FAU is back on the field Saturday night with something it has not had in more than five years: a chance to stack a fourth straight win. The 3-1 Owls, 2-0 in the AC, are scheduled to host Texas Southern University in Boca, where they will try to keep momentum rolling and move within two wins of bowl eligibility for the first time since 2020.
The timing is part of the appeal. FAU has won three games in a row for the first time in over five years, and Texas Southern arrives at 1-4 and 0-2 in the SWAC after three straight losses. Zach Kittley said the matchup will be a challenge and said he was excited to have Texas Southern come to Boca for Saturday night’s game.
The numbers explain why this game is drawing attention now. FAU quarterback Caden Veltkamp threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns last week against the University of Louisiana at Monroe, while Texas Southern’s Cam’Ron McCoy answered last week with a performance that showed why the visitors still believe they can trouble defenses. McCoy threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for over 80 yards and another two touchdowns in a 43-40 overtime loss to Alcorn State University.
That contrast matters because Texas Southern’s offense has not disappeared just because the record has. The team has seven total rushing touchdowns and is averaging 192 rushing yards per game, which is a direct test for an FAU defense giving up 169 rushing yards a game and already has allowed 8 touchdowns. On the other side, Athean Renfro Jr. has given Texas Southern a steady piece in the run game with 348 rushing yards and two touchdowns this season after starting his college career as a walk-on long snapper before becoming the starting running back last season.
FAU’s edge is broader consistency. The Owls are not just winning; they are doing it while putting themselves on the doorstep of the postseason and into the part of the schedule that now turns fully to American Conference play after Saturday night. For Texas Southern, the path is narrower and more immediate: better execution, cleaner finishes and enough balance to turn a strong rushing profile into an upset before the skid grows longer.
