C-USA West Division on the Line as UAB Travels to No. 15 UTSA

BIRMINGHAM – The three-time reigning Conference USA West Division champion UAB football team travels to No. 15 UTSA this Saturday, Nov. 20, for a must-win showdown in San Antonio. Kickoff from the Alamodome is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+.

The Blazers (7-3, 5-1 C-USA) can win the West with a victory this Saturday and a win over UTEP next weekend at Protective Stadium. A victory for UTSA (10-0, 6-0) this Saturday would secure the Roadrunners their first-ever C-USA West Division title.

UTSA is one of three remaining undefeated teams in college football. The Roadrunners are No. 15 in the AP Poll, No. 18 in the Coaches Poll and No. 22 in the CFP Rankings. A win for UAB would be its first over a ranked team since 2011 and its first road victory over a Top 25 team since 2005.

Who: UAB (7-3, 5-1 C-USA) at No. 15 UTSA (10-0, 6-0 C-USA)
Where: Alamodome – San Antonio, Texas
When: Saturday, Nov. 20 – 2:30 p.m. CST
Watch: ESPN+
On The Call: Doug Anderson (play-by-play), LaDarrin McClane (color)
Listen: WJOX 94.5 FM
On The Call: David Crane (play-by-play), Steve Irvine (color), Trey Ragland (sideline)
Series: UAB leads, 4-1
Last Meeting: Oct. 3, 2020 – UAB, 21-13

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

Saturday's game between the top two teams in Conference USA features a pair of the league's marquee running backs in UTSA's Sincere McCormick and UAB's DeWayne McBride.
McCormick, the reigning C-USA Player of the Year, is the league's leading rusher with 230 carries for 1,150 yards and 11 touchdowns. McBride has compiled 945 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns for the Blazers, while carrying the ball 85 less times than McCormick.
McBride has arguably been the most productive player in the nation the last month, posting 550 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in his last four games. During that span, he is averaging 137.5 rushing yards per game and has gone over 100 rushing yards three times.
The rushing game will be critical in who comes out victorious as both defenses boast lofty national rankings in stopping the run. UTSA is the nation's sixth-ranked rush defense by allowing just 89.9 yards per game. UAB's rush defense ranks 16th with an averaging of 109.9.
Last week at Marshall, UAB's defense held one of the nation's top-rated offenses to just 269 total yards and 14 points. That was 228 yards and 22 points under Marshall's season average.
UAB has moved up to No. 15 nationally in total defense and looks to finish the season inside the top 10 for a fourth-consecutive year. UTSA also fields a stout defense which ranks 20th nationally.
For the first time since UAB returned to action in 2017, the Blazers had two 100-yard receivers and a 100-yard rusher in the same game last week at Marshall. Both Gerrit Prince and Trea Shropshire had exactly 100 receiving yards and DeWayne McBride had 108 rushing yards. Prince and Shropshire became the first duo since 2017 to have two 100-yard receivers in the same game (Collin Lisa and Andre Wilson vs. North Texas).
Shropshire leads the nation in yards per reception (25.71), while Prince leads all tight ends in that category and ranks sixth overall at 21.96. Prince is having an All-America worthy season, and along with leading all tight ends nationally in YPC, he ranks third in touchdown receptions (7) and seventh in yards (571).
Noah Wilder is UAB's leading tackler and is two stops away from 200 tackles in his career. Wilder had 85 tackles in 2019, 50 in a shortened 2020 season and currently has 63 this season.

Following UAB's trip to San Antonio, the Blazers return home to conclude the regular season against UTEP on Friday, Nov. 26, at Protective Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

C-USA West Division on the Line as UAB Travels to No. 15 UTSA

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Players Mentioned

DeWayne McBride

Gerrit Prince

Trea Shropshire

Noah Wilder

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics