Florida Atlantic has seen its season follow a familiar pattern in each of the last two years.

The Owls start slow against a brutal schedule, right the ship, gain momentum and then finish the season in a bowl game.

North Texas is well aware of that history, not to mention the Owls’ dominance in the series, heading into its homecoming game tonight. FAU has won all five games it has played against the Mean Green, beginning with a shocking win in 2004, the last time UNT had a winning season or went to a bowl game.

UNT is looking to snap a four-game overall losing streak, a seven-game skid at Fouts Field and a 13-game Sun Belt Conference slide. One more loss would give UNT the longest losing streak in the history of the league. It also has the longest winning streak at 26 games, a run UNT put together from 2001-04.

UNT came close to breaking through for its first win in Sun Belt play since 2007 before falling in the final minute to Louisiana-Lafayette last week.

“It gets frustrating,” UNT linebacker Tobe Nwigwe said. “It takes a toll on you when you pour yourself out there and come up short.”

The feeling of coming close is familiar for UNT, which nearly broke its home losing streak before falling in double overtime against Ohio in the second week of the season.

Getting over the hump could be a challenge this week against an FAU team that has also had its share of close calls this season. The Owls lost by two points in each of the last two weeks, to Wyoming and to Louisiana-Monroe in its Sun Belt opener.

If FAU wants to play in a bowl for a third straight year, it will have to begin its annual rally against UNT.

“This is not an unusual position for us to be in,” FAU head coach Howard Schnellenberger said. “We were 1-5 last year and came back and won five games. We play over our heads in the first couple of games. Then if you lose one you should win, you get behind the 8-ball.”

Both teams are in that spot when it comes to reaching their goals this season.

FAU (0-4, 0-1) can’t lose another game if it wants to contend for the Sun Belt title after dropping its league opener to ULM. UNT (1-4, 0-2) has lost four straight and is pretty much out of the race for the conference title.

The Mean Green’s goals of making a substantial improvement over the first two seasons of the Todd Dodge era are still within reach, though, if it can break through for a few wins in the second half of the season. UNT went 2-10 in Dodge’s first season before finishing 1-11 last year.

The Mean Green can equal its high-water mark for wins in a season under Dodge with a victory over FAU. UNT knows reaching that goal will be a challenge.

“When you don’t win, it gets harder and harder,” UNT defensive coordinator Gary DeLoach said. “We have to win. It’s a matter of making those key plays.”

While FAU hasn’t been at its best this season, it features a quarterback in Rusty Smith who is a threat to get the Owls on track at any time. The preseason Co-Offensive Player of the Year in the Sun Belt has been the MVP of the New Orleans Bowl and the Motor City Bowl in consecutive seasons.

He is averaging 236 passing yards a game and will have his full complement of receivers ready today. Cortez Gent, FAU’s leading receiver last year, returned from a suspension last week in a loss to Wyoming and will be back to full speed for the Owls’ game against UNT.

FAU also features two of the best tight ends in the league in Jason Harmon and Jamari Grant.

“We are glad to see Cortez Gent back,” Schnellenberger said. “He didn’t lose much in the time he was away. He won’t start, but he will be in the rotation. He will help us be a better football team.”

FAU will also have the advantage when it comes to preparation time after having a bye last week.

UNT spent what preparation time it had trying to address its biggest problem -- the untimely turnovers and mistakes that have haunted the Mean Green all season. UNT has turned the ball over nine times in its last two games while recovering just one fumble.

The Mean Green has also committed a series of costly penalties, including three on fourth down to extend touchdown drives in its loss to the Ragin’ Cajuns.

“We need to protect the football,” UNT wide receivers coach Clayton George said. “One of our goals is not to have any turnovers. If we can eliminate those mistakes, it will help us win games.”

UNT is hoping this will be the week it does just that and wins for the first time since its season opener at Ball State.

“We have to learn to finish games,” Nwigwe said. “We are always in the hunt. We just haven’t finished. We are making too many mistakes to win. If we can get over the hump, things will start to roll for us.”

Four downs

Keys to today’s game

Slow down Rusty Smith

FAU quarterback Rusty Smith has absolutely killed UNT the last two seasons. He threw for 237 yards and four touchdowns in a 46-13 thrashing of the Mean Green last season, and had 322 yards and tossed the game-winning 74-yard strike to Cortez Gent two years ago. Smith is averaging 236 passing yards a game, despite facing a tough schedule that included games against Nebraska and South Carolina. UNT leads the Sun Belt in pass defense with an average of 192.6 yards a game and needs to have another solid performance against Smith.

Cut down on mistakes

UNT has killed itself with mistakes during a four-game losing streak. The Mean Green has turned the ball over nine times in its last two games and extended three Louisiana-Lafayette touchdown drives last week with penalties on fourth down. UNT ranks No. 116 out of 120 FBS teams nationally in turnover margin with a deficit of 1.6 per game. The Mean Green will have to cut down on the number of mistakes it makes to be competitive with FAU, which is looking for its first Sun Belt Conference win after dropping its opener to a surprising ULM team.

Build on a high-scoring game against ULL

UNT had its best game of the season when it comes to putting points on the board in a 38-34 loss to ULL last week. Running back Lance Dunbar had a breakout game with 187 yards and Riley Dodge threw for 209. The Mean Green scored 21 points in the second quarter against the Ragin’ Cajuns, the most UNT has scored in any quarter since also posting 21 in the first quarter of a win over Western Kentucky in its only win last season.

UNT has not scored more than 21 points in regulation in any of its previous four games this season.

Embrace a big opportunity

UNT is expected to play in front of a large homecoming crowd full of fans that have watched the Mean Green lose seven straight home games. UNT hasn’t won at home since beating Western Kentucky on Nov. 24, 2007. A win would give the Mean Green a ton of momentum. If UNT can’t capitalize today, it faces the prospect of taking on league favorite Troy on the road before returning home for an afternoon game against WKU on Halloween.

Key matchup

UNT safety Ira Smith vs. FAU tight end Jason Harmon

Tight ends play a key role in FAU’s offense, which is more of a pro-style set than the spread attacks that are the rage in college football, and Harmon is among the best in the Sun Belt.

Harmon has 19 catches for 248 yards on the season and is the Owls’ leading receiver. He sat out last season with a knee injury, but was a first-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection two years ago when he caught seven passes for 97 yards and a touchdown in the New Orleans Bowl.

Harmon returned this season and has teamed up with Jamari Grant, who was a preseason All-Sun Belt pick this year. Grant has six catches for 46 yards and a touchdown.

UNT leads the Sun Belt in passing efficiency defense with a rating of 112.6 in addition to ranking No. 1 in pass defense with an average of 192.6 yards allowed a game.

Smith played both safety and cornerback in junior college and has settled into a role at safety for UNT. He will play a key role in covering the middle of the field, where Harmon will look to find openings in UNT’s defense.

If Smith and fellow safety DaWaylon Cook can contain Harmon, UNT will have a much better chance to win.

Matching up

UNT’s offense vs. FAU’s defense

UNT has shown signs of improvement this season behind redshirt freshman Riley Dodge, sophomore running back Lance Dunbar and a pair of wide receivers who are in their first season at UNT in Jamaal Jackson and Darius Carey.

UNT finished with 444 yards of total offense last week against Louisiana-Lafayette, but ended up losing after a series of key mistakes, including four turnovers. The Mean Green has maintained throughout the week that it has learned from its mistakes and will not repeat them in its homecoming game against FAU.

UNT ranks fifth in the Sun Belt at 22.4 points a game and could have a chance to surpass that total against FAU, which ranks eighth in the league with an average of 36.0 points allowed per game. The Owls had to replace several of its key starters after last season, but bring back a few key players in cornerback Tavious Polo and linebacker Michael Lockley, who leads the Sun Belt with an average of 10.8 tackles a game.

UNT’s defense vs. FAU’s offense

UNT has improved dramatically this season and enters its game against FAU leading the Sun Belt in total defense with an average of 363 yards allowed per game. The Mean Green allowed 295 yards last week in a loss to ULL, which scored on an interception return and blocked punt return for a touchdown.

The Mean Green is allowing 33.8 points a game, which is a dramatic improvement over the last two seasons when UNT finished last nationally in scoring defense.

FAU ranks eighth in the Sun Belt with an average of 18 points per game, but has scored 25 and 28 points the last two weeks in losses to Louisiana-Monroe and Wyoming.

FAU has always had a potent passing game, but has added a new element this season in running back Alfred Morris. The sophomore leads the Sun Belt with an average of 94.2 rushing yards a game.

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.