Paradise Brew 8/29: Taking On the Terrapins

After what has felt like endless months of waiting, the season opener against the Maryland Terrapins is finally here.

August 29, 2025

It’s Football Week, FAU Family. After what has felt like endless months of waiting, the season opener against the Maryland Terrapins is finally here. Below are the details:

Saturday, Aug. 30
🏈 Football @ Maryland - Season Opener @ Noon TV: Big Ten Network | Radio: Fox Sports 640 South Florida | Tickets

This squad is going to be looking fly in College Park! 👇🏼

What else do we have mixed into today’s Brew? Check it out below!

🎤 2025 Florida Atlantic Coaches Show, Fall Schedule
⛳️ Women’s Golf Schedule Announcement
🏐 Volleyball is BACK
⚽️ Men’s Soccer is 3-0!
🦉 And much, much more

Number of the Day: 1️⃣

We’re counting down the days to the return of Florida Atlantic football on August 30 at Maryland! In the Owls’ very 1st season in the FBS (Division I-A) in 2004, FAU went 9-3, an impressive debut for this newly elevated program!

The 2004 Florida Atlantic Owls

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🔼 Holding the Line. First-year Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Zach Kittley has entrusted Brett Dewhurst as his defensive coordinator. The two, who are reuniting from their days coaching at Texas Tech, make up the youngest average playcalling duo in Division I football.

Dewhurst is a natural teacher, a trait inherited from both his mother, a longtime high school instructor, and his father, who spent time as a high school coach.

Get to know more about Dewhurst and his coaching philosophy in a feature with Frank Forte. The segment is featured on Inside the Owls' Burrow, Season 10, Episode 2.

🔼 Twinning & Winning. Tyclean Luman and Tycoolhill Luman, redshirt freshmen defensive linemen entering their first season with Florida Atlantic, are identical twins who have spent their entire football careers together.

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and then attending Miami Norland High School, they have shared many football memories. But how well do the two really know each other off the field? A match game puts the two to the test.

The segment is featured on Season 10, Episode 2, of Inside the Owls' Burrow. 

🔼 Did This Spike Your Heart Rate? Florida Atlantic volleyball is set to kick off its 2025 season this weekend, hosting the Florida Atlantic Invitational today and tomorrow—Friday, Aug. 29, and Saturday, Aug. 30—welcoming Kent State, Texas Tech, and Western Carolina.

The Owls will open the season today with a noon ET first serve against Kent State. Florida Atlantic will close out its season-opening day with a 7 p.m. first serve against Texas Tech, before closing out the weekend against Western Carolina on Saturday, Aug. 30, at 1 p.m. All matches will be broadcast on FAUSports.com.

🔼 The Cleanest Sheets in Town. Oliver Moller-Jensen scored with 49 seconds left in the second half to lead No. 22 Florida Atlantic men's soccer to a 1-0 win over Jacksonville (1-2) on Thursday night. The Owls (3-0) are yet to concede a goal in three matches so far this season.

Reigning American Conference Goalkeeper of the Week, Alfred Mikkelsen, tallied three saves to record his third consecutive clean sheet.

And check out the absolutely pivotal play by Oliver Moller-Jensen! 👇🏼

🔼 Making Strides in Paradise. The 2025 cross country season has arrived for Florida Atlantic's men's and women's teams. The Owls will begin their season with the 11th annual FAU Invitational, their only home race of the season, today—Friday, Aug. 29. The competition will once again take place at South County Regional Park, with the men scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. and the women at 7:00 p.m.

The Owls are led by Head Coach Alex Smolka, who enters his 25th year at the helm of both cross country teams, and assistant coaches Jessica Carter and Sonja Friend-Uhl. 

🔼 Playing the Long Ball. Florida Atlantic women's golf will compete in eight events as part of the 2025-26 fall and spring schedule, leading up to the American Conference Championship in Brooksville, Florida, next April.

The Owls will open the season with the first of three fall events on Sept. 29 in Miami at the FIU Pat Bradley Invite. New tournaments hosted by East Carolina in Greenville, North Carolina, and Mercer in Forsyth, Georgia, will complete the fall campaign.

Five events are scheduled for the spring, beginning with the CIEE Florida Atlantic Paradise Invitational, Feb. 2-4, at Osprey Point.

⛳️ FULL RUNDOWN 📅

🔼 We’re Just Spitballing Here. The fall schedule is set for the 2025 Florida Atlantic Coaches Show, which debuts next Thursday night at the Duffy's Sports Grill of Boca Raton.

Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Zach Kittley is the featured guest throughout the fall, along with host and voice of the Owls Ken LaVicka. Next week's debut show also includes Vice President and Director of Athletics Brian White and Defensive Coordinator Brett Dewhurst.

🎤 : MORE DETAILS

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  1. Confidence Booster: A healthy smile boosts self-esteem. Clean, healthy teeth make you feel better about your appearance, enhancing personal and professional relationships.

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  4. Radiates Happiness: Smiles are contagious! A genuine smile lifts others’ spirits and spreads joy.

Remember, a healthy smile reflects your overall well-being. Prioritize your oral healtH and inspire others. Schedule a dental appointment today to keep your smile bright!

🤓 A Pounding in Paradise. What team did the Owls beat in the 2017 Boca Raton Bowl with a dominant 50-3 dub?

Have a guess? Scroll to the bottom to find out!

You See It Rollin’ 👀. Top-of-the-line football equipment deserves a fitting ride!

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*All Times Are in ET

Friday, Aug. 29
🏐 Volleyball vs. Kent State @ noon | Live Stats | Tournament Central
👟 Men’s Cross Country - Florida Atlantic Invitational @ 6 p.m.
👟 Women’s Cross Country - Florida Atlantic Invitational @ 7 p.m.
🏐 Volleyball vs. Texas Tech @ 7 p.m. | Live Stats | Tournament Central

Saturday, Aug. 30
🏈 Football @ Maryland - Season Opener @ Noon TV: Big Ten Network | Radio: Fox Sports 640 South Florida | Tickets
🏐 Volleyball vs. Western Carolina @ 1 p.m. | Live Stats | Tournament Central

Sunday, Aug. 31
⚽️ Women’s Soccer vs. Lipscomb @ noon (🚨NEW TIME🚨) | Watch | Live Stats

🦉 Go here for the complete Florida Atlantic University Athletics Calendar

Paradise Trivia is brought to you by Choice Mortgage Group, the Official Mortgage Lender of Florida Atlantic Athletics.

The Answer: Akron!

The Florida Atlantic football team capped off its 2017 football season with a dominant 50–3 win over Akron in the Boca Raton Bowl.

🦉 Happy Football Weekend, Owl Fam!