MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Ave Maria football team notched their sixth win of the season Saturday afternoon, beating the Florida Memorial Lions 41-24. The win ties the 2026 season for most wins in a single year under head coach Joe Patterson and guarantees Ave Maria this first winning season since 2022.
The first quarter did not exactly start the way the Gyrenes had intended, but Ave Maria found their grove and scored 31 straight points between the end of the first quarter and the end of the third quarter to take a commanding lead.
Florida Memorial got the scoring started right away as they took the opening kickoff back 95 yards for a touchdown. It was the first time since the 2025 season opener that an opponent had returned a kickoff for a touchdown against the Gyrenes. Florida Memorial missed the PAT keeping the score at 6-0.
After picking the Gyrenes off on the next drive, the Florida Memorial offense drove down the field and scored another touchdown. The Lions went for two in an attempt to make up for the missed PAT, but the Gyrene defense held strong to keep the game 12-0.
Down by two scores, the Gyrenes revved to life as they began their 31 straight points streak. The Gyrenes started their scoring streak with a four-minute, eight-play drive ending in a touchdown. The longest play of the drive was also the scoring play as Logan Howard connected with Mitchell Soltau for a 22-yard touchdown pass. A successful PAT made the score 12-7.
The two teams held each in other in check for the first few drives to start the second quarter. With around three minutes left in the first half, sophomore linebacker Aiden Holmes intercepted a pass and took it 44 yards to the house for the first pick six of the season. It was also the second interception of the season for Holmes. A good PAT put the Gyrenes up 14-12.
Ave Maria was not done scoring in the first half though as the Gyrenes found the end zone one more time. A short FMU punt set the Gyrenes up at the own 45-yard line. With the relatively short field, AMU needed just two plays to add a third touchdown to the scoreboard. It again came through the air as Howard hooked up with Drew Mabrito for a 47-yard touchdown pass. It was the first touchdown reception of the season for Mabrito, who returned from a preseason injury October 24. Ave Maria again knocked through the PAT and took a 21-12 lead into the break.
The Gyrenes got the ball to start the second half and again put a touchdown on the board. The drive to start the third quarter was for sure the most sustained drive of the game for the Gyrenes, traveling 76 yards in 13 plays and draining 7:19 off the clock. Ave Maria again went through the air for the score as Howard connected with Soltau for the second time in the afternoon, giving the Gyrenes a 28-12 lead.
The defense forced a turnover on downs on the ensuing drive, handing the ball back over to the offense. The Gyrenes did not score a touchdown on this drive but did light up the board as Jermey Burch knocked through a 45-yard field to put the Gyrenes up 31-12.
Florida Memorial ended the Gyrenes' streak at the start of the fourth quarter with their third touchdown of the game, but the damage had already been done by Ave Maria. The Lions went for two again, but the defense made the stop keeping Florida Memorial at 18.
Ave Maria scored their fourth offensive touchdown on the next drive, extending the lead to 20 points. The Gyrenes got the benefit of two Florida Memorial penalties to move the ball quickly down the field. Howard then logged his fourth and final passing touchdown of the game, connecting with the freshman tight end Jordan Beck for the score.
The Gyrenes scored their final points with a little over five minutes remaining in the ball game. Burch logged his second field goal of the afternoon, this time from 37 yards out, to bring the Gyrenes up to 41 points.
Florida Memorial found the end zone one final time on the next drive, but it was too little too late as the Gyrenes walked off the field with a 41-24 victory.
At quarterback, Howard logged a career-high 21 completions and four touchdowns. His four passing scores doubled his number of touchdowns this season and brought his career total up to 13. His leading receivers were Mabrito and Soltau, each with five receptions. Mabrito logged more yards with 89, but Soltau logged two touchdowns, making it the third time this season a Gyrene has recorded multiple touchdown receptions.
On the ground, the Gyrenes rushed for 104 yards as a team, their most rushing yards since October 17 against Thomas. Howard was the leading rusher with 64 yards on 12 carries.
Defensively, Marco Casci led the team with eight tackles. As a group, the Gyrenes logged six tackles for a loss, four of which were sacks. Gregory Thomas III led the team with two sacks for 10 yards.
Holmes logged the pick six in the second quarter for the Gyrenes, but it was the first of two interceptions. Freshman Caden Moore also logged an interception in the fourth quarter. However, Moore fumbled the ball, and the Lions were able to fall on it to keep their drive alive.
With the win, Ave Maria improves to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in conference play. Six wins in a season is tied for the most in a single year under head coach Joe Patterson, tying the 2022 and 2018 seasons. It also guarantees a winning season for the Gyrenes, who are playing 11 games this year for the first time since 2021.
With a chance to break his record of wins in a year, Coach Patterson and Gyrenes are home for their final game of the regular season. Ave Maria will host the Southeastern Fire Saturday, November 14. Southeastern beat Keiser on Saturday, putting the all three teams into a three-way tie for second place in the Sun Conference. It will be the sixth week this season that the Gyrenes enter a conference game with the exact same league record as their opponent.
Southeastern has won the last three meetings between the two teams, but the last time they played at Gyrene Field, Ave Maria gave then No. 19 Southeastern a run for their money, falling 23-21. At 7-2, the Fire have aspirations of an At-Large big to the NAIA Football Championship Series, but the Gyrenes could play spoiler to that in the finale. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on the Sun Digital Network.
