INSIDE SLANT

Already eliminated from bowl contention, Florida Atlantic is playing for pride.

The Owls (3-7, 3-3 SBC) will play their final home game of the season Saturday against Western Kentucky trying to avoid their third-worst season in school history. FAU has finished 2-9 in two of its previous eight seasons.

The game against winless Western Kentucky (0-10, 0-6 SBC) should give FAU a chance to send its seniors out on a positive note for Senior Day. The Owls are favored by 14.5 points.

“You have to start talking about the core objective of playing the game of football, and that’s to win,” FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger said. “It becomes a matter of personal pride and historical improvement.”

On offense, Florida Atlantic junior quarterback Jeff Van Camp will look to continue to develop in his fourth career start. Van Camp threw for 193 yards last week against Troy and hasn’t thrown an interception in each of his last two games.

On defense, FAU will look to rebound from a program-worst 651 yards allowed against Troy.

“A lot of games are played not in conjunction with bowl (implications) and conference championships,” Schnellenberger said. “We find ourselves in that position. We have a group of guys we feel will play as hard as they can and prosper from the tough times they are going through.”

NOTES, QUOTES

• Expect plenty of points to be scored when Florida Atlantic and Western Kentucky play Saturday. FAU is ranked No. 116th in the nation in total defense, giving up 462.5 yards per game, while WKU is ranked 119 of the 120 Division I-A teams, allowing 506.5 yards per game.

• TE Jason Harmon earned John Mackey tight end of the week honors following his four catch, 85-yard performance in FAU’s 35-18 win over Arkansas State.

Series History:   Florida Atlantic leads series 1-0 (last meeting, 2008, 24-20 Florida Atlantic)

Scouting The Offense:   Despite being held to 348 yards by Troy, FAU’s offense is ranked 20th in the nation, averaging 435.2 yards per game. The Owls have had decent balance with 287 yards passing per game and 148.2 yards rushing per game. On third down, the Owls have been decent this year, converting 46 percent (66-143). 

Scouting The Defense:   FAU’s pass rush has been non-existent this season, generating just 15 sacks through its first 10 games. The Owls are giving up 224.7 yards per game rushing on an average of 6.2 yards per carry. Of FAU’s 46 touchdowns given up, 32 have been rushing touchdowns, 

Quote To Note:   “Once again we were hurt by the big play both running and passing and it appears we haven’t made any improvements since the UAB game.”—Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger, on his team’s defensive performance against Troy.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

This Week  ‘S GAME: Western Kentucky at Florida Atlantic, Nov. 28—Florida Atlantic (3-7, 3-3 SBC) will look to send its seniors out on a positive note on Senior Day in its final home game this season. Western Kentucky (0-10, 0-6) is playing its second-to-last game under lame-duck coach David Elson. Former WKU player and assistant coach Willie Taggert will take over for Elson at the end of the season.   

 KEYS TO THE GAME: FAU’s offensive line will need to protect starting quarterback Jeff Van Camp better after giving up five sacks last week against Troy. FAU will need to be diligent on special teams. Western Kentucky running back/return specialist Bobby Rainey leads the Sun Belt Conference in kick return yardage at 23.8 yards per game. Rainey leads WKU with six TDs (five rushing, one receiving) and is a big-play threat that the Owls need to contain.  

Players To Watch:   

RB Alfred Morris, with 1,112 yards this season, became FAU’s all-time leading rusher in history in his first season as a starter. Morris will look to add to his record total against WKU.

QB Jeff Van Camp, despite going 1-2 as a starter, has been steady since replacing starting QB Rusty Smith following Smith’s season-ending shoulder injury. Van Camp has passed for 886 yards this season with seven TD pass and two interceptions.

SS Marcus Bartels has emerged as a leader on FAU’s young defense. Bartels leads FAU in tackles (84), including four for loss. He also has one forced fumble and one interception this season. 

Roster Report:  

   —MLB David Hinds is expected to make his third straight start.