FAU vs. ECU 2025 Recap: Pirates Roll Past Owls in 42-3 Victory

BOCA RATON, FL —  In a year that was filled with so much optimism, the Florida Atlantic Owls ended their 2025 campaign with a whimper instead of a screech.

Facing off with the East Carolina Pirates, the Owls were defeated by a score of 42-3. The Pirates got whatever they wanted on offense, running for a large number of yards and hitting chunk passes at will. On offense, the Owls were constantly under distress and made plenty of mistakes that forced them to fall into a huge deficit.

Overall, it was a brutal performance from Florida Atlantic. The energy was low, the effort was not top-tier, and the team showed many of the same issues that have caused them to lose games this season. And, quite frankly, it was an embarrassing way for the first year under Zach Kittley to end.

FAU vs. ECU 2025 College Football Recap

Saturday was supposed to be a way for FAU to end their season strong and head into the offseason on a high note. Instead, it was a performance that should raise questions about every area of the team, including the entire coaching staff.

Pirates Exploit FAU Defense

FAU’s defense has had some bad games this year, but today’s game against the Pirates might take the title as the worst.

East Carolina found success no matter what they ran. The rushing attack averaged over 5.0 yards per carry, headlined by Marlon Gunn Jr. and London Montgomery. Gunn showed impressive speed and power all throughout the game. He read his blocks in between the tackles and ripped off chunk gains when he got into the open field. Finishing with 130 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, it was a very high-level performance for the senior.

Montgomery was a grinder in between the tackles, carrying defenders and punishing those who tried to bring him down. Combined, both players kept the Owls on the back foot all game and helped the Pirates stay on schedule. Outside of the backs, defensive lineman Rion Roseborough had a one-yard touchdown where he barreled over multiple players to get into the end zone.

However, the best player on the field today was ECU’s Katin Houser. On the ground, Houser ran with purpose and authority. He ran past defenders, made them miss, and ran through their faces. In the red zone, Houser was a force, driving his shoulder into defenders and pushing himself into the endzone. His two touchdown runs not only gave the Pirates more points, but also set the tone for the game.

Through the air, Houser may have been even better.

The East Carolina signal-caller was 20-of-29 for 258 yards and two touchdowns. He hit big throws deep down the field, threaded the needle over the middle of the field, and was constantly on time with his reads. Houser navigated the pocket with ease, knew where to throw the ball, and made great decisions. It was another impressive game for the ECU quarterback to finish out a very productive 2025 season.

In terms of pass catchers, Brock Spalding and Desirrio Riles constantly made plays for the Pirates all over the field. Spalding not only won vertically, but also showed shiftiness in the short area of the field. Riles was a threat all over the field, making contested catches in the middle of the field and in open space as a playmaker. The tight end’s best play of the game was his touchdown on a screen pass. Making multiple defenders miss, Riles raced into the end zone for a 27-yard score to extend the ECU lead.

Heading into the offseason, FAU needs to find a way to improve their talent on defense, and also their effort and scheme. There needs to be a complete evaluation of the team’s unit, and that is just for starters. Without those necessary improvements, FAU will not find the success that it wants in 2026 and beyond.

The Offense Stalls Out

As bad as the defense was, the offense was just as bad for the Owls.

On the ground, Florida Atlantic did not have any room to operate. Neither did Caden Veltkamp, who was forced to slide on his various scrambling attempts.

Through the air, things were not much better for the Owls. Typically a prolific passer, Caden Veltkamp was held under 200 yards passing and had zero passing touchdowns. He had two bad interceptions as well. The first was a red zone pick by Teagan Wilk on a badly forced throw. Meanwhile, the second one was simply a bad throw into the waiting arms of Ja’Marley Riddle.

Backup quarterback Zach Gibson was not much better in relief of Veltkamp. Throwing for 116 yards and no touchdowns, Gibson had a back-breaking interception and lost a fumble in his brief game action.

A key reason for the struggles was the pass rush of ECU. Zion Wilson and Rion Roseborough constantly generated pressure from the interior of the defensive line. Meanwhile, Kieran Davis got after Veltkamp consistently from the defensive end position. Jonathan Jean even had an impressive sack, flying off the edge to get the quarterback to the ground. With Veltkamp constantly under pressure and the coverage stout on the back end, there was really no path to consistent success on Saturday.

The FAU playmakers did help put the team in good situations over the course of the game. Despite a bad early fumble and two drops, Easton Messer was dynamic and explosive every time he was targeted. Jayshon Platt made one of the best catches of the day deep down the field, while Dom Henry and Asaad Waseem ripped off big plays of their own. Even Gemari Sands had a good game as a receiver, notching 42 receiving yards and three missed tackles forced.

However, the Owls simply could not finish drives or find any sort of rhythm. It was an oddly disjointed performance for a unit that has produced so well and so consistently in 2025. Just like the defense, it felt like the unit was flat and not ready for the energy that the Pirates brought to the field on Saturday. And quite frankly, that is not acceptable for a team that, once again, needed to finish the year on a high note.

Asked about the passing game struggles, head coach Zach Kittley spoke about what went into Velkamp’s interceptions.

“On the first one heading into the red zone, we have to trust the progression right there. We have Easton (Messer) open, and Caden (Veltkamp) just went too fast with the read. That comes back to him and I making sure that we feel good about the reads and the timing of the progressions. On the second one, Caden threw with all arm, did not use his lower half at all, and the MIKE linebacker made a great play. He has to see him sinking in coverage a little bit, but that comes back to technique and fundamentals…You have to use your lower half and pull that back hip through.”

Kittley also said that FAU will “look at everything” to improve the run game and is focused on finding out what the incoming recruits and transfers are “good” at to adapt the team’s scheme. He specifically mentioned that FAU needs to “get healthy” at the tight end position so they can be more multiple in their run scheme.

It will be a key offseason for the Owls in a variety of ways. Yet, when it comes to the offense, they need to find a way to improve the offensive line and rushing attack. If they can do that while also making tweaks to be even more dynamic in Kittley’s second year, FAU should be in a good spot. If not, the Owls will likely be in a very similar position as this season, and that would not be good for anyone.

No Energy, No Effort, No Results

From the minute warmups started on the field, the energy difference between East Carolina and FAU was crystal clear.

During the pregame, Florida Atlantic was very mellow and calm on the field. There was no excitement from the team, and they were essentially going through the motions. When it came to East Carolina, though, the Pirates came out of the tunnel screaming with energy. Even coming off a bad loss to UTSA, it looked like the Pirates were locked in and ready to play.

Once the game got underway, the results bore this out. And that is putting it lightly.

The Pirates threw the first punch with a dominant touchdown drive, and the Owls never got back up off the mat. ECU’s energy was too much on every side of the ball, and it felt like the Owls were a step slower than usual. They got rocked in the run game, and had terrible communication in the passing game on defense. On offense, the plays and scheme were moving slower than ECU’s trenches and secondary. By the time it looked like FAU had found some footing, it was too late – the Pirates had firm control of the game.

After a heartbreaking loss to UConn, a fall off against East Carolina isn’t surprising. However, today’s effort was simply not acceptable. It felt like on top of the low energy, the Owls regressed in every area where they had made improvements over the past few weeks. This is the type of effort that is an indictment of everyone involved with the FAU on-field product. It is not only a bad reflection on the players, but also on the coaching staff. It shows a team that is not fully bought in and is more than willing to mail it in, which directly relates to the team’s preparedness throughout the week.

FAU has shown plenty of bright spots this season, and there is still reason for optimism within this program. However, that optimism needs to be reduced, especially when looking at the manner in which FAU lost its games.

2026 NFL Draft Stock Watch

Marlon Gunn Jr., RB, East Carolina: Stock Up

After an impressive game last week, Marlon Gunn Jr. upped the ante against the Florida Atlantic Owls. Leading the charge on the ground, the East Carolina running back showed an impressive all-around skillset. He ran with power, forced missed tackles, and showed burst when running away from defenders. Gunn got better as the game went on, too. As the Pirates took command of the game, the running back punished the Owls more and more. If he plays in the bowl game, it’ll be interesting to see how Gunn builds upon his performance. If not, he could be an interesting player going forward for the next level.

Terez Reid, CB, FAU: Stock Up

On a defense that has had many struggles, Terez Reid was one of the better players for the Owls this season. And, that continued again in the team’s finale. In addition to three pass breakups, Reid did not allow a catch on five targets. He also had seven tackles, including two defensive stops in the run game. Despite not being the biggest player, he provided sticky coverage all over the field and is a player with a fantastic mentality.

Against some very talented wideouts this season, Reid showed that he can compete with upper-level competition. If he gets a chance at an All-Star game or two, I think that he could make a lot of noise in a very good way.

Quote of the Day

“It’s going to be different next year, for sure. I feel really good about where we are at, and I feel great about the guys that we already have signed to come back for next year. I think that is the biggest piece of the puzzle here. We have a couple of guys that we would love to have back here, and I am going to do everything in my power to make sure they stick around. But I can tell you right now, the number one piece is that quarterback, and he is already coming back. He will be here.” – FAU HC Zach Kittley on if he feels that FAU has enough NIL investment.