No. 19 USF Bulls Run Past FAU Owls, 48-13, on Homecoming

All Photos By Mark Matson

TAMPA, FL – The No. 19 USF Bulls (6-1, 3-0 AAC) secured bowl eligibility for the third straight season by dominating the Florida Atlantic Owls (3-4, 2-2 AAC) with a convincing 48-13 victory on Saturday, October 18, 2025, in front of a spirited Homecoming crowd of 45,169 at Raymond James Stadium.

Led by a masterful performance from quarterback Byrum Brown, the Bulls racked up 522 yards of total offense and shut down the Owls’ rushing attack, scoring the final 27 points of the game to turn a competitive third-quarter contest into a blowout.

USF took an early lead, with Byrum Brown capping the opening drive with a 22-yard touchdown run. FAU responded with a 45-yard field goal from Garrison Smith.

The Bulls extended their lead in the second quarter on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Brown to tight end Jonathan Echols, followed by a 1-yard plunge by 325-pound offensive lineman Cole Skinner (his second rushing TD in as many games) after a successful onside kick.

FAU managed a 28-yard field goal as time expired in the half, sending the Owls to the locker room trailing 21-6.

FAU narrowed the gap to a one-score game, 21-13, on the opening drive of the second half, with QB Caden Veltkamp completing a 3-yard shovel pass for a touchdown to tight end Michael Kirch. However, the USF defense stiffened, forcing a three-and-out on the next series, and the Bulls’ offense took over.

USF’s offense then exploded for 27 unanswered points to close the game. Nico Gramatica hit a 41-yard field goal, followed by a 24-yard touchdown pass from Brown to tight end Wyatt Sullivan on a gutsy 4th-and-1 call. In the fourth quarter, Brown connected with freshman Jeremiah Koger for an electric 60-yard touchdown.

A Rico Watson III interception set up Nykahi Davenport’s 2-yard rushing TD, and Gramatica capped the scoring with a 28-yard field goal.

Key Statistics

Statistic	FAU Owls	USF Bulls
Total Yards	312	522
Rushing Yards	23	259
Passing Yards	289	263
First Downs	25	26
3rd Down Conv.	6 of 21	9 of 18
Turnovers	1	0
Time of Possession	31:29	28:31

Individual Leaders

Team	Player	Stat Line	Notes
USF	Byrum Brown (QB)	14/24, 256 Yds, 3 TD (Pass); 14 Att, 111 Yds, 1 TD (Rush)	Accounted for 4 total TDs; 7th career 100-yard rushing game.
USF	Jeremiah Koger (WR)	4 Rec, 90 Yds, 1 TD	Led Bulls in receiving for 3rd straight game, 60-yard TD catch.
USF	Nykahi Davenport (RB)	14 Att, 71 Yds, 1 TD
USF	Mac Harris (LB)	10 Tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.5 Sacks	Led the USF defense in tackles.
FAU	Caden Veltkamp (QB)	35/50, 244 Yds, 1 TD, 1 INT	Tied program record for single-game completions. Sacked 5 times.
FAU	Asaad Waseem (WR)	8 Rec, 56 Yds	Set a new career-high in receptions.
FAU	Tyler Stolsky (LB)	11 Tackles	Led the Owls in tackles for the second straight game.

Quotes

USF Head Coach Alex Golesh:

“I think for us, as complete of a game as we’ve played in terms of the ups and the downs, but continuing to play. There was so much in terms of mistakes and non-execution on all three sides of the ball, but we kept answering the bell.”

On QB Byrum Brown: “Byrum continues to be a force that’s really hard to stop. He’s as special of a player as there is in the country.”

On the defense’s performance: “Making a team one dimensional is huge. We made them pass 50 times and I think we had five sacks. Defensively we were really resilient, not perfect, but incredibly resilient. We were able to stop the run and make them attack us through the air.”

On becoming bowl eligible: “I guess we became bowl eligible tonight and I don’t know if a single guy in that locker room gives a heck about that. We have bigger aspirations this season.”

FAU Head Coach Zach Kittley (Pre-Game Quote):

“One of their big strengths, especially offensively, is continuity. Coach Golesh has been there for three years now, his quarterback’s been with him for three years now. I don’t think people really understand what kind of impact that makes on a football program¹. That’s just their strength overall, just some continuity and leadership at the quarterback position.”

USF Linebacker Mac Harris:

“We practice running to the ball… and that’s where plays happen. That’s when big plays happen. We were able to stop the run and make them pass, and that was huge for us tonight.” (Pre-game quote on creating turnovers, relevant to USF’s overall defensive mindset).

Up Next For The Bulls: A Monster Road Game Against Memphis At 12 pm on Saturday With Possibly The AAC Conference Title On The Line.

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