A new era in paradise officially began on April 11 as Florida Atlantic football kicked off their 25th annual Spring Game.

Head coach Zachary Kittley signed with FAU in Dec. 2024 after the release of former head coach Tom Herman. Since then Kittley, his team and staff have been hard at work to show fans what this football team is all about.

“I want to say thank you to everybody who came out; I mean, that crowd was awesome tonight. We really appreciate the support for all of our student-athletes and our staff here, and just what a beautiful night on the lights here and having support that we had,” said Kittley in his postgame opener.

This organized scrimmage comprised the Red and White teams, where each position group was put together with another to form “teams.” The first three-quarters of the game were real plays ran through Kittley and his offense, whereas the fourth quarter was played as a “red zone competition,” where the offense and defense versed off against each other, and the first team to reach 18 points won.

Wide receiver Easton Messer scored the first touchdown of the game for the Red team after catching a 59-yard passing touchdown from quarterback and former teammate Caden Veltkamp, followed by an extra point from kicker Garrison Smith.

Messer went on to score one more touchdown during the game. While he was pleased with his performance, particularly in completing passes and scoring, he was also proud of the leadership role he demonstrated on the field.

“I really wanted to work on being a better vocal leader. I think naturally I’m a big ‘lead by example’ type of guy, and I was never put in a position where I had to lead the group,” said Messer. “There were always some other guys in front of me that took on that role, but coming here, that was one thing that they wanted me to do, and I’m proud of myself for how I embraced that role.”

Messer and Veltkamp were teammates at Western Kentucky last season, and both players were excited to get back on the field together. 

“We’ve just been together, so it’s easy; we’ve had this connection now for three years, and it’s like second nature,” said Velktamp.

The defense quickly answered back as safety Antonio Smith came up with an interception to stall the offense’s momentum. The offense struck again with a 4-yard rushing touchdown by running back Xavier Terrell, with kicker Logan Lupo adding the extra point. 

The defense responded with another big play – linebacker Tyler Stolsky forced a fumble that safety Kyle Boylston recovered. 

The offense stayed in rhythm, completing a three-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Michael Valentino to wide receiver Mykel Calixte, and Garrison Smith added the extra point. The defense closed out the sequence with another takeaway, an interception by safety Curtis Janvier.

As the fourth quarter kicked off, the defense opened strong by keeping the offense out of the end zone, earning six points while the offense remained scoreless. Garrison Smith then nailed a 37-yard field goal, giving the offense three points and the defense an additional four, bringing the total to 10-3. 

The offense responded with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Veltkamp to Messer, narrowing the gap to 10-9. However, the defense continued to dominate again, holding the offense out of the end zone for another six points. Boylston sealed the momentum with a key interception returned for a touchdown, adding six more points and pushing the final score to 22-9.

FAU’s next season will start on Aug. 30 when they travel to the University of Maryland. It’ll be the first time in program history that the Owls will match up against the Big 10 Conference school and the start of a new era under Kittley and his team. 

Angelina Martell is the Sports Reporter for the University Press. Email her at amartell2023@fau.edu or contact her on Instagram @angieemartell for information regarding this or other stories.