One team just ran for 506 yards on an FCS opponent. The other just gave up 66 points to an SEC team. Saturday in Boca Raton should tell us which number means more.
+Valsin already showing as a reliable 10-catch target
−Defense allowed 66 points in the opener
−Veltkamp still working back from shoulder surgery, threw 2 picks
Braxton Woodson's first start as Navy's guy could not have gone much better on paper: 200 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 506 rushing yards as a team in a 42-15 win over Towson. Caden Veltkamp's return for Florida Atlantic went the other way — 276 passing yards and a touchdown, but 2 interceptions and a lost fumble in a 66-21 blowout loss at Florida. Both quarterbacks are one game into the season, and neither performance tells the whole story.
Head coach Brian Newberry wasn't exactly thrilled after the Towson win, either. He flagged communication breakdowns in the secondary and too many explosive plays allowed to an FCS offense — the kind of thing that gets buried on a scoreboard against Towson and does not get buried against a Zach Kittley air-raid attack. Kittley's now in year 2 at FAU, and even in a lopsided loss, his passing game had life: Kelby Valsin caught 10 passes for 92 yards and a score.
Veltkamp is also still working back from offseason shoulder surgery. He was cleared for fall camp and clearly has enough arm to push the ball 276 yards against a good Florida secondary, but two picks and a fumble in his first live look raise a real question about how much he trusts that shoulder under pressure. That's the swing skill in this one — and it's worth remembering the number attached to it moves fast once more film is out there.
Navy's identity hasn't changed under Newberry: pound the rock, control the clock, make the other sideline sit and watch. FAU's defense just spent a Saturday getting torched through the air and on the ground by Florida, which is not a great sign against a team that ran for over 500 yards in its own opener. If that Navy front five imposes itself again, this could get out of hand early.
FAU gets to lick its wounds at home, which matters after a long trip to Gainesville, but a soft home slate doesn't fix a defense that gave up 66 points or a shoulder that isn't fully trusted yet. Navy, for its part, has to prove the Towson breakdown wasn't just an off week for a defense that otherwise looked dominant. Both sides have real questions to answer, and Saturday in Boca Raton should start answering them.
