FAU vs. Tulane 2025 Preview: Owls Look to Shock the Green Wave

After a win over Tulsa, the Florida Atlantic Owls are heading to New Orleans for a big, big game. Tulane and FAU are set for a showdown this Saturday in a game that has major ramifications for both teams. Tulane, coming off a huge win against Memphis, is a prime contender for the American Conference Championship and even the College Football Playoff. They may not be as talented as in previous years, but they are very much good enough to continue winning their games down the stretch, and that includes this FAU game.

FAU Owls vs. Tulane Green Wave: 2025 College Football Preview

Florida Atlantic, sitting at four wins, needs two victories in its next three games to reach a bowl game. They have the talent to beat the teams on their schedule, including Tulane, but have fallen victim to inconsistencies throughout the year.

These programs match up with each other very well, and it could provide some interesting developments on Saturday. As always, we’ll have you primed for this showdown before kickoff! Without further ado, let us dive into another FAU game preview.

Game History

In the history of both programs, FAU and Tulane are tied up.

Through two games, the Owls and Green Wave have split the first two games of the series. FAU won the first-ever game between the programs in 2013 by a score of 34-17. In 2023, Tulane got its revenge, defeating FAU by a score of 24-8. FAU’s LaJohntay Wester had 86 yards on 11 receptions, while future Tennessee standout Chris Brazzell II had seven receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown.

Key Players for FAU

For the Owls, the key players on offense are running back Kaden Shields-Dutton and the overall quarterback position.

On the season, Tulane’s defense has ranged from average to below-average, depending on the statistics and metrics that one looks at. Based on EPA per play, the Green Wave are 74th in the country against the pass (0.04) and 95th against the run (0.05). The overall defensive success rate has been bad, too. The Green Wave ranks 110th in the country with a 44.2-percent success rate allowed.

While the offensive line has struggled as run blockers, Shields-Dutton has started to get rolling as a runner over the past few weeks. The running back had a career-best day last week against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, rumbling for 107 yards on 11 attempts. He ran with power, decisiveness, and great burst whenever the Owls gave him the ball. Additionally, Shields-Dutton did not allow pressure on his pass blocking opportunities and has shown great receiving ability when given targets.

Against Tulane, the running back has yet another opportunity to lead the charge for the Owls on the ground. There is ample opportunity against the Green Wave, but the Owls simply need to give Shields-Dutton the opportunity to do so. If he gets the carries and snaps, the running back could have a big day.

As for the quarterback position, I do not mention either player by name due to the uncertainty surrounding Caden Veltkamp‘s shoulder injury. However, the passing game will be very important on Saturday afternoon.

Tulane has, against a variety of opponents, gotten gashed through the air. They have allowed big plays, sustained drives, and everything else in between. This was very apparent against both UTSA and Memphis; for as much success as they had getting after the passer at times, they got gashed through the air against their two most recent opponents.

As long as the offensive line holds up its end of the bargain, there will be plenty of opportunities for the Owls’ passing game on Saturday. And if they execute like they have at many points this season, FAU could make some noise in New Orleans.

Defensively, the focus is on the linebackers and cornerback Terez Reid.

Starting with Reid, it is likely that he will draw star Tulane wideout Shazz Preston a good amount on Saturday. A big-bodied player who can win at all three levels of the field, the Green Wave will likely feed their leading wideout like they did against the Memphis Tigers last week. Reid, arguably FAU’s best coverage player, will need to stymie Preston and help stall out the Tulane passing attack.

The linebackers will draw the difficult task of dealing with quarterback Jake Retzlaff on Saturday. An improving passer within the Green Wave’s offensive scheme, Retzlaff is a deadly runner of the football too. Notching 571 yards and 10 touchdowns, the Tulane quarterback is the type of player who has given FAU issues all season long.

Whether it is Tyler Stolsky, Leon Hart Jr., or any other linebacker that the Owls rotate in, they need to make sure that Retzlaff does not roll over them in the way that Byrum Brown, Blake Horvath, and many others have this season. They need to execute at a high level, make the plays that come to them, and play aggressively. If they cannot do that, Tulane will roll through this FAU defense.

Key Players for Tulane

For Tulane, two key players are quarterback Jake Retzlaff and linebacker Sam Howard.

Retzlaff has been the engine of the Tulane offense, both through the air and on the ground. The former BYU quarterback broke out as a passer against Memphis last week, notching 332 yards and three touchdowns with five big-time throws. He has also been a lethal runner all season, which continued last week to the tune of 50 yards and a touchdown against Memphis.

Against FAU, the Green Wave will need Retzlaff at his best. They will need his legs to take advantage of an Owls’ defense that can give up chunk plays at will on the ground. They will need his arm to hit the open throws on third down and on early downs to keep FAU honest. If he does that, Tulane will be in a great position for this game.

Howard, a linebacker who is the centerpiece of the Green Wave’s defense, does a little bit of everything for the unit. He has 16 pressures, two sacks, 23 tackles, and 15 run stops. Howard has also been very reliable in coverage, allowing only eight receptions for 85 yards on the season. On top of his on-field ability, Howard is a great leader and is arguably the heart of the team’s defense. He battles through pain, plays with a relentless motor, and uplifts the Green Wave’s defense.

Against FAU, he is the player who can help shut down what the Owls want to do on offense. Howard is a force in the run game and can play downhill against the short passing attack. His health is a major question, but if he is on the field, Howard can cause major issues for FAU on Saturday.

Keys to Victory for FAU

Execute the Run Game

FAU will not be able to win this game without running the ball effectively. Tulane does not have a stout run defense and will present plenty of opportunities to exploit. To ensure that the passing game can succeed and the offense stays balanced, the Owls need to execute their run game at a high level. Otherwise, they will find it hard to succeed in this game.

Execute on Run Defense

On the other side of things, FAU needs to flat-out be better at defending the run. There is no excuse for every team to gash them on the ground week after week. The unit has talent and can make plays, but the Owls give up too many game-changing plays to their opposition. To beat Tulane, which does not have the most high-powered rushing attack, FAU needs to execute in this area of the game.

No Penalties

For the love of all that is good, do not commit penalties at a high level. FAU is not good enough this season to overcome penalties on both sides of the ball, especially against a team like Tulane. Before any of these other keys come into play, FAU needs to play clean and competitive football. Otherwise, nothing else matters.