn’t just punting, he was dominating, earning HBCU All-American and first-team All-SWAC honors in 2025. He led the SWAC with a killer 44.6-yard punting average, even blasting a 64-yarder against Jackson State. Imagine a freshman in that locker room hearing “1998” and thinking that’s ancient history! And if you want another wild player story, Navy’s senior cornerback Ira Oniha is the second-born of quadruplets. Born in Baltimore, raised partly in Nigeria, then back to Maryland for high school, that’s a journey almost as unique as his birth.
So what’s next for these guys? Can Messer keep defying expectations and find a new way to score, or will defenses finally figure out how to slow down the human highlight reel? For UAB and Samford, it’s about reigniting a rivalry that was dormant for way too long. And for Max Tulen, it’s about proving that age ain’t nothing but a number when you’ve got a leg like his. It’s only October, and college football is already giving us some wild stories to chew on.
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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