Another Conference USA game for Florida Atlantic this week with the same implications for the Owls.

Win and FAU stays alive in the C-USA East Division title race.

Lose and any chance of getting to the conference championship game are all but wiped out.

Florida Atlantic travels to San Antonio for a 6 p.m. game Saturday against the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). The game will be played in the spacious (capacity 64,000) Alamodome.

FAU is coming off  34-7 victory over Florida International on Nov. 9 in the Shula Bowl game. That win pushed FAU to 7-3 on the season, 5-1 in the conference.

While FAU is tied with Marshall atop the C-USA East Division standings at 5-1, the Thundering Herd hold the tiebreaker should the two teams finish with identical conference records.

Marshall is on the road at Charlotte (5-5) Saturday and wraps up its season Nov. 30 at home against FIU (5-5). Marshall is favored to win both games.

FAU’s 36-31, last-minute loss at home to Marshall on Oct. 18 still doesn’t sit well with FAU coach Lane Kiffin.

“It is what it is,” Kiffin said earlier this week. “That game (Marshall) haunts us daily and we could have won, we should have won.

“Just unfortunate that that ends up being the difference of the division and potentially having home field as well.”

FAU is a big favorite against UTSA, based on the Owls offense – which is improving each week.

In the last three games – all wins – FAU has averaged more than 485 yards and just under 38 points.

The Owls offense is led by sophomore quarterback Chris Robison, who has completed 211 of 337 attempts (62.6 percent) for 2,633 yards and 18 touchdowns. Robison has also done a good job of protecting the football, having thrown only four interceptions.

Robison’s top two targets have been wide receiver Deangleo Antoine, who has 51 catches for 590 yards and five touchdowns, and tight end Harrison Bryant, who has 48 receptions for 708 yards and two touchdowns.

Florida Atlantic’s ground game has really come on in recent weeks and is led by running back Malcolm Davidson, who has rushed 78 times for 508 yards and seven scores. Larry McCammon III has 89 carries for 315 yards and seven touchdowns.

And, the Owls will get BJ Emmons (ankle injury) back this week, as the running back has only one carry on the year after rushing for 173 yards in 2018.

Florida Atlantic defense, which is ranked No. 2 nationally in turnover margin, should have a field day against UTSA, which is ranked 113th nationally in total offense.

UTSA averages just 19.1 points per game. Scoring that many points against FAU could be a problem given that quarterbak Lowell Narcisse – who has thrown for 1,140 yards and six touchdowns since taking over as the starter several weeks back – is listed as questionable for the game.

FAU ends its regular season Nov. 30 with a home game against Southern Mississippi (7-3, 5-1).

If You Go

Who: Florida Atlantic (7-3, 5-1) at University of Texas at San Antonio (4-6, 3-3)

What: Conference USA game – the seventh for both teams. Florida Atlantic has won the only game between the two teams, 41-37, in a contest played in 2014 on Howard Schnellenberger Field at FAU Stadium

Where: Alamodome (Capacity, 64,000) San Antonio, Texas

When: 6 p.m. Saturday

TV/Radio: ESPN+/Fox Sports 640 AM

Line: Florida Atlantic is a 20.5 point favorite

Did you Know: A Florida Atlantic win would be the 100th victory in the program’s history and the 24th for coach Lane Kiffin at the school

Photos contributed by: Bob Markey / Courtesy of www.FAUOwlsNest.com