Florida Atlantic football (1-2) enters new territory Saturday night, kicking off its first American Athletic Conference matchup back home in Boca Raton against the Memphis Tigers (4-0).

For redshirt junior quarterback Caden Veltkamp, Saturday doubles as his first American Conference start and arguably his biggest stage yet. After stepping into the starting role amid rising expectations and early-season struggles, Veltkamp carries the weight of proving he can steady FAU’s offense against a proven Memphis defense.

Despite the Owls’ performance versus FIU two weeks ago, breaking the Owls’ seven-year Shula Bowl winning streak, even our University Press staff is not very optimistic about Saturday’s game. Here are the predictions:

Angelina Martell, Sports Editor

FAU football got fans’ hopes up with a 42-point win versus the Florida A&M Rattlers, just to let our hometown rival, the FIU Panthers, break them back down – for the first time in seven years.

If FAU even wants a sliver of hope to win this game, they will need to capitalize on their offense. Memphis’ defense ranks 29th nationally in rushing defense and 43rd in total defense. On the other hand, FAU ranks 29th nationally in total offense, which should mean the Owls and the Tigers can put up an even battle.  

Memphis’ current roster resumé is stronger than FAU’s, although some wins came easier to the Tigers, including games versus the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Troy University; Arkansas was a huge win for Memphis, especially for having been down as much as 18 points. Wins like these show Memphis’ relentless efforts to do whatever it takes to win.

With that being said, while an FAU win is not impossible, Memphis will make sure to give the Owls a run for their money.

Prediction: 42-14, Memphis 

Anthony Ortiz, Staff Writer

FAU is coming off a much-needed bye week after a disappointing loss against the FIU Panthers two weeks ago, 38-28. In that game, many mistakes were made, such as turnovers and dropped passes, and critical penalties in the red zone and multiple turnovers that hurt the Owls on the road. Heading home, the Owls look to come out with a signature win against Memphis.

The Tigers came off a thrilling 32-31 victory against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Sep. 20. Down 28-17 at halftime, the Tigers outscored the Razorbacks 15-3 to steal a win at home. Memphis had 290 rushing yards, including their season-leading rusher, running back Sutton Smith, and quarterback Brendon Lewis.

FAU must contain both names in the run game this week to win. Something FAU did not do two weeks ago against Kejon Owens, the 12th leading rusher in the nation, who had 173 rushing yards on 19 carries. Smith, the 13th-leading rusher, had 147 rushing yards on 12 carries versus the Razorbacks. The Owls are going to have a tough time containing this rushing game.\

On offense, quarterback Caden Veltkamp is showing fans the types of numbers he can put up with this air raid style of play, but that isn’t all good, especially when Veltkamp is leading the nation in interceptions with seven so far this season. Veltkamp has to take care of the ball and not waste plays on offense by trying to force the ball downfield. 

On the other hand, running back Gemari Sands has been great at creating key plays throughout our games this season and was one of the few bright spots in the game against FIU. The problem is that he has only had 33 carries in the Owls’ first three games. The air raid is fun, but Sands is a weapon and needs to be unleashed in this game against the Tigers because 11 carries a game isn’t going to cut it.

It will be a challenge to take down the Tigers even while at home. The Tigers come in with all the momentum, a 4-0 record, and players who are some of the best in the nation. 

Score Prediction: 30-17, Memphis

Mikai Datilus, Contributing Writer

Hopelessly optimistic: those are the only two words to convey my feelings heading into a matchup against 4-0 Memphis. It’s bleak, coming off their first loss to FIU in nine years, Florida Atlantic heads up against an undefeated opponent who received twenty-three AP Top 25 votes last week. Memphis stormed back to defeat the Arkansas Razorbacks after being down 28-17 at halftime, ultimately winning 32–31. They proved to be dominant in that game, forcing two interceptions and rushing for 290 yards as a team. 

Two weeks ago, FAU played a team with a mobile quarterback, one of the country’s best rushers, and a lackluster defense. This week, they play again against a team with a mobile quarterback (senior Brenden Lewis has 293 yards and four rushing touchdowns on the season), but now accompanied by an elite rusher (Sutton Smith has 394 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the season) and an elite defense.

FAU must play its best football of the season to win this game. That means no turnovers, but quarterback Caden Veltkazp has dished out seven interceptions so far this season. That means stopping the run, and FIU running back Kejon Owens went for 173 yards and two touchdowns two weeks ago. It’s an extremely tough task, as now they face a team that runs the ball better on a more consistent basis than FIU, and FAU has not been able to stop the run all season. 

Florida Atlantic’s offense should be able to get down the field; they scored and got to the red zone multiple times in week one against Maryland. However, their chances to win require near perfection, and that simply looks bleak from a team that has not played at that level this season. 

Score Prediction: 35-14, Memphis

For information regarding this or other stories, DM the staff on Instagram: Angelina @angieemartell, Mikai @mikaismh, and Anthony @ajortiz_38.