The details:
WHAT: UAB at Western Kentucky
WHEN: Today (Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019), at 6 p.m. CT
WHERE: Houchens Industries–L.T. Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, Kentucky
SERIES: Tied, 3-3
TV: ESPN+
LINE: UAB at -3
THIS GAME WILL DETERMINE…
If the Blazers are ready to defend their league title – after starting the season undefeated against a less than stellar nonconference slate – and improve to 4-0 for the first time in school history. The Hilltoppers are in their first year under Tyson Helton, a former UAB assistant, and can make their own bid for a division championship by toppling the Blazers for a 2-0 start in conference play.
THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR
1. Brown cements legacy. Junior running back Spencer Brown has 192 yards and two touchdowns in three games this season and only 70 yards shy of becoming UAB’s all-time leading rusher. The success of the passing game has limited Brown this season but expect a consorted effort to get Brown the ball early and often in an effort to get the rushing milestone out of the way.
2. Creating turnovers. UAB’s defense has forced only four turnovers this season, however, chances are rare with the Blazers also racking up 13 sacks and 28 tackles for loss. The Hilltoppers like to air it out – averaging 39.6 passing attempts per game with a season-high 47 attempts against Louisville – despite averaging 31 rushing attempts per game and the Blazers’ secondary should be salivating provided the ample opportunity to create turnovers and improve upon UAB’s minus-1 turnover ratio.
3. Another day, another 300-yard passing game. Tyler Johnston has thrown for 300 yards in consecutive games and it doesn’t appear that’ll be changing anytime soon. Johnston has eight passing touchdowns this season with all but one going for 23 yards or more, while the Hilltoppers have allowed five of seven passing scores to go for more than 20 yards. The UAB receiving trio of Myron Mitchell, Kendall Parham and Austin Watkins have accounted for 615 combined yards this season and have proven more than capable of getting behind defenses for long passing plays.
KEY MATCHUP
UAB’s front seven vs. Western Kentucky’s offensive line: The Blazers are almost unstoppable at the line of scrimmage – holding opponents to an average of 95.3 rushing yards per game – and on pace to break school records for sacks (48) and tackles for loss (111) that were set last season. UAB is also ranked 22 in the nation in total defense (281 ypg) and fourth in third-down defense (21.4 percent). The Hilltoppers are one of two teams to return their offensive line intact from last season, giving up only two sacks so far this year, and are the lynchpin to any offensive success with starting quarterback Steven Duncan out for the season.
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