Florida Atlantic Owls Defeat Rice Owls 51-49 in College Football

Florida Atlantic defeated Rice 51-49 in a college football game played on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Flagler Credit Union Stadium.

Florida Atlantic quarterback Easton Messer recorded two rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns during the contest. He is the only FBS player in the last 20 seasons to achieve this specific combination of scoring plays in a single game, which also included a punt return for a touchdown.

Rice entered the matchup with a 1-6 record, while Florida Atlantic held a 4-2 record. The game was part of Rice's road swing, which concluded with the loss to Florida Atlantic.