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The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers have been on the wrong side of a one-way rivalry with the Florida Atlantic Owls and are hoping to record their first win since Oct. 29 of 2016. WKU and Florida Atlantic will face off in a Conference USA battle at noon ET on Saturday at Houchens-Smith Stadium. The Hilltoppers know how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past three matchups -- so hopefully Florida Atlantic likes a good challenge.
WKU was hampered by 90 penalty yards against the Rice Owls last week, but luckily for them that wasn't the tale of the game. WKU was the clear victor by a 42-21 margin over Rice. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 28 to nothing. QB Bailey Zappe continued his habit of dropping crazy stat lines, passing for five TDs and 482 yards on 43 attempts. Zappe's 65-yard touchdown toss to WR Mitchell Tinsley in the second quarter made for one of the most memorable moments of the afternoon.
The Hilltoppers' defense was a force to be reckoned with, as it collected four interceptions and one fumble. DB Omari Alexander picked up that interception and then proceeded to rub salt in the wound by taking it back the other way for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Florida Atlantic came up short against the Old Dominion Monarchs last week, falling 30-16. RB Johnny Ford put forth a good effort for the losing side as he rushed for one TD and 101 yards on 19 carries.
WKU is the favorite in this one, with an expected 10.5-point margin of victory. They are currently three-for-three against the spread in their most recent games, a trend bettors might want to take into account.
WKU's victory brought them up to 6-4 while Florida Atlantic's defeat pulled them down to 5-5. Two defensive stats to keep an eye on: The Hilltoppers are stumbling into the contest with the 221st most rushing touchdowns allowed in the nation, having given up 21 on the season. Florida Atlantics have had an even harder time: they are 186th worst in the nation in rushing touchdowns allowed, with 15 on the season. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
