Florida Atlantic could be missing its quarterback when it plays at Tulane in AAC play
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
BOCA RATON — Quarterback Caden Veltkamp could be missing when Florida Atlantic plays Tulane in New Orleans on Nov. 15.
Veltkamp suffered an injury to his right throwing shoulder during the fourth quarter of last Saturday’s 40-21 win over Tulsa and left the game. While FAU coach Zach Kittley said that Veltkamp could have returned if necessary, his transfer QB has been limited in practice this week.
“I still foresee him playing,” Kittley said. “But we’re having to monitor him and be smart with him throughout the week.”
Veltkamp passed for 272 yards and three touchdowns against the Golden Hurricane before leaving. In American Athletic Conference play, he has tossed 12 touchdowns to just four interceptions after starting with seven interceptions through the first three games.
According to Kittley, Veltkamp has been dealing with shoulder problems since FAU’s loss to Memphis on Sept. 27. The shoulder injury was exacerbated by the blow from a Tulane defender he suffered last week.
“Since then, we’ve been kind of battling this a little bit,” Kittley said. “He hasn’t been 100 percent every day since then. But he’s been able to practice a little bit here and there, and he’s done a good job. This is just a little setback for him.”
Should Veltkamp be unable to play, backup quarterback Zach Gibson would start with Jordan Magwood backing him up, Kittley said. Gibson came on in relief of Veltkamp against Tulsa, completing two of his three pass attempts and delivering one passing touchdown.
“Zach’s a vet, so if we have to roll with Zach, we’ll roll with Zach,” Kittley said. “But the plan is to go out there with [Veltkamp] on Saturday.”
Owls face tough stretch to finish season
Injuries aside, the Owls (4-5, 3-3) are facing a tough road to end the season. After playing Tulane (7-2, 4-1), they follow up with home games against UConn (7-3) and East Carolina (6-3, 4-1). In order to become bowl-eligible, they would need wins in two of their final three games.
“This is where you want to be,” Kittley said. “We can still control our own destiny. I live in reality, I don’t live in what could be, or anything false. This is the toughest stretch that we’re on all year long.”
A big reason behind Florida Atlantic’s success against Tulsa was its defensive effort from start to finish. The Owls racked up five sacks and came away with three takeaways, including their first interception of the season.
“It’s great to see the secondary finally come down with one,” linebacker Tyler Stolsky said. “It was kind of like a running joke that’s not really a joke. It is extremely important — turnovers — let alone interceptions and creating plays off of that.”
Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff a dual threat
Against Tulane, the Owls defense will be faced with a familiar challenge in Green Wave quarterback Jake Retzlaff. On the season, Retzlaff has thrown for 10 touchdowns, but he also has scored an additional 10 touchdowns on the ground along with being the team’s leading rusher with 556 yards.
“Just kind of being physical,” Stolsky said regarding the team’s game plan for Retzlaff. “College football, it’s not really just a one-man show. I mean, obviously he’s a very dynamic player.”
FAU’s defense has struggled against mobile quarterbacks this season. Some notable performances on the ground against its defense:
- Navy’s Blake Horvath running for 174 yards and four touchdowns;
- South Florida’s Byrum Brown going for 111 rushing yards with a touchdown;
- Memphis’ Brendon Lewis rushing for 65 yards with two touchdowns.
All of those performances came in losses.
In order to prevent Retzlaff from joining the club of quarterbacks to shred their defense on the ground, the Owls will need to impose their will on the defensive side of the ball.
“I think one thing that’s really been an attest to us is we do our best at making guys pay,” Stolsky said. “We’re going to hit the s–t out of you.”
Saturday’s gameFAU at Tulane4 p.m., ESPN
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FAU Owls may have to face Tulane Green Wave without its starting quarterback
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos