This Friday, the (4-2) UAB Blazers and the (4-3) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers will match up in the eighth week of the 2022 college football season. Kickoff will be at 8:00 PM EST inside Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. Both of these teams have started this season strong, and I am expecting a battle in this one.
The Blazers are coming into this one after taking down Charlotte, 34-20. UAB looked great on offense, as they continued to move the ball up and down the field. They also ran for 279 yards, as they were efficient on the ground.
The Hilltoppers are entering this one after taking down Middle Tennessee State, 35-17. Western Kentucky also looked great on offense, as they recorded 443 total yards in that game. They will need to stay hot with the ball in their hands if they want to take down the Blazers at home.
The UAB Blazers have now won two straight, as they will be going for three in this one. On offense, they are scoring 34.5 points per game and they are averaging 449.5 total yards of offense. This is the 37th most points scored per game and the 35th most total yards. They have shown that they can efficiently move the ball up and down the field, as they have leaned on their rushing attack this season. UAB is currently throwing for 205.5 yards per game, which is the 105th most in the country. They will attempt to get the ball to Trea Shropshire, as he has been the leading receiver for the Blazers this season. He is averaging 25.9 yards per catch and he has scored two touchdowns, as he is a deep threat down the field. But, they are running for 244 yards per game, which is the eighth most in the nation. Watch for Dewayne McBride out of the backfield, as he has already run for 778 yards this season and scored 11 touchdowns. He is also averaging 6 .7 yards per carry. Jermaine Brown Jr. will also get some touches, as he has run for 418 yards this season and scored three touchdowns. I'm expecting Dylan Hopkins to start at quarterback in this game, as well. He has already thrown for 1,170 yards this season and six touchdowns.
On defense, the Blazers have been better the past two weeks, as they only allowed Charlotte to score 20 points and MTSU only scored 14 the week before. They are currently surrendering 17.3 points per game, which is the 18th least in the country. Scoring on this defense has been a challenge for their opponents, as they have been good against the run and the pass. They are only allowing 319.2 total yards per game, as this is the 20th least in the nation. Their secondary has continued to perform, as they are only allowing 176.2 passing yards per game. This is the 15th least in the country, as their defensive backs have continued to drop back into coverage and make plays. Watch for Ke ondre Swoopes, as the junior safety has already recorded 25 tackles and an interception this season. He also had 14 total tackles against MTSU, as he was flying around the field. UAB is only allowing 143 rushing yards per game, as well. This is the 64th least amount of rushing yards allowed per game, as their front seven has continued to rally toward the ball. Noah Wilder has continued to hold down the middle of the field, as he has already recorded 54 tackles this season, which is the most on the team.