
3:30 PM EST, ABC – Line: BYU -7, Over/Under: 54.5

The bowl season continues this weekend, as we take a trip to Shreveport, Louisiana for a showdown between the UAB Blazers and the (No. 13) BYU Cougars in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. Few programs have continued to mature under the radar as Alabama-Birmingham (8-4, 6-2 in CUSA) has over the past few years, with the school making its fourth postseason appearance in the last five seasons. Why is that significant, you ask? Well, prior to (Head Coach) Bill Clark’s arrival in Birmingham from Jacksonville State in 2014, the Blazers had appeared in just one bowl game in the history of the football program, which admittedly isn’t lengthy dating back to 1996. However, UAB didn’t play football AT ALL from 2015 to 2016 as the school effectively shut down the program in order to save money following an in-depth inspection into the university’s budget and revenue. Rather than leave for another opportunity to, you know, COACH, Clark decided to stick it out and rebuild behind the scenes and is now reaping the fruits of that labor; after going 42-20 (.677) since the football program was reinstated in 2017 and winning two Conference USA titles in three years, UAB opened Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham, which was a MAJOR victory for the athletic department, the school, and the community at large. One of the most experienced teams in the country, the Blazers returned sixteen starters, including nine on defense, with twelve super-seniors taking advantage of that extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA post-COVID. After playing their first four games on the road, Clark’s troops came up short in the christening of their new home, falling to a stout Liberty side in a 36-12 affair. Of course, this contest marked the second game since the transition from (Senior Quarterback) Tyler Johnston (55.1%, 409 YDS, 8.3 Y/A, 2 TD, 3 INT) to Dylan Hopkins (Redshirt Junior) Dylan Hopkins (64.2%, 2,085 YDS, 9.8 Y/A, 15 TD, 6 INT), who replaced the sixth-year signal-caller a week beforehand in a 28-21 comeback victory over Tulane. Though he hasn’t been overly impressive, Hopkins has certainly done enough to keep the starting job, completing a healthy 64.2% of his attempts for 2,085 yards on 9.8 yards per attempt, with fifteen touchdowns in comparison to six interceptions, while also sneaking into the end zone on five occasions in the red zone. Redshirting during 2020, Hopkins has proven to be a more efficient game manager than his predecessor, though has taken advantage of big plays when afforded the opportunity, averaging a stellar 9.8 yards per pass en route to developing a solid rapport with an experienced receiving corps. (Seniors) Trea Shropshire (25 REC, 683 YDS, 27.3 Y/R, 6 TD), RaJae’ Johnson-Sanders (23 REC, 394 YDS, 17.1 Y/R, 1 TD), and Gerrit Prince (32 REC, 656 YDS, 20.5 Y/R, 8 TD) have all made the most of their receptions with each pass-catcher netting at least 17.0 yards per catch, with Shropshire averaging a staggering 27.3 yards per reception, by far and away the most in the league. However, this unit’s chief playmaker has been (Sophomore Tailback) DeWayne McBride (177 CAR, 1,185 YDS, 6.7 Y/A, 12 TD), a 5′-11″, 230-lb bowling ball who has flashed an ability to break long runs on occasion; as a freshman in 2020, McBride totaled 439 yards on just forty-seven attempts, ripping off runs of seventy-five and seventy-one yards en route to averaging a robust 9.3 yards per carry. This season he has overcome a slow start to compile 1,185 yards on 6.7 yards per attempt and twelve touchdowns, though has churned out 793 yards (132.1 Y/G) and all but one of his twelve rushing scores over the last six games, averaging a whopping 8.3 yards per carry during that span. On the opposite side of the football, Clark’s defense continues to be one of the better units in Conference USA, yielding 22.8 points per game (41st in FBS) on 323.9 total yards, including 219 yards against the pass on 7.0 yards per attempt, and another 104.9 yards versus the run on 3.0 yards per carry. Since Liberty torched them for a season-worst 544 total yards back in early October, UAB has relinquished over 350 total yards on just one occasion over the last seven games, proving particularly difficult to run against in allowing just 86.5 rushing yards on a scant 2.5 yards per attempt. Furthermore, twelve of their nineteen takeaways have come during this stretch, including three in their 42-25 romp over UTEP in the regular season finale. Trailing 17-14 at halftime, the Blazers outscored the Miners 28-8 after intermission, as the running game was dominant in racking up 220 yards and four scores on forty-one carries. (Junior Tailback) Jermaine Brown Jr. (115 CAR, 584 YDS, 5.1 Y/A, 7 TD) accounted for three of those touchdowns, including two in the second half, while the aforementioned Hopkins completed 15-of-20 passes for 108 yards, two touchdowns and an interception before giving way to Johnston, who was afforded the opportunity to throw a pass on Senior Day. But getting back to the defense, Alabama-Birmingham held Texas El-Paso to just 3-of-13 on third down, with (Senior Safety) Grayson Cash (22 TKL, 3 INT, 4 PD, 1 TD) picking off his team-leading third pass of the season. Fellow Defensive Backs, Keondre Swoopes (47 TKL, 2.5 TFL, 2 INT, 6 PD, 1 TD) and Starling Thomas (39 TKL, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 INT, 8 PD) have been playmakers as well, accounting for two interceptions apiece with a combined fourteen defended passes. (Junior Defensive End) Alex Wright (41 TKL, 7.5 TFL, 6.0 SK, 2 FF, 3 PD) has also successfully bounced back from a disappointing 2020, while (Senior Linebacker) Noah Wilder (86 TKL, 5.5 TFL, 0.5 SK, 1 INT) remains as productive as ever with a team-best eighty-six tackles. This group figures to be tested early and often in this matchup with Brigham Young, who can certainly move the chains on the ground, with (Sophomore Tailback) Tyler Allgeier (more on him shortly) one of the most prolific rushers in the country. A win today would mark just the second bowl victory for UAB and their first against a ranked opponent under Clark and would go a long way towards raising the profile of the 53-year-old, who we would expect to be receiving some offers from larger schools in the near future.

Meanwhile, BYU (10-2) are gunning for back-to-back 11-win seasons for the first time in over a decade, surprising many pundits who believed that 2021 would indeed be a rebuilding campaign. By most metrics, the Cougars’ 11-1 finish a year ago wasn’t viewed in the most flattering of lights; simply put, their schedule was a proverbial cake walk after all of their Power-5 opponents canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the school to scramble to find opponents on a weekly basis. In fact, their lone loss of 2020 was a narrow 22-17 defeat at Coastal Carolina, with that matchup added to their schedule just two days before it was to be played. Impromptu scheduling aside, (Head Coach) Kalani Sitake also bid farewell to a number of playmakers, including (sensational Quarterback) Zach Wilson, along with (top Receiver) Dax Milne and (Left Tackle) Brady Christensen, with each figure selected in last Spring’s NFL Draft. Wilson, who was picked second overall, was expected to be a HUGE loss after accounting for forty-three touchdowns during his junior campaign, leaving Brigham Young to choose between four different candidates in a competition that lasted well into the Summer. Eventually, (Redshirt Sophomore) Jaren Hall (63.9%, 2,583 YDS, 8.7 Y/A, 20 TD, 5 INT) won the starting job and has remained in that place over the duration of the season, completing an efficient 63.9% of his passes for an average of 258.3 yards on 8.7 yards per attempt with twenty touchdowns opposed to just five interceptions, while also rushing for another 307 yards and three scores in ten games. Brothers, Puka (42 REC, 796 YDS, 19.0 Y/R, 6 TD) and Samson (18 REC, 288 YDS, 16.0 Y/R, 3 TD) Nacua has built a solid rapport with their Quarterback after transferring from Washington and Utah respectively, with the former leading the team in receiving yards (796) and touchdowns (6), with both averaging well over fifteen yards per reception. With that said, while the stability of the passing attack has been a surprise, the engine of the offense is unquestionably the ground game led by (Sophomore Tailback) Tyler Allgeier (249 CAR, 1,414 YDS, 5.7 Y/A, 20 TD). A converted Linebacker, Allgeier has absolutely flourished following the switch to the offensive side of the football, amassing 2,544 yards on a healthy 6.3 yards per carry with a whopping thirty-three touchdowns, including an FBS-leading twenty rushing scores this season. At 5′-11″ and 220 lbs. he has proven to be a load to bring down int he open field and has clearly put that old Linebacker mentality to good use as he takes on tackles out of the backfield. Furthermore, Allgeier has certainly been on a tear of late, averaging 147.8 yards on 6.5 yards per attempt with eleven touchdowns over the last five games, including 111 and a pair of scores in BYU’s come-from-behind 35-31 victory over USC in the regular season finale. Leading by as many as fifteen points early in the second half, the visiting side let the affair get away from them as the Trojans scored eighteen unanswered points to take the lead with early in the fourth quarter. The aforementioned Hall led the Cougars down to the host’s 39-yard line only to be picked off in the end zone, his second interception of the night. Fortunately, Sitake’s defense would force a three and out on the ensuing possession, granting Hall & Co once last opportunity to retake the lead, which they did via a 6-play, 62-yard drive culminating in the go-ahead touchdown courtesy of (Redshirt Freshman Tailback) Jackson McChesney (14 CAR, 64 YDS, 4.6 Y/A, 1 TD). Southern Cal would threaten once more though, driving all the way to Brigham Young’s 15-yard line, but (Redshirt Junior Cornerback) Kaleb Hayes (23 TKL) stopped them a yard short of completion of fourth and six, ending the game. In the end, both teams moved the football with ease amassing over 450 total yards apiece, and though they were far from efficient in committing a pair of turnovers and fumbling on three occasions, BYU proved resilient enough to make plays when they needed to in order to secure a second straight 10-win campaign. The visitors were 7-of-14 on third down and a perfect 3-of-3 on fourth down, with all completing 20-of-32 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns along with a pair of interceptions. With all the criticism that they had received for their makeshift schedule a year ago, Sitake’s troops defiantly shut their detractors up this year, going unbeaten in five games against Pac-12 competition and 6-1 overall against Power-5 opponents, with impressive victories over the likes of Arizona State (27-17) and (Pac-12 Champion) Utah (26-17). In fact, they swept through the state of Utah altogether, besting both the Utes and Utah State (34-20), marking the first time that the Cougars have managed to sweep their neighbors in the same season since 2009. It’s a testament to the work that the 46-year-old has done since his return to his alma mater back in 2016, amassing a solid 48-28 record (.632) as a true independent, with four bowls and finishing eleventh in the final AP Poll, which is the highest ranking that the program has enjoyed since 1996. With this team young on both sides of the football and having answered the skeptics following last year’s success, there is remarkably still plenty of room for growth in Provo, and a win tonight would allow them to carry that momentum on into 2022 where they will likely enter the Preseason Polls ranked for the first time since 2009.