Pok’s Week in Review: College Football Craziness Continues

Week 3 of the college football season is in the books. There were plenty of great matchups across the board, ranging from shootouts to defensive battles and everything in between. Within these games, there were plenty of standout performances that warrant discussion or further notice.

Because of all of the great football, this week’s edition of Pok’s Week in Review should be a great one. As usual, the column has recaps for USF Bulls, Florida Atlantic Owls, and FIU Panthers from the past week. Another edition of the Standout Seven will be revealed, along with a new Recruiting Roundup. There is no more time to waste, so let’s dive into the column!

Shula Bowl 2025: FIU and FAU trending in opposite directions

Everyone in south Florida knew the 2025 Shula Bowl was going to be exciting. And, to the credit of both college football teams, they delivered a very entertaining game over the course of four quarters.

For the first time in almost a decade, the FIU Panthers prevailed over the FAU Owls, winning the contest by a score 38-28. Thanks to their standout play in the trenches and ability to take advantage of mistakes from FAU, the Panthers sealed this victory and move to 2-1 on the season.

For FIU, the positives are plentiful. The rushing attack, spearheaded by Kejon Owens and supplemented by Anthony Carrie and Devonte Lyons, has been the centerpiece of the offense. Keyone Jenkins has contributed in this area, too, extending plays with his legs on a consistent basis for the offense.

The blocking for FIU has been solid. Due to the Penn State game, some numbers are skewed, but different players are excelling in different areas. Julius Pierce and Jaheim Buchanon have succeeded as pass blockers, while Antonio Tripp Jr. has thrived as a run blocker. Thrown together as a unit, it is no surprising that the Panthers’ unit has found success in both areas of the game.

Defensively, the overall unit has been great. Ranging from linebacker Johnny Chaney Jr. to defensive back Brian Blades II, all different players have been stepping up for the Panthers. The run defense has been solid, while the passing defense is the 35th-best unit in the country with an 81.9 grade, per PFF. With a pass rush that started to turn up against FAU, there is room for this unit to get even better.

Have things been perfect for the Panthers, though? Of course not.

The passing game needs to find more of a consistent stride, and the offense needs a go-to target, or two, to step up. The defesne needs to build on the progress of last week and continue to work toward having a consistent pass ruhs. And the special teams, while having some good moments, needs to be better overall.

But for the first three games of the Willie Simmons era, the only thing that could have made things better for the Panthers would have been an once-in-a-lifetime upset of Penn State. On both sides of the ball, things are moving in the right direction. Players look to be bought in, and success is coming from that belief.

There is a long way to go in the 2025 season, but the foundation is starting to be laid for the Panthers. With some more success this season, FIU could be in a terrific spot going forward, especially considering where they have been previously.

On the other hand, things look to be a bit rocky for the FAU Owls at the present moment.

Quarterback Caden Veltkamp, for both good and bad, has embodied what the Owls have been in the 2025 season. The Western Kentucky transfer has had plenty of good moments, as evidenced by his seven touchdown passes and six big-time throws. However, there have been plenty of bad moments; Veltkamp has had major accuracy issues, specifically over the middle of the field. He has been intercepted seven time already, while also registering 11(!!) turnover-worthy plays.

The rushing attack has had some flashes, led by Gemari Sands, Xavier Terrell, and Kaden Shields-Dutton. The wideouts, led by Easton Messer and Assaad Waseem, have found space and executed at a high level down the field.

On defense, Terez Reid had been a great player at cornerback on the outside of the defense. Linebacker Khmari Johnson has been a revelation as a pass rusher, Naejuan Barber has been a stout run defender, while linebacker Tyler Stolsky has done a little bit of everything at a high level for the Owls.

But for all of this success, the struggles have outweighed them at times.

The offensive line has struggled immensely as a unit. They’ve gotten no real push in the run game, forcing the likes of Sands and Shields-Dutton to create for themselves. And while Scarlee Jean and Vincent Fiacable have been standouts, Daughtry Richardson and Alex Atcavage have each allowed nine pressures or more. Two weak links, along with mostly average play from Ja’Kavion Nonar, leads to issues in the passing game.

On defense, there is no real pass rush to be found outside of Johnson. Quarterbacks have been allowed to sit in the pocket and carve up defenses, making things harder on the linebackers and defensive backs. This ties into the big plays in the run game. With no way to throw passers off of their spot, offenses can find the perfect plays and opportunities to hit big plays on the ground.

Going forward, there are some auxiliary fixes that FAU could make to help change things. Between a heavier reliance on the run, using bigger wideouts, and giving other defensive linemen a real shot, the Owls can switch some things up to try to have different results.

However, there is a chance these changes do not work during FAU’s slate against the American Conference. As a result, the only option may be to just execute at a high level and not make critical mistakes.

FAU needs to make some key adjustments, play to their talent level, and execute the way they are supposed to. At that baseline, they should be able to find more success; if they cannot do that, however, this could be a long 2025 season for the Owls.

USF Flashes Talent in Loss to Miami

After a Cinderella first two weeks, the USF Bulls got handedly with ease by the Miami Hurricanes, 49-12.

No, the scoreboard was not close. No, the Bulls did not have too many chances to win this game. However, there were still positives to take from this matchup.

For starters, Byrum Brown looked much more confident in ripping the ball across the middle of the field. In the face of pressure, he also hit some impressive deep shots to his wideouts, namely Chas Nimrod.

Nimrod and Christian Neptune did a very good job of finding open space and winning with separation. Tight end Wyatt Sullivan showed off his potential as a key option in the passing game, while wideout Keshaun Singleton showed impressive yards-after-the-catch ability. Tight end Jonathan Echols showed flashes of a great all around skillset, and center Cole Best was a standout pass blocker once again.

Defensively, the Bulls got a breakout game from Kajuan Banks in coverage and saw the seocndary force two interceptions. And while the numbers will not show it, Mac Harris and Jhayln Shuler were everywhere making plays for the unit.

There is a lot to fix and improve on for the Bulls, but that is more of a product of how good Miami truly is. USF has a great roster, a ton of room to grow, and a coaching staff that looks ready to get the most out of that great roster As a result, the Bulls have a chance to do great things over the course of conference play. And with the Miami loss happening in a blowout fashion, USF now has a north star to power them toward an opportunity to change the outcome of the next big-time matchup they are tasked with.

Standout Seven: My Favorite College Football Players from the Week

As always, here are my “Standout Seven” college football players of the week!

• Kejon Owens, FIU, RB: The Panthers’ running back has simply been awesome in 2025, and that continued against FAU. Erupting for 173 yards and two touchdowns, Owens looks ready to erupt for a breakout season in 2025.
• Chas Nimrod, USF, WR: The Bulls may have lost to the Hurricanes, but Chas Nimrod was very impressive in the game. Showcasing great deep speed and hands once again, the Tennessee transfer has quickly become a go-to target for quarterback Byrum Brown. Heading into conference play in the next few weeks, Nimrod should be a breakout player and a key contributor for the Bulls
• Easton Messer, FAU, WR: Easton Messer is going to get open, catch passes, and make big plays. He did all of that against FIU, including a sick touchdown where he shook a defender in the open field. To be successful in conference play, the Owls will have to keep feeding Messer, and I think he will keep delivering for them.
• Rueben Bain Jr., DL, Miami: Game-Wrecker. Future-first rounder. Potential No. 1 overall pick. Rueben Bain Jr. is a phenomenal player, and it was truly impressive to watch him blow up drives by himself against USF. He is the REAL DEAL. 
• Mark Fletcher Jr., RB, Miami: Sleep on the Miami running back at your own risk. Fletcher Jr. has all of the burst, speed, and passing game ability to be a threat at the NFL level. While still in college, though, the running back is going to be a key reason why Miami wins so many games in 2025.
• Carson Beck, QB, Miami: I was very wrong about Beck. In a system that supports him, the quarterback is lethal, decisive, and accurate. Beck can hit any throw on the field, keep the chains moving, and even create for himself on different occasions. For this Miami team, Beck is the perfect fit.
• Dante Moore, Oregon, QB: Is this my potential QB1? You will have to wait a few moore weeks to find out. In all seriousness, I have loved what the Oregon product has done so far through his first three games. If he continues to hit every throw in the field and look decisive against upper-tier opponents, pencil him in for the top of Round 1 if he declares for the draft.

BONUS: Champ Smith, DB/WR, Gulliver Prep: Keep an eye on this player. Smith is a fantastic defensive back who can turn on the burners to beat people down the field on offense, too. Very, very good overall player.

College Football Recruiting Roundup

FAU Owls

In an under-the-radar announcement, FAU commit Frederic Sainteus announced he has decommitted from the school. This was to be expected. Sainteus has had huge P4 interest and looks to potentially be bound for a different Florida-based school, based on his official visits. Regardless, it is a big loss for the Owls and their 2026 class. Additionally, ATH commitment Justin Weatherall is set to visit UCF this weekend. FAU is not in danger of losing him yet, but this would be a gigantic blow to their class if he flips to a different college football program.

USF Bulls

The Bulls are set to welcome a plethora of potential college football recruits to Tampa this weekend, most of them being in the 2027 and 2028 classes. Of note, 2027 WR Korden Randle stands at 6-foot-4 and is listed at 210 pounds. Already holding an offer from the Bulls, don’t be surprised to see USF push even harder to land him.

Additionally, the Bulls did land a recruit on September 12: Dennis King III. Listed as the 65th-best linebacker in the 2026 class (according to the 24/7 Sports Composite rankings), King III had offers from Miami, Florida, Florida State, and many more. It is a great pickup for what has become a very deep 2026 class for USF.

FIU Panthers

The Panthers landed their 2nd 2027 commit in the form of Amari Oquendo. A Miami Northwestern product, Oquendeo chose FIU over Miami, Pitt, Iowa State, and Marshall. The defensive back has some great hit power and coverage ability, making him a perfect fit for what the Panthers’ defense likes to do in the secondary.

The Look Ahead

Moving onto next week, here is what I am look toward!

• FIU is set to take on the upstart Delaware Blue Hens, and I will be covering it live! Very excited to see the kickoff of C-USA play for both teams, and I think it should be a great one.
• USF gets what should be a rebound game against South Carolina State. I want to see the Bulls’ run game in full force in this one, along with a game plan that allows the whole passing game to get involved.
• Florida takes on Miami this weekend at Hard Rock Stadium. I want to see how both sides handle this game, specifically the trenches and quarterbacks. Think this one goes in favor of Miami, but do not rule out a bounce-back DJ Lagway game, making it close.
• Can the New York Jets right the ship in Tampa? I am very intrigued to find out what Aaron Glenn’s team is fully made of.