Western Kentucky will be tasked Saturday with doing something that no one else has done lately: slowing down Florida Atlantic’s offense.

Coach Lane Kiffin’s Owls have scored at least 31 points in five straight games. The most recent performance was an 804-yard day in a 69-31 runaway win over North Texas.

WKU players and coaches know the Hilltoppers (5-2 overall, 3-1 Conference USA) have a challenge in front of them Saturday when FAU (4-3, 3-0) comes to Houchens-Smith Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m., with the game to be streamed on watchstadium.com.

Coach Mike Sanford described the Owls as “the hottest team in Conference USA, maybe in college football.”

“We’re going to be tested mightily against a team that’s moving the ball at will against everybody in our conference,” Sanford said.

Florida Atlantic averaged a whopping 55 points over its first three conference games. The Owls average 7.09 yards per play and 6.9 yards per carry in league play, both of which lead C-USA.

The most recent performance came against a North Texas squad that, at 4-3 overall and 3-1 in C-USA, leads the West Division. In a potential C-USA championship game preview, FAU blew the Mean Green off the field.

The Owls ran for 447 yards, coming at a 9.3 yard-per-carry clip. They also threw for 357 yards, averaging 10.2 yards per pass attempt.

Florida Atlantic running back Devin Singletary rushed for 123 yards and three touchdowns, while Kerrith Whyte, Greg Howell, John Franklin and Jason Driskel added one rushing TD each. Driskel also completed TD passes to Willie Wright and Harrison Bryant.

Both the 69 points scored and 804 offensive yards tallied were program highs for FAU.

“At Florida Atlantic they’ve got some speed for sure, and they do a good job utilizing their players and their talent,” defensive coordinator Clayton White said Wednesday after practice. “They help their O-line and the quarterback (Driskel) does a really good job.”

Both Sanford and White talked about the similarities between this Owls offense and the attack run by former Baylor coach Art Briles whose son, Kendal, is Kiffin’s offensive coordinator.

FAU prioritizes tempo. The Owls run quick plays in succession to both fatigue a defense and not allow it time to substitute winded defenders.

White has instructed WKU’s scout team offense this week to run plays with as much tempo as possible to get the Topper defense prepared for Saturday.

“We’ll be ready Saturday,” defensive tackle Chris Johnson said. “I don’t believe it’ll be an issue for us. Our offense goes tempo as well and we practice against that every day in the spring and the summer. We’ll be ready for that.”

Everything Florida Atlantic does is set up by the run game. Singletary has rushed this season for 115.6 yards per game, 6.6 yards per carry and 14 rushing touchdowns.

Driskel is a mobile quarterback who can pull the ball in the read game and take off with it. He averages 7.1 yards per carry.

“They just want to rip off as many runs as possible and then when you start overcommitting to the box,” Sanford said, “they throw it out on the perimeter and let their perimeter guys get loose in the screen game.”

WKU defenders and coaches all this week have talked about the necessity of “run fits” – making sure the defense is properly aligned and that each defender completes their assignment against the run game with proper technique.

Tackling is also a priority for the Hilltoppers after Charlotte and Old Dominion have each rushed for chunk plays of 50 yards or more the last two weeks.

“They’re really good at running the ball so we have to be really good at our run fits this week and forcing them to throw,” defensive tackle Julien Lewis said. “Then we have to get QB pressure to get them out of their comfort zone.”{&end}