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FACTS & STATS: Site: Fouts Field (30,500) -- Denton, Texas. Television: Sun Belt Network. Home Record: FAU 0-2, UNT 0-2. Away Record: FAU 0-2, UNT 1-2. Neutral Record: FAU 0-0, UNT 0-0. Conference Record: FAU 0-1, UNT 0-2. Series Record: Florida Atlantic leads, 5-0.

GAME NOTES: Still on the hunt for their first win of the 2009 season, the Florida Atlantic Owls hit the road for a meeting with the North Texas Mean Green in a Sun Belt Conference tussle.

The Owls last saw action on October 3rd when they dropped a tough 30-28 decision to Wyoming to fall to 0-4 on the season. A 27-25 loss to UL-Monroe back on September 26th gave the Owls an 0-1 mark in SBC play as well.

The story hasn't been much better for the Mean Green, who enter this contest with 1-4 overall tally. North Texas has lost four straight after opening the season with a 20-10 win over Ball State, with the most recent setback coming in the form of a heartbreaking 38-34 final at UL-Lafayette a week ago. The loss to the Ragin' Cajuns dropped the Mean Green to 0-2 in conference.

FAU leads the all-time series between these two programs by a 5-0 count.

Rusty Smith completed 17-of-28 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown to lead Florida Atlantic in the loss to Wyoming two weeks ago, with Darian Williams grabbing four passes for 64 yards and a score. Alfred Morris added 81 yards and a touchdown in the losing effort. The Owls had the final possession of the contest, but Smith had a pass batted down on fourth-and-three to seal the deal. The Owls amassed 374 yards of total offense in the contest, but also converted just 2-of-9 on third down opportunities. The Owls have averaged 384 ypg through their first four games, but have managed just 18.0 ppg. Smith averages 236.0 ypg as the Owls' signal-caller this season, and he has completed 83-of-140 passes to go with five touchdowns. Morris leads the FAU ground attack with a 94.2 ypg average thus far, while Jason Harmon leads the receivers with 19 grabs for 248 yards -- an average of 62.0 ypg.

FAU has struggled on the defensive side of the ball thus far, allowing the opposition to rack up 447.8 ypg and 36.0 ppg. Opponents have scored touchdowns on 15-of-17 trips to the red zone. The defensive unit has picked off just two passes thus far, but has forced five fumbles and tallied six sacks in four games. The Owls allowed Wyoming to reel off 421 yards of total offense during the October 3rd loss to the Cowboys, including 198 yards on the ground. The Pokes were perfect in the red zone as well, and converted 9-of-17 on third down. Tavious Polo returned an interception for a touchdown in the losing effort, and the squad did register three sacks in the contest. Michael Lockley leads the club with 44 total tackles, 3.5 of which were for lost yardage, while Dino Cox leads the Owls with three sacks.

Lance Dunbar earned SBC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts against ULL a week ago, as the running back accumulated a career-high 187 yards and scored four touchdowns in the losing effort. The performance ranks as the 14th-highest by any back this season in the NCAA, and also puts Dunbar in a group of only eight backs in SBC history to have four rushing touchdowns in a game. Quarterback Riley Dodge had a tough afternoon under center for the Mean Green, completing 24-of-38 passes for 209 yards and no touchdowns with three costly interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Jamaal Jackson was the prime benefactor of the pass attack, grabbing 10 balls for 73 yards. The Mean Green racked up 444 yards of total offense, and were solid on third down with an 8-of-16 conversion rate. Dunbar leads the UNT offense this season with 385 yards on the ground on just 65 carries for an average of 77.0 ypg. Dunbar also owns an SBC-best seven rushing touchdowns as well, while Dodge has thrown for 855 yards and a pair of scores. Dodge also has seven interceptions on the year, but has run for 188 yards and a score in 39 attempts.

The Mean Green have held the opposition to a respectable 363.0 ypg, but the limitations have not translated into containment, as opponents still have managed 33.8 ppg thanks in part to a 16-of-18 conversion rate in the red zone. Craig Robertson leads North Texas with 46 tackles and 1.5 sacks, while Brandon Akpunku leads the squad with three sacks and Royce Hill owns the units only two interceptions. UNT had all the momentum during last week's four-point loss, but the Mean Green let a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter slip away by allowing two Cajun scores, one of which was a game-winning four- yard touchdown pass with 27 seconds remaining. Four offensive turnovers put the Mean Green defense in a tough spot, as ULL started drives twice inside the North Texas 33-yard line. The Mean Green responded well though overall, allowing just two offensive touchdowns and 295 total yards.

North Texas has the homefield edge here, although neither team has been very impressive to this point in the season. A player like Dunbar might end up making the difference, so expect a Mean Green win.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: North Texas 33, Florida Atlantic 21