In the pass-happy world of modern college football, it feels like there is no such thing as throwing the ball too much.

But Florida Atlantic may have tested that theory last year.

The Owls threw it on almost 64% of their plays, the second-highest rate in the country. They led the nation in passing yards per game and pass attempts per game. They put up a ton of yardage.

And still, they went 4-8.

That tells you the whole story.

FAU could throw the ball. FAU could move the ball. But the Owls could not run it, could not protect the ball well enough, and could not force enough turnovers on defense.

Now Zach Kittley is in year two, Caden Veltkamp is back at quarterback, and the question is pretty simple.

Can the Owls become more balanced?

HEAD COACH:

• Zach Kittley, entering year two at Florida Atlantic
• FAU went 4-8 last season.
• The Owls finished 3-5 in the American.
• FAU has not had a winning season since 2019.
• The Owls averaged 27.1 points per game last year.

Kittley was hired because of offense.

That is his background. That is his reputation. That is why FAU brought him in after his work as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas Tech. FAU officially named him head coach in December 2024, and the school described him then as one of the bright offensive minds in the sport.

You could see that identity immediately.

FAU averaged 435.7 yards per game, which is a huge number. The Owls were explosive through the air and difficult to keep from moving the ball between the 20s.

But they were not clean.

FAU finished near the bottom of the country in turnover margin, averaged about seven penalties per game, and forced only eight turnovers all season.

That is how you waste a productive offense.

The Owls do not need to completely change who they are. They are going to throw the football. That is Kittley’s world.

But they do need to play a cleaner version of it.

QUARTERBACK:

This is where the optimism starts.

Caden Veltkamp is back, and that gives FAU a chance to be one of the most dangerous passing teams in the American.

Veltkamp completed 345 of 515 passes last season for 3,641 yards, 24 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

That is a lot of production.

It is also a lot of risk.

Veltkamp attempted 40 or more passes seven times last season. When a quarterback is throwing it that much, interceptions are going to happen. But 17 picks is still too many if FAU wants to go from fun offense to winning offense.

The Maryland game is the warning sign.

FAU only played one Power Four opponent last year, and Veltkamp threw one touchdown and four interceptions in that game.

That cannot be the version FAU gets in its biggest moments.

But the upside is obvious.

Veltkamp completed 67% of his passes and threw 64 deep balls last season. He is not just dumping it off. He will push the ball down the field. He will give his receivers chances. He will make this offense hard to defend.

If he cuts the interceptions down, FAU can score on almost anybody in the league.

THE REST OF THE OFFENSE

The passing game has a star.

Easton Messer is back after catching 104 passes for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns. FAU’s roster lists Messer as a redshirt senior receiver, and he should be one of the top returning pass-catchers in the American.

That is a big deal.

Messer was third nationally in receptions last season, and he did that without the benefit of a playoff run or extra games. He is going to get the football. Everybody knows it. The question is whether teams can stop it.

Dominique Henry is back too after catching 46 passes for 565 yards and four touchdowns. FAU lists Henry as a redshirt senior receiver from BYU, and he gives Veltkamp another proven target.

The Owls also have Kelby Valsin, Brooks Johnson, RJ Garcia II and others in the mix.

So the receiving group is not the concern.

The run game is.

FAU averaged only 3.3 yards per rush last season. The Owls ran the ball on just 36% of their plays. Some of that is game script. If you are behind, you throw. If your defense is struggling, you throw. If your run game is not working, you throw.

But at some point, you have to be able to run the ball.

Kaden Shields-Dutton should be part of that answer. The junior running back ran for 460 yards and six touchdowns last season.

The offensive line has some size and experience too, with Vincent Fiacable, Ja’Kavion Nonar, Aqil Meredith-Smith, Braden Cunningham and Benjamin Galloway among the projected names up front.

That group does not need to turn FAU into Army.

But it has to make defenses respect the run.

If the Owls can even become average on the ground, the passing game gets scarier.

DEFENSE

The defense has to help more.

FAU gave up 435.7 yards per game last season, and opponents completed too many easy throws. Teams also did not have to chase the game very often because FAU kept giving possessions away.

The most alarming number is the turnover total.

The Owls forced only eight turnovers all year.

That is brutal.

If your offense is throwing the ball 500-plus times and taking chances, the defense has to steal some possessions back. FAU did not do that enough.

There are pieces to work with.

Leon Hart Jr. is back at linebacker after leading the team in tackles.

Senior CJ Doggette Jr. is back on the defensive line after leading the team in sacks.

The projected defensive group also includes Deshaun Batiste, Gavench Marcelin, Damarius McGhee, Chris Tooley III, Jay Crable, Blake Burris, Joseph Sipp Jr. and Damon Allen.

FAU brings back a decent amount on this side of the ball, and that matters.

But the defense has to become more disruptive.

More pressure.

More takeaways.

More third-down stops.

The offense is probably going to score. The defense just has to keep games from turning into track meets every week.

SCHEDULE

The schedule is interesting right away.

FAU opens at Florida on Sept. 5, then gets Navy and FIU at home. After that, the Owls go to ULM, host Texas Southern, then go to Army after a bye.

That first game is a great measuring stick.

Florida will be breaking in a new head coach with Jon Sumrall, and FAU brings in a quarterback who threw for more than 3,600 yards last season. That is not the easiest opening opponent for the Gators’ new staff to prepare for.

After Florida, three of the next four are at home.

That matters.

Navy, FIU and Texas Southern all come to Boca Raton. The road trip to ULM is manageable. If FAU is improved, that early stretch gives the Owls a chance to build some confidence.

The American schedule gets tougher after that.

FAU plays at Army, hosts Rice, goes to North Texas, hosts UTSA, goes to Tulsa, hosts South Florida, and finishes at East Carolina.

The good news is the Owls do not have to go to UTSA, where the Roadrunners have been so tough in recent years.

The bad news is that Army, North Texas, Tulsa and East Carolina are all road games.

That is not easy.

But it is manageable enough if the offense cleans up the turnovers.

OUTLOOK

I think FAU is interesting.

The Owls have a quarterback. They have a star receiver. They have a head coach who knows how to build a passing game. They bring back enough production to believe the offense can take another step in year two.

But they have to fix the obvious stuff.

Caden Veltkamp cannot throw 17 interceptions again.

The run game cannot average 3.3 yards per carry again.

The defense cannot force only eight turnovers again.

The penalties have to come down.

That is a lot, but it is not impossible.

The best-case scenario is that Veltkamp becomes one of the best quarterbacks in the American, Messer pushes for another 100-catch season, the run game becomes at least respectable, and the defense creates enough turnovers to give the offense extra possessions.

If that happens, FAU can absolutely get into the bowl conversation.

There is enough here to believe the Owls can be better than 4-8.

But the next step is not about throwing for more yards.

It is about playing cleaner football, finding balance, and finally turning Kittley’s offense into wins.