BOCA RATON — Florida Atlantic ended the first season of Zach Kittley’s coaching tenure on a sour note, falling to the East Carolina Pirates 42-3 on Nov. 29.
It was a wire-to-wire implosion for the Owls (4-8, 3-5 AAC), who followed up their heartbreaking 48-45 loss to UConn with a deflating 39-point loss. The Pirates (8-4, 6-2) scored all their points in the first half.
However, there was some good news among the ruins – quarterback Caden Veltkamp will be back in 2026. Veltkamp suffered his worst game of 2025, completing 19 of his 31 pass attempts for 183 yards and two interceptions before being replaced in the third quarter.
Following the loss, Kittley confirmed that Veltkamp, who transferred to FAU from Western Kentucky last offseason, will be returning.
“The number one piece is at quarterback, and he’s already coming back,” Kittley said regarding Veltkamp, who played much of the season with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. “There’s nothing else to it, he’ll be here, I think that’s huge.”
The Owls finished the 2025 season with a one-game improvement over last season’s 3-9. Their 3-5 record in American Athletic Conference play was a two-game improvement from last year’s 1-7 conference record.
“I told them after the game, they set the foundation for what we’re trying to build here,” Kittley said. “I’m forever indebted to those guys.”
Here are the takeaways from the Owls’ season finale:
Caden Veltkamp struggles, benched in second half
The junior quarterback transfer from Western Kentucky didn’t have his best game in the season finale. He was benched for backup Zach Gibson late in the third quarter. Gibson didn’t fare much better, completing 12 of his 20 pass attempts for 116 yards, with one interception and one lost fumble.
“I’m trying to be smart with [Veltkamp] a little bit,” Kittley said, referring to the shoulder injury that the QB has played through most of the season. “That kid has been incredible. To lead this team the way he led this team, I think it speaks volumes of him.”
Kittley also mentioned that Veltkamp is likely to have shoulder surgery in the near future. He finished the season with 3,648 passing yards, 24 touchdowns – and a nation-leading 17 interceptions.
FAU’s offense stuck in the mud all afternoon
The Owls did not come out with nearly enough energy in their season finale. The Pirates scored a quick touchdown to open the game and the Owls responded with a lost fumble – courtesy of wide receiver Easton Messer – on their first offensive snap. That set the tone for a non-competitive first quarter that saw the Owls manage 10 total yards of offense and get outscored, 21-3.
Kittley blamed “self-inflicted wounds” for the slow start, and Messer took accountability for the lost fumble.
“I can’t fumble on the first offensive play of the game,” Messer said. “We weren’t able to execute today.”
Florida Atlantic was 3-for-15 on third-down conversions, and managed 39 yards on 22 carries. In the red zone, FAU was one for four, with the only score coming via a field goal in the first quarter.
The Owls came into the matchup averaging 31.9 points per game, making their disastrous effort against the Pirates all the more uncharacteristic.
“We just couldn’t get in a rhythm,” Kittley said.
Owls defense ripped to shreds by Pirates
After allowing 48 points to the UConn Huskies last week, the Owls followed that up with another poor performance on the defensive side of the ball, allowing 42 points — all in the first half — in the blowout defeat. East Carolina quarterback Katin Houser threw for 258 yards with four touchdowns, and running back Marlon Gunn Jr. ran for 130 yards and one touchdown.
The Pirates scored 21 points in both the first and second quarters to take the life out of Flagler Credit Union Stadium. The Owls allowed 524 total yards of offense — 258 passing, 266 rushing — and watched the Pirates convert 12 of 17 third-down attempts.
In five of their eight losses this season, the Owls allowed their opponent to score 40 or more points. Additionally, they allowed a total of 56 touchdowns on defense.
“Definitely felt like us not competing for a bowl game or anything kind of played a part,” defensive back Terez Reid said.
“We just couldn’t get the ball down,” Kittley added. “We’ve got to tackle so much better.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Caden Veltkamp will return as FAU Owls’ quarterback for 2026 season
