UAB and South Florida Meet on Saturday in Tampa

BIRMINGHAM – The UAB football team looks for its first AAC win of the season on Saturday against South Florida. Kickoff from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa is set for 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

The winner of Saturday's game will end a losing streak as UAB enters the game having dropped five straight and USF having lost three in a row. Both teams seek their first conference victory of the season.

Who: UAB (1-5, 0-3 AAC) at South Florida (2-4, 0-2 AAC)
Where: Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, Fla.
When: Saturday, Oct. 19 – 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT
Watch: ESPN+
On The Call: Jason Ross Jr. (play-by-play), Tyoka Jackson (analyst), Maria Trivelpiece (sideline)
Listen: WJOX 94.5 FM
On The Call: David Crane (play-by-play), Bryant Turner (analyst), Landrum Roberts (sideline)
Series: UAB leads, 2-1
Last Meeting: Oct. 7, 2023 – UAB, 56-35

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

Both UAB and USF have played very difficult schedules to this point of the season. UAB's first six opponents are a combined 28-8 overall, while its five FBS opponents are 24-5 overall. Of those five FBS opponents, Army (6-0) and Navy (5-0) are two of the 11 remaining unbeaten teams in the country, while their other three losses have come to ULM (5-1), Arkansas (4-2) and Tulane (4-2).
USF's schedule thus far has consisted of a road game at No. 4 Alabama and a home game against No. 8 Miami, while opening conference play with Tulane and Memphis. During their three-game losing streak to Miami, Tulane and Memphis, the Bulls have been outscored 121-28.
UAB is averaging 215.2 passing yards per game this year and faces a USF passing defense that ranks 121st nationally, allowing 275.8 yards per game through the air.
In two games as the starting quarterback, Jalen Kitna is averaging 240.5 passing yards per game and his top two targets have been Kam Shanks and Amare Thomas. Shanks is coming off a career performance with nine catches for 119 yards at Army, while Thomas has tallied 12 of his 26 catches and 151 of his 273 total yards in the last two weeks. He has a receiving touchdown in each of the last two games and has a team-high four TD receptions overall.
Running back Lee Beebe Jr. is also having a standout year as he leads the team in all-purpose yards with 505. He is the team's top rusher with 382 yards (5.2 YPC) and provides a receiving threat with 13 catches for 123 yards.
Linebacker Michael Moore is coming off a season-high 11 tackles at Army is leading the Blazers with 42 total stops.
UAB's defense will be facing USF's 104th ranked offense that averaged 153.0 rushing yards per game and 196.7 passing yards per game. Defensively for USF, the Bulls are coming off a game in which they held the Memphis offense scoreless for the final 54 minutes of the game as the Tigers were just 4-of-16 on third down.
UAB placekicker Jonah Delange looks to continue his perfect season on Saturday in Tampa. Delange is coming off a game at Army in which he made a career-long 51-yarder to improve to 10-for-10 on the season. He is one of four kickers nationally with a minimum of 10 attempts who has not missed yet. He is also 12-of-12 on PAT.
UAB Head Coach Trent Dilfer returns to Tampa Bay where he was selected sixth overall in the 1994 NFL by the Buccaneers and was the team's starting quarterback for six years (1994-99). Raymond James Stadium was also the site of where Dilfer won Super Bowl XXXV as the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens in 2000.

Following USF, the Blazers enter their second and final bye week of the season, then return to Protective Stadium on Nov. 2 for Homecoming against Tulsa.

UAB and South Florida Meet on Saturday in Tampa

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Players Mentioned

Lee Beebe Jr.

Jonah Delange

Jalen Kitna

Michael Moore

Kam Shanks

Amare Thomas

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics