Florida Atlantic football (4-7, 3-4 AC) has lost four of its last five games, but with the season ending at Flagler Credit Union Stadium, the Owls look for a breakthrough finale against East Carolina University (7-4, 5-2 AC).
FAU lost a heartbreaker last week against the University of Connecticut (9-3), 48-45, where they took the lead late, but allowed a game-winning touchdown drive with 26 seconds remaining. ECU is coming off a game in which it was shut out by UTSA (6-5, 4-3 AC), losing 58-24.
However, the Pirates were on a four-game winning streak before their loss to UTSA. How will FAU respond to the crushing loss to UConn last week?
Here are the predictions:
Maddox Greenberg, Staff Writer
The last game of the first season in the Zach Kittley era. To be honest, while many might see this season as a disappointment, I view it as a very successful one. Kittley is in his first year as a head coach in college football, and he’s doing so at the Division 1 level in a tough mid-major conference that features multiple teams that are eligible for the College Football Playoff.
Last week, FAU fell to the University of Connecticut by a missed game-tying field goal. But despite that, the Owls put up a fight against a tremendously tough and impressive Huskies team that features two 1,000-yard players and a near-perfect quarterback. Veltkamp only turned the ball over once, and the Owls won the run and receiving game. However, the defense couldn’t stop the Huskies, even on that final drive for UConn that resulted in the game-winning touchdown with 26 seconds remaining for FAU.
The only anchor to the Owls’ ship this season has been the defense. During Kittley’s press conference, he stated that fans can expect an explosive offense and excellent special teams. He lived up to that promise, but the defense has been the problem all season long (granted, Veltkamp, throwing 15 interceptions, doesn’t immensely help, either).
Even though FAU lost and is out of bowl eligibility for the sixth year in a row, that doesn’t mean this season is quite over. Kittley and the Owls have an opportunity to end the season on a high note as Kittley prepares for year two and gets in some transfers and recruits that fit his style of play.
Like in the last game, FAU’s opponent is already bowl-eligible; they have nothing to lose. But neither does FAU now, so expect a much more aggressive team and a hard-fought game.
East Carolina is the final test on a rough final three-game stretch for FAU. The Pirates are fifth in the American Conference with a 7-4, 5-2 record. They have a pretty good quarterback in Katin Houser, who has 17 touchdowns and threw for more than 3000 yards (who also happens to have seven rushing touchdowns), a not-so-great running back room, two excellent wide receivers in Anthony and Yannick Smith, who both have five touchdowns, and the best scoring defense in the American, allowing 21.9 points per game.
If FAU looks the same as it did last week, then it will cap off the season with a nice victory and some heavy optimism heading into its offseason. They need to stop the rush (which they are one of the worst in the nation in), stop committing penalties, and Veltkamp needs to be perfect with the ball.
But this is my last year, and I’ve seen this team through three different head coaches. I know not to be entirely too optimistic. Even if FAU solves all of these problems, I think defense will decide this game, and East Carolina has the best defense in the American Conference, while FAU ranks 12th.
Prediction: 36-33, East Carolina
Anthony Ortiz, Staff Writer
When it seemed like FAU would finally secure a breakthrough, beating an 8-3 team at home, they lost in the most crushing way possible. However, even while struggling, FAU has shown some real growth. Yes, it’s only one more win than last season, but it feels like this team can compete with anyone.
In this game, FAU is facing a high-scoring ECU team, averaging 32.7 points per game. The Pirates are a balanced bunch; they can beat you both ways, through the air and on the ground. FAU’s defense has struggled and hasn’t been a strong unit over the last six weeks. There have only been glimpses, along with some great individual plays. Against a high-flying offense, the defense faces a big test.
The offense, on the other hand, is scoring at will right now and doing it while committing fewer turnovers than earlier this season. The running game is not at its best still, with Kittley preferring to keep the ball through the air. FAU leads the American Conference in passing with 343.9 yards per game. Veltkamp has an opportunity to lead the conference in passing after the game against ECU.
Overall, this FAU team is struggling, but that’s about it. They have not beaten themselves, which is a testament to real growth. The opponents have just been better than them. ECU is better than them. FAU isn’t ready to win, even though it feels like they are close.
Prediction: 30-24, East Carolina
For more information regarding this and other stories, please contact the staff via email: Maddox at [email protected] and Anthony at [email protected].
