Owls’ offenses fly as Florida Atlantic upstages Rice in 51-49 thriller

100 points. 1,069 yards of total offense. Seven touchdowns exceeding 50 yards.

When the Owls fought for supremacy in Boca Raton, one of the most thrilling offensive shootouts of the season unfolded. Both teams scored exactly seven touchdowns in the high-octane showcase, but the marginal difference between the American Conference opponents was created on special teams.

In the second quarter, Florida Atlantic blocked a punt which rolled out of the back of the end zone for a safety. Those two points proved to be monumental as FAU held a 51-49 lead in the waning moments of the contest. Rice had a chance at a road victory, lining up for a 55-yard field goal with 45 seconds remaining. Rice hadn’t made a 50+ yard field goal since 2018, but Tommy Bauchiero’s kick appeared to snap that drought upon release. However, the field goal traveled 54 of the necessary 55 yards, falling just inches short of the uprights.

Those two special teams plays allowed Florida Atlantic to claim a 51-49 victory over Rice in the third 100+ point shootout of 2026.

This wasn’t your ordinary high-scoring thriller. It was a style clash between two contrasting offenses — Florida Atlantic’s air raid vs. Rice’s option attack.

FAU quarterback Caden Veltkamp fired for 339 yards and three touchdowns in his third outing of the season featuring at least 300 yards and three scores. He connected 12 times with his longtime receiver Easton Messer, who produced one of the most versatile performances of the entire college football season. Messer finished with 12 receptions, 162 yards, and two touchdowns as a receiver. As a rusher, he added 18 yards and two touchdowns. But his best work was saved for special teams. With under four minutes remaining, Messer navigated through a sea of white jerseys on a punt return, flying 82 yards to the house. Messer rewrote several records on the same play, tying a program record with his fifth total touchdown, while also recording the longest punt return in FAU history.

Meanwhile, Rice quarterback Gael Ochoa had a day for the record books too. Making his first collegiate start in place of the injured Jacurri Brown, Ochoa recorded the second-most rushing yards in program history. The quarterback erupted for 259 on the ground, only trailing Dicky Maegle’s 265 in the 1953 Cotton Bowl win over Alabama. Ochoa recorded the most rushing yards by a quarterback since Central Michigan’s Bert Emanuel Jr. posted 293 in November 2022.

After three quarters, Ochoa had 260 rushing yards and four touchdowns on just eight attempts. His touchdowns all originated in Rice’s own territory, spanning 55, 52, 74, and 69 yards. Ochoa accounted for a fifth explosive touchdown in the fourth quarter, this time as a passer. His 71-yard connection with Braylen Walker sliced Rice’s deficit to 51-49 with 2:51 remaining, keeping the door ajar for the visiting Owls.

Florida Atlantic surrendered 479 rushing yards and eight touchdowns to Army’s option attack last week and allowed 499 and six to Rice’s option-based offense seven days later. For the second consecutive game, FAU gave up a long rushing touchdown within the first two minutes of the contest. Zach Kittley’s team trailed Rice 14-0 in the first quarter but stormed back with 23 unanswered. FAU never trailed after establishing its first lead with 9:19 remaining in the second quarter, as the teams alternated touchdowns throughout the entire second half.

On the flipside, for the second-straight week, Rice squandered a double-digit first half lead before halftime and never captured an advantage in the third or fourth quarters.

Rice (1-7, 0-4 American) now rides a seven-game losing streak, remaining one of nine FBS teams yet to defeat another FBS opponent this season. Scott Abell’s team has been excruciatingly close, dropping three of its games by one score including two by two points. The Owls landed a spot due to a lack of eligible teams in 2025, but they are now barred from bowl eligibility, securing their 12th consecutive season below .500.

Florida Atlantic (5-2, 2-1 American) boasts its highest win total since 2022. The Owls bounced back from their first conference defeat of 2026 with their fourth 50-point outing of the Kittley era. FAU has five wins through seven games for the first time since 2020. It will be a quick turnaround for the offensive powerhouse, which plays at North Texas on Thursday night. If they can win in Denton — or any of the four other games on their schedule — the Owls will have their first six-win season since 2019.