UAB to Honor Children’s Harbor on Homecoming vs. Old Dominion

BIRMINGHAM - In its third annual Children's Harbor game, the UAB football team is set to host Old Dominion on Saturday, Oct. 19, for Homecoming at Legion Field. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. on ESPN+.

The Blazers will once again wear the last name of Children's Harbor patients on the back of their alternate grey and lime jerseys. This year's game brings the total to 300 Children's Harbor patients honored through this initiative.

Who: UAB (5-1, 2-1 C-USA) vs. Old Dominion (1-5, 0-2 C-USA)
Where: Birmingham, Ala. - Legion Field
When: Saturday, Oct. 19 - 3 p.m. CST
Watch: ESPN+
On the Call: Curt Bloom (play-by-play), Chad Pilcher (color)
Listen: WJOX 94.5 FM
Series: First Meeting

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

The Blazers look to achieve bowl eligibility for a third straight year with a victory this Saturday. UAB has been bowl eligible three straight seasons under the direction of Bill Clark (2014, 2017, 2018) and won the program's first bowl game last year with a 37-13 victory over Northern Illinois in the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl.
Wide receiver Austin Watkins Jr. is Conference USA's leading receiver with 534 total yards. Watkins has 26 catches for 534 yards and five touchdowns, while averaging 20.5 yards per catch. He had six catches for a career high 167 yards and a touchdown last week at UTSA.
The Blazers' big three wide receivers in Watkins Jr., Kendall Parham and Myron Mitchell have accounted for 1,268 of UAB's 1,503 receiving yards (84.4%). Their combined percentage of production is the third most nationally amongst wide receiver trios, only behind Minnesota (89%) and Arkansas State (86.3%).
In his last two games as the lead back, Lucious Stanley has averaged 90 rushing yards per game and has scored three touchdowns. He is averaging 5.6 yards per carry in those two games. Overall, the Blazers are averaging 162.5 rushing yards in those contests.
UAB is the nation's 7th ranked defense entering the Old Dominion contest (265.0). The Blazers have yet to allow any team to score more than 20 points this season.
The Blazers have done a tremendous job creating turnovers, specifically causing fumbles. UAB has forced 15 fumbles this year and recovered 10 of them. The 10 fumble recoveries are the most in the nation along with Mississippi State and Illinois.
Along with ranking 7th in total defense, the Blazers are also 8th nationally in third down defense (.277), 12th in scoring defense (16.0), 12th in passing yards allowed (168.5), 12th in sacks per game (3.50), 15th in rushing yards allowed (96.5) and 18th in tackles for loss per game (7.7).
A main reason for UAB's sack production has been redshirt sophomore Jordan Smith. The outside linebacker is leading the Blazers in both categories with 7.5 TFL and 5.5 sacks on the year.
Kristopher Moll is establishing himself as a contender for Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year. In five games, Moll has totaled 42 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 3.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup.
ODU has lost five in a row, but against high level opponents in Virginia, Virginia Tech, East Carolina, WKU and Marshall.
The Monarchs are the league's third ranked defense, but rank last in total offense. Defensively, linebacker Lawrence Garner is C-USA's second leading tackler at 9.8/game. Garner has 59 total tackles, 3.0 TFL and 1.0 sacks.

The Blazers enter their second bye week following the ODU game and will have two weeks to prepare for a trip to Knoxville to face Tennessee on Nov. 2 at Neyland Stadium.

For more information on the UAB football team, be sure to follow at UAB_FB on Twitter and Instagram.

UAB to Honor Children’s Harbor on Homecoming vs. Old Dominion

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Players Mentioned

Myron Mitchell

Kristopher Moll

Kendall Parham

Jordan Smith

Lucious Stanley

Austin Watkins Jr.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics