An occasional series looking ahead to what USF will face in its American Conference schedule
USF at Florida Atlantic, November 21, Kickoff time TBA. TV: TBA.
The American Conference would love to turn this matchup into a heated in-state rivalry, and it has had some moments.
Bulls might remember the 56-14 hammering Florida Atlantic put on USF in the 2023 homecoming game during Alex Golesh's first season. It was punctuated by a late onside kick by the Owls -- successful, by the way -- when the game was already well out of reach.
Alex Golesh got his revenge a 44-21 win on national TV, punctuated by a postgame "handshake" with then-coach Tom Herman. Golesh rushed by Herman like a guy running to catch a train and sort of slapped at Herman's hand. It made national headlines.
Alas, last year was just your run-of-the-mill 48-13 blowout win for USF against first-year Owls coach Zach Kittley. No drama, although Kittley might remember that the Bulls outscored his team 17-0 in the final quarter because they could.
Golesh is gone now, so "let's get revenge" angle won't have the same juice it might have had.
Oh well.
Most pundits believe Kittley's team will improve on its 4-8 record in his maiden season with the Owls. Most have them finishing around 6-6.
Final scrimmage… Week 1 on the clock 👀#WIP🏝️ pic.twitter.com/UFBHZ3x3BP
— Florida Atlantic Football (@FAUFootball) August 22, 2026
Why FAU could be really good: Start with quarterback Caden Veltkamp. He ran Kittley's air raid offense last year and the Owls ranked No. 1 in the FBS in passing yards at 340 per game. His running mate, wide receiver Easton Messer, also returns.
He did lose his No. 2 and No. 3 wide receivers Easton Messer, but the Owls appear to have patched those holes well through the Transfer Portal.
Tucker Holloway (Virginia Tech), Kelby Valsin (Texas Tech), and RJ Garcia II (Bowling Green) all arrived in Boca Raton sporting experience and production.
They've got a couple of starters back on an offensive line that stood up well in 2025. Center Vincent Fiacable started all 12 games and left tackle Ja’Kavion Nonar, a former tight end, started 10 games. They reached into the portal for help along the line as well.
Why FAU might struggle: The Owls ranked 13th in the American Conference in total defense out of 14 teams. Nationally, they had 131st-ranked scoring defense and the 130th-ranked total defense
While the air raid attack produces yards and points, it go also put the defense in some bad spots by forcing them on the field for too long.
They went on an extensive shopping spree in the portal to improve in all areas of their defense, particularly along the line and in the secondary.
And on offense, the Owls will be in big trouble again if they are even close to last season's 20 interceptions, which was the most in the nation, and 29 turnovers overall.
They also have to get better at taking the ball away. The Owls intercepted only three passes last season. The dog won't hunt!
X factors: This game is the next-to-last on USF's regular-season schedule, which means injuries for both teams could play a big role.
Assuming the major contributors are healthy and able, the Bulls will have to be on guard about Easton Messer, who led the conference with an eye-popping 20.8 yards per punt return.
If USF needs a late field goal, the Bulls can count on Nico Gramatica, who has long range and made the national Lou Groza Award watch list.
Previously in this series:
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