Florida Atlantic University Sports News - South Florida Sun Sentinel

Louisville returns to South Florida to face Toledo in Boca Raton Bowl

Adam Lichtenstein — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 22:27:13 +0000

Palm Beach County’s sole bowl game will host a pair of teams from up north.

Louisville (8-4) and Toledo (8-4) will face off in the Dec. 23 bowl game at FAU’s Flagler Credit Union Stadium in Boca Raton on Dec. 23, the bowl organizers announced Sunday.

The Cardinals, an ACC team, were last in South Florida in October when they upset then-No. 2 Miami at Hard Rock Stadium. Louisville dropped three consecutive games as it dealt with injuries at the end of the year, but the Cardinals concluded their season on a high note with a blowout win against rival Kentucky.

The Cardinals, who are making their first-ever appearance in the Boca Raton Bowl, are led by talented running backs Isaac Brown (a Homestead native who led the team with 782 rushing yards despite playing eight games) and Keyjuan Brown (592 yards, six touchdowns).

Louisville has seven players from South Florida on its team: Brown (Homestead High), Stanquan Clark (Miami Central High), T.J Capers (Miami Columbus High), JoJo Evans Jr. (Riviera Beach, Dwyer High), Shai Kochav (Fort Lauderdale, TRU Prep), Jimmy Williams III (Miami Gardens, American Heritage), Bobby Golden (Miami Palmetto)

Toledo has played in the Boca Raton Bowl twice previously: once in 2015 and again in 2022. The Rockets won both games.

Toledo went 8-4 this season and finished tied for third in the Mid-American Conference. The Rockets are currently on a four-game winning streak and feature quarterback Tucker Gleason (2,515 yards, 21 touchdowns, nine interceptions) and running back Chip Trayanum (950 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns).

However, Toledo coach Jason Candle just left the Rockets to take the UConn head coaching job. Co-Offensive Coordinator and quarterbacks coach Robert Weiner will lead the team in the bowl game, according to the Toledo Blade.

Toledo has four players on its roster from South Florida: Andre Fuller (Loxahatchee, Seminole Ridge High), Hyajah Miller (North Lauderdale, Coconut Creek High), Wayne Peart II (Pembroke Pines, Chaminade-Madonna Prep) and Jeremiah Peters (Miami, Booker T. Washington High).

University of Louisville and University of Toledo are BUSH’S BOCA RATON BOWL OF BEANS BOUND! @LouisvilleFB and @ToledoFB are set to meet in the 2025 Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans on December 23 at 2:00 P.M ET at Flagler Credit Union Stadium in Boca Raton. The bowl will be… pic.twitter.com/gmrZvzXzCP

— Boca Raton Bowl (@BocaBowl) December 7, 2025

Visiting East Carolina hammers FAU as Houser accounts for four TDs

Associated Press — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 20:49:45 +0000

BOCA RATON — Katin Houser accounted for four touchdowns in East Carolina’s 42-3 win over Florida Atlantic on Saturday afternoon, in a season finale for both teams.

The Pirates (8-4, 6-2 American) scored 42 points in the first half, starting with a 1-yard rush by Marlon Gunn Jr. Houser threw for the next two touchdowns, one on a 27-yard pass to Dessirio Riles and a 22-yard completion to Brock Spalding.

Houser rushed for a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, and defensive lineman Rion Roseborough punched in a score in from a yard out on his first career rush.

Houser finished the day 20 for 29 with 258 passing yards and 67 rushing yards. Gunn Jr. had 130 rushing yards on 14 attempts, and Riles led all receivers with 87 yards.

Caden Veltkamp completed 19 passes for 183 yards and threw two interceptions, setting the single-season program record for total offense for the Owls (4-8, 3-5). He entered the day second in FBS football with 3,465 passing yards.

Zach Gibson relieved Veltkamp late in the third quarter. He completed 12 of 20 passes for 116 yards with an interception. Garrison Smith’s 33-yard field goal in the first quarter was the lone score for the Owls.

East Carolina’s defense recorded four sacks and two fumble recoveries. In addition to the three picks, the Pirates’ defense added an extra 60 yards off turnovers.

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FAU, after rallying to lead after trailing 24-3, gets edged by UConn

Associated Press — Sun, 23 Nov 2025 00:18:19 +0000

BOCA RATON — Joe Fagnano threw three touchdown passes and Cam Edwards scored two rushing touchdowns, including a game-winning score in the final minute to lead UConn to a 48-45 win over Florida Atlantic on Saturday.

Edwards had 101 yards on the ground, and scored twice from a yard out in the second half. His final score came with 26 seconds left, retaking the lead for UConn in a game that had five lead changes.

Caden Veltkamp found Jayshon Platt for 27 yards and Easton Messer for 29 yards in the span of 15 seconds to set up a 36-yard field goal to tie it, but Garrison Smith missed the field goal wide left.

The Huskies (9-3) went up 24-3 in the first quarter after Fagnano threw touchdown passes on three consecutive drives. Fagnano was 33-of-46 passing for 446 yards. He entered the game fourth in the country in yards passing, finishing the regular season with 3,448 yards.

The win marks the first time UConn has netted consecutive nine-win seasons, both under coach Jim Mora.

Veltkamp accounted for four touchdowns and a program record of 494 yards passing for the Owls (4-7). He was 42 of 55 with two touchdowns — including a 90-yard connection — and an interception. He entered sixth in the country in passing yards, and ended with 3,458 passing yards with one game remaining.

Veltkamp kept it for an 11-yard touchdown with 2:11 remaining to give the Owls a lead after finding Messer for a 33-yard score five minutes earlier.

Messer entered the day with the second-most receptions in the country, and an 11-catch, 119-yard day improved that tally to 94 on the season. ___

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Jake Retzlaff accounts for three TDs as Tulane beats Florida Atlantic 35-24

Associated Press — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 00:41:37 +0000

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jake Retzlaff threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, Jamauri McClure had 94 yards rushing and a TD on 10 carries, and Tulane beat Florida Atlantic 35-24 on Saturday night.

Tulane (8-2, 5-1 American Athletic Conference) is tied for second in the conference, a half-game behind Navy.

After Tulane went three-and-out, Alec Clark’s 53-yard punt was muffed by Easton Messer and recovered by the Green Wave’s Shaun Nicholas, and on the next play Jimmy Calloway ran for a 14-yard touchdown to open the scoring with 6:38 left in the first quarter.

FAU (4-6, 3-4) answered with a seven-play, 68-yard drive, but — after an illegal formation penalty nullified a Caden Veltkamp’s 2-yard TD pass to Dominique Henry on fourth-and-goal — settled for a 25-yard field goal by Garrison Smith.

On the first play of the second quarter, Retzlaff threw a fourth-and-6 pass to Bryce Bohanon for a 29-yard touchdown that gave Tulane a 14-3 lead.

Anthony Miller Jr. caught a 14-yard TD pass, McClure scored on an 8-yard run late in the third and Retzlaff’s 1-yard touchdown run capped the scoring with 4:30 to play.

Veltkamp, who finished with 375 yards passing, threw a 4-yard TD pass to Jayshon Platt on fourth-and-goal in the second quarter and Kaden Shields-Dutton capped a 17-play, 75-yard drive with a 1-yard scoring run on fourth-and-goal in the fourth. Veltkamp connected with Messer for a 12-yard touchdown and hit Asaad Waseem for the 2-point conversion to cap the scoring with 1:49 to play.

Tulane’s Isaiah Wadsworth intercepted a pass in the end zone with 24 seconds left in the second quarter and the Green Wave took a 21-10 lead into halftime.

Tulane safety Bailey Despanie, a team captain who had a first-quarter interception, was ejected in the third for targeting.

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McGhee’s fumble return for 95-yard TD highlights FAU’s big 1st half in 40-21 win over Tulsa

Associated Press — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 00:53:45 +0000

BOCA RATON — Caden Veltkamp threw three touchdown passes, Damarius McGhee returned a fumble 95 yards for a touchdown and Florida Atlantic beat Tulsa 40-21 on Saturday night.

Veltkamp threw a 47-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to Jayshon Platt and a pair of TD passes to Easton Messer in the second. McGhee’s scoop-and-score just before halftime gave FAU (4-5, 3-3 American Conference) a 31-6 halftime lead.

Veltkamp completed 21 of 29 passes for 272 yards for FAU (4-5, 3-3 American Conference). Messer caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Zach Gibson in the fourth quarter and finished with six catches for 83 yards. Kaden Shields-Dutton rushed for 107 yards on 10 carries. Platt totaled 114 yards on five receptions.

Baylor Hayes was 24-of-46 passing for 235 yards, threw two interceptions and added 47 yards rushing on 19 carries with a 7-yard touchdown for Tulsa (2-7, 0-6). Ajay Allen had 23 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown run for the Golden Hurricane.

Horvath runs for four TDs, Navy outscores FAU 42-32 for program-record-tying 10th straight win

Associated Press — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 23:35:38 +0000

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Blake Horvath rushed for four touchdowns, Coleman Cauley forced two big turnovers, and Navy scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to hold off Florida Atlantic 42-32 on Saturday night, extending the Midshipmen’s win streak to a program-tying 10.

Navy (7-0, 5-0 American Conference) last won 10 straight in 1959-60 and is 7-0 for the first time since ’78.

Horvath scored on a pair of 7-yard runs in the first half when Navy took a 21-13 lead. After Alex Tecza scored from the 1 in the fourth quarter, Horvath added 19- and 31-yard TDs following a forced fumble and an interception by Cauley, making his first start, to lead 41-19.

The Owls (3-5, 2-3) scored two touchdowns in the final two minutes.

Horvath finished with 174 yards rushing on 21 carries and passed for 83 more. Brandon Chatman rushed 141 yards on 10 carries and Braxton Woodson added a TD in a 397-yard ground game.

Caden Veltkamp, who came leading the nation at 30.8 completions per game, was 25 of 41 for 299 yards passing, two touchdowns and an interception for the Owls, who rushed for only 69 yards. Jayshon Platt had five catches for 121 yards and a score, and gave FAU a 7-0 lead on a 43-yard grab. Jabari Smith Jr. had two touchdown catches and Kaden Shields-Dutton one.

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Byrum Brown, No. 19 South Florida run over Florida Atlantic 48-13

Associated Press — Sun, 19 Oct 2025 03:17:56 +0000

TAMPA — Byrum Brown threw three touchdown passes and rushed for a score as No. 19 South Florida racked up 522 yards in a 48-13 victory over Florida Atlantic on Saturday night.

South Florida (6-1, 3-0 AAC) got touchdown receptions from Jeremiah Koger, Jonathan Echols and Wyatt Sullivan. The Bulls scored the final 27 points to turn a 21-13 lead into a blowout victory.

Brown was 14 of 24 for 256 yards and ran for 111 yards and a touchdown. Nykahi Davenport rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown. Koger had four catches for 90 yards.

Florida Atlantic’s Caden Veltkamp was 35 of 50 for 244 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception. Assad Wassem had eight catches for 56 yards.

The takeaway

Florida Atlantic (3-4, 2-2) had its two-game win streak snapped and fell a game below .500.

South Florida joins Tulane and Navy as the only teams with an undefeated ACC record. The Bulls will travel to No. 22 Memphis next weekend after the Tigers were upset by UAB.

Up next

Florida Atlantic: At Navy on Oct. 25.

Veltkamp, Shields-Dutton combine for 6 TDs to lead Florida Atlantic to 53-33 win over UAB

Associated Press — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 01:54:04 +0000

BOCA RATON — Caden Veltkamp threw for three touchdowns, Kaden Shields-Dutton ran for three touchdowns and Florida Atlantic rolled from the outset and beat UAB 53-33 on Saturday.

Shields-Dutton ran for scores of 13 and 2 yards in the first quarter, and on a trick play, receiver Easton Messer threw a 48-yard scoring pass to Jayshon Platt for a three-touchdown lead.

Veltkamp threw his first scoring pass to Jabari Smith early in the second to make it 28-0. UAB got on the board when Solomon Beebe ran it in from the 14. The failed 2-point conversion left the score 28-6.

The Owls (3-3, 2-1 American Athletic) totaled 492 offensive yards while UAB (2-4, 0-3) was penalized 14 times for 118 yards.

UAB’s Jalen Kitna threw for 261 yards while the Blazers’ struggled running with just 68 yards on 28 carries.

Desrosiers’ 90-yard TD part of Memphis’ big offensive night in 55-26 win over Florida Atlantic

Associated Press — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 03:05:54 +0000

BOCA RATON — Greg Desrosiers Jr. ran for three touchdowns, including a 90-yarder, Brendon Lewis rushed for two and threw for a pair to Cortez Braham Jr. and Memphis beat Florida Atlantic 55-26 on Saturday night in an American Conference opener.

The Tigers (5-0, 1-0) scored 31 points in the fourth quarter, including the final 24, in extending their winning streak to nine dating to last season, the longest-active streak in the nation.

Lewis rushed for 18- and 15-yard TDs and threw 18- and 73-yard fourth-quarter scores to Braham.

Desrosiers’ 2-yard run in the final minute of the first half gave Memphis a 17-16 edge and the lead for good. Early in the third quarter he turned in the longest run from scrimmage for the Tigers since 1966. He added a 1-yard score late.

Desrosiers rushed for a career-high 204 yards on 19 carries. Lewis was 13-of-19 passing for 196 yards and ran for 60. Braham had 127 yards on six catches. Gianni Spetic kicked a 52-yard field goal.

Caden Veltkamp was 31-of-50 for 318 yards and rushed for a TD for the Owls (1-3, 0-1). Easton Messer had a career-high 131 receiving yards on nine catches.

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Owens’ touchdowns lead Florida International to a 38-28 win over Florida Atlantic after delay

Associated Press — Sun, 14 Sep 2025 04:02:17 +0000

MIAMI (AP) — Kejon Owens ran for 173 yards and two touchdowns to lead Florida International to a 38-28 victory over Florida Atlantic in the Shula Bowl on Saturday night.

The win was Florida International’s first victory in the Shula Bowl — the annual meeting between the two sides — since 2016, a 33-31 win.

Keyone Jenkins was the other half of the Panthers’ offensive attack. He was 18 for 24 with 184 yards and a touchdown and he rushed for a touchdown.

Caden Veltkamp was 33 of 50 for 343 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. None of his interceptions resulted in scores for Florida International, but his final one ended Florida Atlantic’s hope of a comeback with 2:39 remaining.

FIU took advantage of an early turnover on downs, resulting in Owens’ opening score in the first quarter.

The Panthers opened the second half with three consecutive touchdown drives. Jenkins rushed for the first, threw for the second, and Anthony Carrie ran in the third.

FAU blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown with 7:47 remaining.

The game was delayed more than two-and-a-half hours due to lightning.

Florida International improved to 2-1, ahead of its first Conference USA next week against Delaware. Florida Atlantic dropped to 1-2, with an American Athletic Conference opener next week against Memphis.

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