The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Saturday, October 23
Birmingham, Ala.
2:30 p.m.
UAB
vs
Rice
UAB Hosts Rice for Homecoming and Children’s Harbor Game
10/22/2021 10:55:00 AM | Football
BIRMINGHAM – The UAB football team returns home to face Conference USA West Division opponent Rice on Saturday, Oct. 23, at Protective Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
Saturday marks the fifth annual Children's Harbor game. Over the five years of partnership, the Blazers have honored 500 patients. UAB is 4-0 in Children's Harbor games and is also 4-0 against Rice since returning to action in 2017.
Who: UAB (5-2, 3-0 C-USA) vs. Rice (2-4, 1-1 C-USA)
Where: Protective Stadium – Birmingham, Ala.
When: Saturday, Oct. 23 – 2:30 p.m. CST
Watch: ESPN+
On The Call: Will Kolmeyer (play-by-play), Ben Stanfield (color), Lynden Blake (sideline)
Listen: WJOX 94.5 FM
On The Call: David Crane (play-by-play), Steve Irvine (color), Trey Ragland (sideline)
Series: UAB leads, 6-3
Last Meeting: Dec. 12, 2020 – UAB, 21-16
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
UAB Football single game tickets at Protective Stadium start as low as $20 and can be purchased by clicking here or calling the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at 205-975-UAB1.
Discounted group tickets and fan experiences are also available for a minimum purchase of 15 tickets to any home football game during the 2021 season. Complete the UAB Football Group Ticket Request Form or download the UAB Football Group Ticket Order Form by visiting the group tickets page.
Saturday marks the fifth annual Children's Harbor game. Over the five years of partnership, the Blazers have honored 500 patients. UAB is 4-0 in Children's Harbor games and is also 4-0 against Rice since returning to action in 2017.
Who: UAB (5-2, 3-0 C-USA) vs. Rice (2-4, 1-1 C-USA)
Where: Protective Stadium – Birmingham, Ala.
When: Saturday, Oct. 23 – 2:30 p.m. CST
Watch: ESPN+
On The Call: Will Kolmeyer (play-by-play), Ben Stanfield (color), Lynden Blake (sideline)
Listen: WJOX 94.5 FM
On The Call: David Crane (play-by-play), Steve Irvine (color), Trey Ragland (sideline)
Series: UAB leads, 6-3
Last Meeting: Dec. 12, 2020 – UAB, 21-16
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
- The Blazers have outscored C-USA opponents 102-20 in three games this season.
- UAB is 20-3 against C-USA West opponents since returning to action in 2017. The Blazers are 27-7 overall against the league since their return to the field.
- Safety Grayson Cash is the reigning Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week after a blocked punt returned for a touchdown at Southern Miss. Two weeks ago, Cash recorded the longest interception returned for a touchdown in program history and tied the longest in conference history (100 yards) versus Florida Atlantic.
- The Blazers notched their second shutout of the season last weekend at Southern Miss. UAB opened the season with a shutout over Jacksonville State, 31-0. One more shutout would tie the C-USA record for most shutouts in a season, which UAB set back in 2018.
- UAB's defense has created 10 turnovers in its last four games and has 12 overall this season, which ranks 21st nationally. Starling Thomas V leads the way with two interceptions and a fumble recovery, while Keondre Swoopes also has two interceptions. Overall, UAB has eight INTs and four fumble recoveries.
- The Blazers rank 31st nationally in total defense and have held their last two opponents to just 398 total yards of combined offense (291 vs. FAU, 107 vs. Southern Miss).
- Quarterback Dylan Hopkins will be making his fifth start of the season this Saturday. He is 3-1 as the starter this season and 6-3 in his career as QB1. Hopkins has thrown for 973 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions this season.
- Tight end Gerrit Prince and wide receiver Trea Shropshire have combined for 10 of UAB's 12 receiving touchdowns and half of the team's receiving yards (687 of 1,381).
- Veteran tight end Hayden Pittman looks to extend his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 33 on Saturday. Pittman's 32-game reception streak ranks seventh nationally only behind Justin Hall (Ball State – 50), JD Spielman (TCU – 40), Jake Ferguson (Wisconsin – 40), Emeka Emezie (NC State – 38) Jahan Dotson (Penn State – 35) and Justyn Ross (Clemson – 33).
- Rice has started three different quarterbacks this season and ranks 13th in Conference USA with an average of 16 points per game. Graduate student Jake Constantine got the nod last weekend at UTSA and finished the game going 3-for-6 for 21 yards and an interception.
- Defensively, Antonio Montero leads the team and ranks 15th in C-USA with 44 tackles (7.33/game) this season. Montero also has six tackles for loss and one and a half sacks on the year.
UAB Football single game tickets at Protective Stadium start as low as $20 and can be purchased by clicking here or calling the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at 205-975-UAB1.
Discounted group tickets and fan experiences are also available for a minimum purchase of 15 tickets to any home football game during the 2021 season. Complete the UAB Football Group Ticket Request Form or download the UAB Football Group Ticket Order Form by visiting the group tickets page.
Players Mentioned
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