| 11/30/2024 | Football | Box Score TULSA, Okla. – Florida Atlantic’s football team rewrote the record book in their final game of the 2024 season, taking down Tulsa by a score of 63-16 on Saturday afternoon. After scoring on their opening offensive possession, the Owls never looked back on their way for their second-most points in a single game in FAU history. Florida Atlantic recorded 665 yards from scrimmage on the day, the third most in program history. FIRST HALF The Owls opened scoring when redshirt junior QB Tyriq Starks faked the handoff and found redshirt junior TE Kahlil Brantley wide open for a 28-yard touchdown. A record-breaking offensive explosion in the second quarter saw the team drop 35 points, the most in a single quarter in FAU history, to take a 42-9 lead at halftime. The non-stop parade of points began on defense when senior CB Daedae Hill leaped in front of the Tulsa wide receiver’s route to pick off the pass and return it 16 yards for the touchdown. On the following offensive possession, redshirt freshman RB Gemari Sands broke free for a career-long 22-yard touchdown. From then on, the Owls offense became unstoppable, scoring on three consecutive plays from scrimmage in explosive fashion: first, a 78-yard screen pass to C.J. Campbell, followed by redshirt freshman RB Xavier Terrell ripping off the longest run in program history for 93 yards, and finally a pass to redshirt freshman WR Jabari Smith for 76. SECOND HALF Starks found redshirt sophomore TE Wyatt Sullivan in the back of the end zone for the score, and Terrell’s second carry on the afternoon went for 55 yards and the touchdown to build the lead. Florida Atlantic’s final score came in the fourth quarter, with Starks hitting Brantley for his second touchdown of the day to seal the 63-16 win. OFFENSE Starks’ five TD passes ties the program record. He completed 18 of his 25 passes for 295 yards Campbell Jr. tallied 228 total yards on the day, 118 receiving and 100 rushing. He finishes the season with 1,310 yards from scrimmage Terrell’s two carries went for 194 yards and two touchdowns The Owls’ ground game outgained Tulsa’s 371-64. Their 8.6 yards per carry is the second most in a single game in program history DEFENSE Hill’s pick-six was the Owls’ first of the season and the first TD of his career Making his first career start, freshman DB Mike Wright III nabbed an INT The defense’s third takeaway came from a fumble recovery for redshirt freshman DE Eric Brantley Jr. Graduate DB Wendol Philord recorded a game-high seven tackles and his first sack of the season POST-GAME AUDIO PHOTO GALLERY Gallery: (11-30-2024) Florida Atlantic at Tulsa FOLLOW ON SOCIAL Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com or through football’s Twitter and Instagram accounts @FAUFootball. |
