UAB Hosts Florida Atlantic in C-USA Showdown Saturday Afternoon

BIRMINGHAM – In a showdown between two of the top teams in Conference USA, the UAB football team hosts Florida Atlantic on Saturday afternoon at Protective Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CST.

The Blazers and Owls have combined to win each of the last four C-USA titles with FAU winning in 2017 & 2019, while the Blazers were crowned champion in 2018 & 2020. Since 2017, these two programs have the most wins of any teams in C-USA as UAB has a league-best 37 victories and FAU 35.

Who: UAB (3-2, 1-0 C-USA) vs. Florida Atlantic (3-2, 1-0 C-USA)
Where: Protective Stadium – Birmingham, Ala.
When: Saturday, Oct. 9 – 2:30 p.m. CST
Watch: Stadium - www.watchstadium.com OR
Birmingham – WTTO (CW 21), Spectrum (9, 1009), AT&T Uverse (21, 1021) OR
Boca Raton – WTVX (CW 34) - AT&T U-verse (4/1004), Comcast (4/435), DirecTV (34), Dish (34)
On The Call: Ari Wolfe (play-by-play), Danan Hughes (color)
Listen: WJOX 94.5 FM
On The Call: David Crane (play-by-play), Steve Irvine (color), Trey Ragland (sideline)
Series: FAU leads, 5-2
Last Meeting: Dec. 7, 2019 – FAU 49-6 (C-USA Championship)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

The Blazers look for their first win at Protective Stadium and also look to continue their dominance over league opponents. Since 2017, UAB is 25-7 against Conference USA members.
Saturday's game is crucially important for both teams to remain at the top of their respective divisions. FAU is coming off a 58-21 victory over rival FIU, while the Blazers earned their first C-USA win three weeks ago in Denton with a 40-6 victory over North Texas. Both teams are 3-2 overall and 1-0 in league play.
Running backs Jermaine Brown Jr. and DeWayne McBride are heating up and have combined to post back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances. Brown is coming off nine carries for 106 yards and a touchdown against Liberty, while McBride had 18 carries for 111 yards two weeks at Tulane. Both backs are averaging over 5.0 yards per carry and they have combined for 680 of UAB's 813 total rushing yards this year.
Gerrit Prince remains the top target for quarterback Dylan Hopkins. Prince leads the Blazers with 15 catches for 299 yards and five touchdowns. His five receiving touchdowns are tied for the nation's lead amongst tight ends.
UAB's defense has created a turnover in four straight games and looks to keep that streak alive this weekend against the Owls. The most recent takeaway was a Jaylen Key fumble recovery on the goal line which was forced by Michael Fairbanks II. UAB has four interceptions and three fumble recoveries this year.
The Blazers are 16-6 coming off a loss during the Clark era dating back to 2014. Since the return, UAB is 12-4 in that category.
Florida Atlantic's high-powered offense is led by Miami transfer N'Kosi Perry at quarterback. Perry is 94-of-157 (59.9 percent) for 1,273 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception this year. He has also added three rushing touchdowns. The Owls are converting 52.8 percent on third down which ranks fourth nationally.
Defensively, FAU has stepped up big in the red zone having only allowed points on 10 of their opponents 17 trips inside the 20, good for fourth nationally in red zone defense. UAB's offense is 11-of-13 in the red zone and this key statistic will play a major factor on the outcome of the game.

Following this Saturday's game, UAB hits the road for a C-USA West Division battle at Southern Miss on Saturday, Oct. 16. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

Individual game tickets, season tickets and group tickets are all available for sale by clicking here. Tickets to the FAU game start as low as $20 and can be purchased by clicking here or calling the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at 205-975-UAB1.

UAB Hosts Florida Atlantic in C-USA Showdown Saturday Afternoon

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Players Mentioned

Jermaine Brown Jr.

Michael Fairbanks II

Dylan Hopkins

Jaylen Key

DeWayne McBride

Gerrit Prince

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics