UAB Travels to Boca Raton for Contest at Florida Atlantic

Saturday, October 29

Boca Raton, FL

7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT

UAB

Florida Atlantic

UAB Travels to Boca Raton for Contest at Florida Atlantic

10/27/2022 3:14:00 PM | Football

UAB Game Notes at FAU FAU Game Notes vs. UAB

BIRMINGHAM – The UAB football team is set to face Florida Atlantic this Saturday night, Oct. 29, at FAU Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST/6 p.m. CST on CBS Sports Network.

Both teams enter the contest at 2-2 in the league standings. The winner of this game will remain in contention for the Conference USA Championship game while the loser will be eliminated from the title game race. Both teams are coming off 3-point road losses last week.

Who: UAB (4-3, 2-2 C-USA) at Florida Atlantic (3-5, 2-2 C-USA)
Where: FAU Stadium – Boca Raton, Fla.
When: Saturday, Oct. 29 – 7 p.m. EST/6 p.m. CST
Watch: CBS Sports Network
On The Call: Chris Hassel (play-by-play), Ross Tucker (analyst)
Listen: WJOX 94.5 FM
On The Call: David Crane (play-by-play), Bryant Turner (analyst), Landrum Roberts (sideline)
Series: Florida Atlantic leads, 5-3
Last Meeting: Oct. 9, 2021 – UAB, 31-14

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

UAB has the nation's second ranked pass defense and goes up against an FAU offense that ranks 80th nationally in passing (227.0) and 31st in rushing (195.4).
The Blazers have been lights out on defense and are coming off a performance in which they held the nation's fourth leading passer to just 128 yards. Along with ranking 2nd in pass efficiency defense, UAB is 8th nationally in passing yards allowed (169.3), 18th in scoring defense (17.7) and 21st in total defense (323.9). UAB has not given up more than 28 points in any game this year.
Led by Mac McWilliams (10), Starling Thomas (8) and Devodric Bynum (6), UAB has 38 pass breakups this season and is allowing just 5.46 yards per pass attempt.
Senior linebacker Noah Wilder enters Saturday with 298 career tackles and is on the verge of becoming just the fourth player in school history with 300 career tackles. Wilder is Conference USA's second leading tackler with an average of 10.0 per game.
Offensively, running back DeWayne McBride is coming off his second 200-yard performance of the season and continues to lead the nation in rushing. McBride is averaging 163.0 rushing yards per game and despite missing the first game of the season, he has the third most total rushing yards in the nation (978).
McBride has rushed for over 100 yards in every game this season and faces an FAU rushing defense that allows 167.1 yards per game. Overall, UAB ranks seventh nationally in rushing yards per game (242.3), which is on pace to shatter the school record.
McBride enters the contest at FAU with 2,788 career rushing yards and needs 29 more to move into second place on UAB's career rushing list (Pat Green, 2,817). McBride is also the NCAA active career leader in rushing yards per game (111.4) and rushing yards per attempt (7.1).
UAB's offense will have to be aware of safety Teja Young who set the FAU school record last week with his fourth career pick-six.
FAU quarterback N'Kosi Perry is averaging 225.3 passing yards per game and has thrown for 1,802 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions. His top target is LaJohntay Wester who has 536 yards and eight touchdowns. Overall, FAU averages 422.4 yards of total offense, ranking the Owls fifth in Conference USA.
UAB looks for its first road win of the season. UAB is 4-0 at home but 0-3 on the road with those three losses coming by a combined 14 points.

Following FAU, the Blazers open a two-game home stand with defending C-USA Champion UTSA who is currently 6-2 on the season. Kickoff at Protective Stadium on Nov. 5 is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.