Florida Atlantic entered the weekend with their sights on a winning record and the Don Shula Trophy. After a lengthy weather delay and back-and-forth first half, a dominant third quarter performance by FIU (2-1) made sure all those Owls dreams were dashed.
This marks FIU’s first Shula Bowl win since 2016, ending a seven-year losing streak to FAU.
Coach Kittley’s Comments
On having 11 penalties that added up to 92 yards
“We just got to be more disciplined. That’s the frustrating part. We were really good the first two weeks out. The first one on [Terez Reid], I don’t know if he thought the receiver slung the ball or not when he kind of slung him down late, because that was a weird one. And then one late is kind of the normal deal. You know, someone gets a quick shove in as the whistle blows and you retaliate. So, we can’t retaliate. That’s something we talked about all week, too. And that’s why it’s frustrating there on the special teams. But bottom line, we got to play with better techniques. Most of them were holding calls, false starts, that stuff. We got to play with better technique. What we’re coaching to do, the holdings, the false starts, all that stuff’s going to go away.”
On Stopping a Dual-Threat QB
“We got to find out what calls were best against a guy like this. I felt like we were, especially early in the game, we were doing a really good job of stopping the run, but we couldn’t stop the quarterback pulling the ball and making the plays. And so, that’s where we’ve got to be a lot better. That’s always the tricky part whenever you’re playing a running quarterback. You got them in a third and long one time and you have a quarterback spy in and then the quarterback runs out of his gap and he takes off for 25 yards for a first down. It’s just again, the small details of doing our job and getting better there.
Game Recap
Thanks to weather in the area, kickoff was pushed back to 8:33, instead of the 6:02 scheduled start time.
First Quarter
The first couple of drives for FAU were disappointing as Caden Veltkamp threw an interception, and the Panthers stopped a QB sneak on 4th and 1 in the opening offensive possessions. Taking over the ball in FAU territory, FIU was able to move down the field and found the end zone, taking a 7-0 lead thanks to a Kejon Owens four-yard rush.
Florida Atlantic bounced back with two Jay Platt receptions that put FAU in a 1st and goal situation. Veltkamp was able to use his legs and scored on a 10-yard rush, tying the game at seven.
The Panthers and Florida Atlantic traded punts, but FIU was able to finally find a way into the red zone thanks to a 33-yard return by C’Quan Jnopierre. Then a 46-yard completion from Keyone Jenkins to Maguire Anderson left the Panthers at the Owls’ one-yard line.
Second Quarter
On the first play of the second quarter, FIU’s Owens scored his second touchdown of the night, putting his squad up 14-7.
Florida Atlantic went four and out on the ensuing drive, but a mistake on the snap for the Panthers led to a turnover. In opponents’ territory, FAU moved the ball down the field as Easton Messer’s agility led to a 24-yard pitch and catch for a touchdown, tying the game at 14-14.
FIU took the lead back on their following drive, scoring a 39-yard field goal. But the Owls’ back duo of Gemari Sands and Xavier Terrell cooked on the following drive. Sands led the Owls down the field in the run game, but Terrell was wide open as his reception from Veltkamp led to the redshirt-sophomore finding the end zone. FAU had the 21-17 lead. While the Owls had an opportunity to score again, a Veltkamp forced pass was picked off to close out the first half.
The RB DUO SHINES ON THE DRIVE! @XavierSTerrell1 is WIDE OPEN & SCORES!!#FAU 21 -#FIU 17 | 2nd Quarter :57 https://t.co/Qp6raVQ70G pic.twitter.com/6Q0WgzG0Xc
— FAU Owls Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) September 14, 2025
Halftime Notes
Florida Atlantic had over 300 yards of offense in the first half but was 4 for 10 on 3rd and 4th down conversions. FAU also had five penalties totaling over 40 yards.
Third Quarter
The Panthers opened the second half with a good-looking drive, leading to a touchdown, putting them ahead 24-21. FAU was unable to respond as the Panthers started their next drive at their 45-yard line. From there, Florida International found the end zone two more times, taking a 38-21 lead with 4:55 left in the third.
FAU’s ensuing offensive drive looked decent, with the Owls working their way into Panthers territory. But when it looked like Florida Atlantic might claw back, FAU found themselves in fourth and 11. The Owls were unable to convert, and FIU took over control of the football. The Florida Atlantic defense earned a stop and took over the ball after a Panthers punt.
Fourth Quarter
The remainder of the contest saw FAU have a few opportunities to earn points, but a bad snap on a short field goal looked to be the final nail in the coffin.
But Florida Atlantic still gasped for air. After earning a blocked punt that was picked up in the end zone for a touchdown, FAU was able to stop FIU in a 4th and goal situation. Sadly for Florida Atlantic, that looked to be it as Veltkamp looked deep and was picked off. It was his third interception of the night.
Standouts & Stats
Mentioned during our Game Capsule, the highlight of this contest came down to the running game. In the first half, Florida Atlantic rushed for 94 yards while FIU had only 39 to their name. But, in the second half the narrative flipped. The Panthers had over 180 rushing yards while the Owls were only able to earn 41.
The reason? FAU was simply outcoached in the second half. FIU Head Coach Willie Simmons had the Owls number, and relied on what he knew best; the running game.
The passing game was not truly a bright spot for the Panthers as they had only 183 yards, but an 18 for 24 completion line is always solid as well.
Offense
Florida Atlantic’s passing game was one that looked decent at times, but had a lot of lackluster performances. Many times during the contest receivers were running the wrong route or were overthrown by Veltkamp. The Owls quarterback finished with 343 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions in the game.
In the receiving room it was Platt that led the way in the receiving yardage game as he had five catches for 90 yards, but Terrell had the most receptions with seven.
On the ground, FAU earned 135 rushing yards with Gemari Sands leading the way earning over 100. Sands also averaged over seven yards per carry. The remainder of the room was silent on the ground, with Veltkamp being the Owls second overall rusher with 21 yards.
Defense
On the other side of the ball, the pass rush did not show up. A problem in week one, it seemed to be resolved, but Florida Atlantic had only one sack and zero quarterback hurries. That left ample time for FIU’s Jenkins and made it nearly impossible to stop him, especially on the scramble.
The run defense, as mentioned earlier, looked great in the first half, but completely fell apart in the second. Many expected this to come down to the run game, and the Panthers overpowered the FAU front.
The run defense, as mentioned earlier, looked great in the first half, but completely fell apart in the second. Many expected this to come down to the run game, and the Panthers overpowered the FAU front.
The secondary did an okay job. Allowing less than 200 passing yards and earning two pass breakups is a decent day, but it is difficult when your own offense can not stay on the field for longer than two minutes at a time.
Special Teams
After not scoring a special teams touchdown since 2019, Florida Atlantic has now scored one in back-to-back weeks. This time it was a block from Derrick Rogers that led to Jarvis Johnson finding the endzone. Logan Lupo also booted the ball three times and averaged 48.7 yards per kick.
Closing Statement
A loss to FIU can be demoralizing for many in the FAU fanbase. To have a losing streak snapped in the fashion that it did, leaves a sour taste in the mouth of Florida Atlantic faithful, but there’s still a lot left in the season.
“Stick with us. It’s early. We still got nine more games. Conference play starts in two weeks at home in Boca. Stick with us. We got a good football team. We got great kids. We’ll come ready to go here in two weeks,” said Coach Kittley. Expect a bounce back for the Owls moving forward. How drastic? Only time will tell.
Look Ahead
Florida Atlantic (1-2) will have the week off before hosting Memphis (3-0). It will be a time for the Owls to regroup and grow off of the first three games this season, while also preparing for the American Conference. The road ahead will not be easy, but FAU still has a lot to play for this season if they can bounce back in the right ways. There is no kickoff time scheduled for the contest against the Tigers, but it will be on Saturday, September 27th.
