Boca Raton Bowl pits nation's No. 1 passing offense (WKU) vs. top passing defense (App State)

In one corner, you have the nation's No. 1 passing offense. In the other, there is one of the best defenses against the pass.

Something will have to give when two of the top teams from Conference USA and the Sun Belt Conference face off in the Roofclaims.com Boca Raton Bowl on Dec. 18.

Western Kentucky's national No. 1 passing offense - led by quarterback Bailey Zappe - will take on Appalachian State and its defense at FAU Stadium. It will be an FBS-record seventh straight bowl appearance for Appalachian State, and Western Kentucky’s eighth bowl game in 10 years.

“We’re thrilled to play in the bowl game,” Western Kentucky athletic director Todd Stewart said. “I know our team certainly deserves an extra game this year because of everything that they achieved.”

This will be the sixth meeting between the Hilltoppers (8-5, 7-2 C-USA) and Mountaineers (10-3, 7-1 Sun Belt), dating back to 1972, with the most recent game in 2000. Appalachian State leads the series 4-1 with Western Kentucky’s most recent win coming in 1973.

“I know when I watch them play on television, they’re fun to watch,” Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton said. “We’re excited for that opportunity because of the caliber of team we get to play, and I know they’ll be fired up as well.”

This is the second time the Hilltoppers have played in the Boca Bowl, with their first one in 2016. It will also be the fourth time they will play at FAU Stadium since 2014, playing fellow C-USA member Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton every other year.

“We always enjoy playing in that stadium, and it will be neat for me to be in that bowl environment there,” Helton said. “It’s a great place, great setup for us to be in, and we’re excited about it.”

For Appalachian State, however, it will only be the team’s second time playing in south Florida, having lost to Miami in September.

The Mountaineers are 6-0 in bowl games since 2015 - with their most recent win coming last year in the Myrtle Beach Bowl against North Texas.

Both teams finished as the runner-up in their respective conferences. Western Kentucky lost to UTSA in the Conference USA championship game, while Appalachian State lost to No. 20 Louisiana - and new Florida coach Billy Napier - in the Sun Belt championship.

Boca Bowl executive director Doug Mosley said he's looking forward to seeing if Zappe can set an NCAA single-season passing record. The graduate transfer from Houston Baptist has thrown for 5,545 yards and 56 touchdowns this season in WKU's pass-crazy offense. He is four TD passes shy of former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow's NCAA single-season record of 60 TD passes.

“We will have an opportunity to see history made in our game this year,” Mosley said. “On the other hand, Appalachian State has one of the best pass defenses in the nation."

Roofclaims.com Boca Raton Bowl

Saturday, Feb. 18, 11 a.m.

TV: ESPN

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers playing Appalachian State Mountaineers in Boca Bowl