UAB and WKU Face Off Friday Night on CBS Sports Network

BIRMINGHAM – In a heavyweight battle which will shape the Conference USA Championship race, the UAB football team travels to Bowling Green, Ky., for a Friday night contest at WKU. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

Both teams enter the contest at 2-1 overall in league play and the winner of this game will separate themselves as a front runner for the C-USA title game while the loser will need help moving forward.

Friday will have a championship feel as DJ Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal) will perform a pre-game concert while WKU is doing a blackout with their fans and uniforms.

Who: UAB (4-2, 2-1 C-USA) vs. WKU (4-3, 2-1 C-USA)
Where: Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium – Bowling Green, Ky.
When: Friday, Oct. 21 – 7 p.m. CST
Watch: CBS Sports Network
On The Call: Alex Del Barrio (play-by-play), Donta Whitner (analyst)
Listen: WJOX 94.5 FM
On the Call: David Crane (play-by-play), Bryant Turner (color), Landrum Roberts (sideline)
Series: Tied, 4-4
Last Meeting: Oct. 17, 2020 – UAB, 37-14

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

This is a huge weekend for the C-USA standings as the top four teams go head-to-head. Along with UAB and WKU facing off, a pair of 3-0 teams in UTSA and North Texas play on Saturday.
UAB is facing Conference USA's top rushing defense as WKU is allowing just 120 rushing yards per game.
However, UAB has the nation's leading rusher in DeWayne McBride (155.6) and an offensive line that was just named as one of 22 units nation-wide to the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll, which recognizes the top offensive line unit in the country.
McBride, who is in the discussion for the Doak Walker Award, has compiled 778 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in just five games this season. He has rushed for over 100 yards in every contest this season and is averaging 6.7 yards per carry.
Additionally, McBride has scored a rushing touchdown in each of his last 12 games and has 23 rushing touchdowns during that span. He is averaging 2.2 touchdowns per game this season.
Friday also features two of the top quarterback in Conference USA. UAB's Dylan Hopkins is the reigning C-USA Offensive Player of the Week after compiling 334 total yards and two touchdowns in last week's 34-20 victory over Charlotte. WKU's Austin Reed is leading the league with 2,316 passing yards (330.86/game), 21 touchdowns and five interceptions.
UAB has the nation's third-ranked pass defense and will be tested against Reed and WKU's offense who throws the ball 44 times a game.
This will be the fourth spread offense UAB has faced this season and the Blazers are allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 54 percent of their passes and have held opposing teams to just 176.6 passing yards per game.
Safety Grayson Cash is coming off a two-INT game and has a team-high three this season and nine for his career. Additionally, UAB's two corners in Mac McWilliams (nine passes defended, 2nd) and Starling Thomas V (six passes defended, 6th), both rank top 10 in Conference USA for passes defended.
Overall, WKU averaged 489 yards and 40 points per game, while UAB allows 319 yards and 17 points per game, making this a clash between C-USA's top-ranked offense vs. C-USA's top-ranked defense.
Coming off a team-high 11 tackles against Charlotte, linebacker Noah Wilder has moved into seventh on UAB's career tackles list with 284, and is close to becoming just the fourth player in school history to surpass 300 career tackles.

Following Friday night's game at WKU, the Blazers remain on the road and travel to Boca Raton, Fla., for a game at Florida Atlantic next Saturday, Oct. 29 on CBS Sports Network. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CST.

UAB and WKU Face Off Friday Night on CBS Sports Network

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Players Mentioned

Grayson Cash

Dylan Hopkins

DeWayne McBride

Mac McWilliams

Starling Thomas V

Noah Wilder

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics