Odds and ends from Air Force’s 33-27 loss at Florida Atlantic on Saturday in Boca Raton, Fla.

AIR FORCE PLAYER OF THE GAME

Garrett Kauppila,

junior safety

Kauppila made a team-high nine tackles, including 1.5 for loss. He also broke up a third-down pass and blocked a punt in the final minute that teammate Lakota Wills recovered for a touchdown.

TURNING POINT

Florida Atlantic, up by five at the time, forced an Air Force punt with 12:39 remaining in the game. Then, on its first play went 49 yards on a pass to Jovon Durante. Five plays later the Owls scored to push the lead to two possessions.

SUBPLOTS WE WATCHED

Pouring on more Saucier?

Joseph Saucier started for the second game in a row for Air Force, but he exited in the first quarter with an undisclosed injury. This seemed like the week the Falcons might really test what they had in the junior tailback. Instead, that position can be added to several others for Air Force that remain very much in flux. Nolan Eriksen played most of the game and carried eight times for 44 yards (adding a 12-yard catch), and Kade Remsberg carried once for 4 yards.

Humid nature

The weather played a factor, but not in the way expected. For the second week in a row, Air Force had to sit through multiple lightning delays, this time prior to kickoff. But with the lightning came rain that cooled the temperatures to about 75 degrees at kickoff. Cramping or other heat-related issues were never a factor for Air Force, as they could have been, particularly with the up-tempo style the Owls employ on offense.

Motor running?

He didn’t. Much. Devin “Motor” Singletary, Florida Atlantic’s Heisman-hopeful tailback who ran for 1,920 yards last year, was largely kept under wraps. He did bust one 36-yard touchdown run, which obviously factored very large in a six-point game, but aside from that he gained just 21 yards on 15 carries and was not among the nine Owls to catch a pass.

NUMBERS

0 All-time victories for Air Force in three games in the state of Florida.

1 Start at home for Florida Atlantic freshman quarterback Chris Robison, who set the program record with 471 passing yards in that debut.

6 Consecutive road games in which Air Force has given up at least 420 yards of offense.

76 Minutes the game was pushed back by a pair of lightning delays before kickoff.

Brent briggeman, The Gazette

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