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FORT LAUDERDALE -- Jeff Van Camp threw three second-half touchdowns in Florida Atlantic University's 35-18 Sun Belt Conference win against Arkansas State on Saturday.
"He proved last week was not a fluke," Owls' coach Howard Schnellenberger said of Van Camp in published reports. The redshirt junior, a 2006 graduate of Navarre High School, was thrust into the lineup when starter Rusty Smith's season and career ended with a shoulder injury Oct. 31 against Middle Tennessee State. Van Camp finished that game and played well in his first collegiate start last week at UAB, completing 24 of 36 passes for 254 yards and three scores. He threw two interceptions, but Schnellenberger said one was caused when he was hit as he released the ball and, on the other interception, the ball bounced off an FAU players' shoulder pad before it was caught by a UAB defender.
"He didn't force it and didn't make a bad throw," Schnellenberger said of Van Camp in reports published before the Arkansas State game. "It is heartwarming to see that we have a young man that can lead us the rest of the season and into his senior year."
Van Camp was 18-of-27 for 242 yards and three TDs and no interceptions against Arkansas State, but a vastly improved defense and an effective running game were the keys to victory. The Owls allowed more than 600 yards to UAB in Birmingham, but almost halved that total, to 344 yards, against the Red Wolves. After allowing nine touchdowns to UAB, Florida Atlantic held Arkansas State to four field goals and a meaningless late touchdown.
The Owls rushed 34 times for 154 net yards, an average of 4.5 yards per carry. Sophomore running back Alfred Morris gained 117 yards -- 96 in the second half -- and scored twice on 24 carries and needs just 25 yards for 1,000 yards rushing this season. Morris also scored on a 17-yard pass from Van Camp.
"We knew we had to put up points and get some yards on the ground, and that is what happened," Van Camp said after the game. "Our offensive line dominated up front."
Florida Atlantic is 3-6 overall, 3-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. Arkansas State fell to 2-7, 1-4.
The Owls play conference frontrunner Troy University (7-3, 6-0) at 3:15 p.m. Saturday at Troy, Ala. It hosts winless Western Kentucky (0-10, 0-6) and meets arch-rival Florida International (3-7, 3-4) in Miami in its final regular season games.
Technically, the Owls could become bowl eligible if it wins its final three contests; teams must win six games to be eligible to compete in a bowl game according to NCAA Bowl Championship Series rules. The Owls, playing in just their ninth season overall and fourth season in the Bowl Subdivision, won the New Orleans Bowl and Motor City Bowl after the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
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