Florida Atlantic football (3-4, 2-2 AC) is looking to bounce back after a recent loss to No. 18 South Florida last weekend, 48-13. 

The Owls travel to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to take on the undefeated Navy Midshipmen (6-0, 4-0 AC) on Saturday, Oct. 25.

The Owls are entering one of their toughest games of the season, facing a Navy team that has dominated opponents on the ground and remains perfect in conference play. With bowl eligibility still in reach, this matchup carries extra weight for FAU, who is eager to prove they can rebound after last week’s blowout loss. 

How will a rebuilding program be able to keep up with one of the most efficient teams in the American Conference? Here are the predictions:

Sophia Rodriguez, Contributing Writer

For the second week in a row, FAU will serve as the visiting team for an opponent’s Homecoming game. Navy enters Homecoming weekend riding high with a 6-0 record and one of just six remaining unbeaten teams in college football, joining BYU, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Ohio State, and Texas A&M. The Midshipmen have been dominant in conference play.

FAU, on the other hand, enters the matchup at 3-4 overall (2-2 AC), with wins over Florida A&M, Rice, and UAB, but tough losses to Maryland, FIU, USF, and Memphis. The Owls will look to quarterback Caden Veltkamp, who’s thrown for 2,025 yards and 15 touchdowns this season, though his 10 interceptions and 54.8 QBR have been costly in key moments.

Navy’s offense is led by dual-threat QB Blake Horvath, who’s accounted for 15 total touchdowns, while racking up nearly 1,000 passing yards and 640 rushing yards. His ability to control the tempo and extend plays has been crucial to Navy’s balanced attack.

FAU has yet to top Navy, losing both prior meetings between the programs. With their offense firing on all cylinders, it’s hard to see the Midshipmen slowing down now.

Score Prediction: 35-21, Navy

Mikai Datilus, Staff Writer

For the second straight week, Florida Atlantic plays a road game against a top team in the conference. This week, it’s against the undefeated Navy Midshipmen. Last week, FAU was competitive, but ultimately overpowered in a 48-13 loss to USF. 

Unfortunately, this week’s challenge won’t be any easier. Navy is coming off a bye week, resting and rekindling for Saturday’s matchup. Navy’s strengths are not in their pass game; Navy QB Blake Horvath has only thrown for 980 yards in six games. To put this into perspective, Caden Veltkamp has thrown for 2,029. 

They make up for that, as they average the third most rushing yards per game in the country, at a whopping 275.3, compared to Florida Atlantic’s 104.7. They run the ball better than anyone, and that’s going to be a challenge for FAU, which let USF run for 259 yards last week. 

This will be close, however, as Navy has won its last two games by a margin of three points. I expect this game to be down to the wire, and while this would be a statement win for the Owls, I think it’s a little too tall a task to beat an undefeated team coming off their bye on the road. 

Prediction: 30-24, Navy

For more information regarding this and other stories, please contact the staff via email: Mikai at mdatilus2025@fau.edu and Sophia at rodriguezsop2024@fau.edu.