UAB Welcomes Samford to Protective for Cross-Town Tilt

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB returns to Protective Stadium on Saturday afternoon for a rare crosstown matchup with Samford at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+. The Blazers enter at 2-2 after a 24-20 victory over Navy, while Samford is 1-3 following a 45-7 win over VMI. Saturday marks just the second all-time meeting between the two Birmingham programs and the first since 1992, with the game also serving as UAB's Family Weekend contest.

GAME INFORMATION
Matchup	Samford (1-3) at UAB (2-2)
Date	Saturday, Oct. 3
Kickoff	2:30 p.m. CT
Location	Protective Stadium
Television	ESPN+
Live Stream Link	Watch ESPN
Television Crew	Mike Morgan (play-by-play), Doc Holliday (analyst)
Radio	WJOX-FM 94.5 (listen at joxfm.com or thevarsitynetwork.com)
UAB Radio Crew	David Crane (play-by-play), Bryant Turner (analyst), Landrum Roberts (sideline)
Series	Navy leads 3-0
Live Stats	UAB StatBroadcast
Social Media	X \| Instagram \| Facebook

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

CROSSTOWN RENEWAL — UAB and Samford meet for just the second time despite their campuses sitting only 3.2 miles apart. The only previous meeting came on Oct. 31, 1992, when Samford defeated UAB 49-3 during the Blazers' second varsity season. More than three decades later, the two Birmingham programs renew the series at Protective Stadium.
COMING OFF A BIG WIN — UAB enters Saturday with momentum following its 24-20 victory over Navy, the Blazers' first win over the Midshipmen and their first victory in an American Conference opener since joining the league in 2023. Bam McReynolds scored twice on the ground, while the defense forced two key Navy turnovers late to help secure the win.
NO. 1 IN THE AMERICAN IN TOTAL DEFENSE — UAB enters the Samford game allowing just 319.3 yards per game, the best mark in the American Conference. The Blazers have held three consecutive opponents to 21 points or fewer and have been particularly effective against the pass.
SECOND IN THE NATION AGAINST THE PASS — UAB is allowing just 113.0 passing yards per game, ranking second nationally and first in the American Conference. The Blazers have held each of their last three opponents to 110 passing yards or fewer, surrendering just 270 combined passing yards during that stretch.
PRESSURE IS BUILDING — UAB recorded 10 tackles for loss and six sacks against Navy, its first game with six or more sacks since Aug. 31, 2023 against North Carolina A&T and its first such performance against an FBS opponent since Oct. 9, 2021 against FAU. The Blazers now average 2.5 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss per game.
DEAN DOMINATES — Defensive lineman Marlin Dean turned in one of the top defensive performances in the country against Navy, recording 12 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. The performance earned him American Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors. Dean now has 18 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks and three forced fumbles through four games.
BYARD EVERYWHERE — Linebacker Muaaz Byard leads UAB with 42 tackles, averaging 10.5 per game. Byard has reached double figures in tackles in three consecutive games, totaling 35 stops over that stretch. He ranks second in the country in solo tackles and fourth in total tackles.
FINISHING STRONG — UAB has not allowed a fourth-quarter point in its last three games and owns a 34-14 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter this season. All 14 fourth-quarter points allowed came in the opener at Illinois, and the Blazer defense has not surrendered an offensive fourth-quarter touchdown since the 12:25 mark of that game.
MOVING THE CHAINS — UAB has converted 47.5 percent of its third downs, ranking among the top 40 nationally and fourth in the American Conference. The Blazers are 28-of-59 on third down through four games, helping UAB average 30:48 in time of possession.
GROUND GAME HOLDING ITS OWN — The Blazers are averaging 162.5 rushing yards per game, totaling 650 yards and five touchdowns through four contests. Roderick Robinson II leads the way with 263 yards in his first four games at UAB, already surpassing the 221 yards he accumulated over three seasons at Georgia.
ROBINSON NEARS 500 — Robinson enters the Samford game just 16 yards shy of 500 career rushing yards. He has quickly become a centerpiece of the UAB ground attack after transferring from Georgia.
BAM BREAKS THROUGH — Bam McReynolds surpassed 1,500 career rushing yards and 2,600 career all-purpose yards against Navy. He enters Saturday with 1,520 rushing yards and 2,608 all-purpose yards in 41 career games, while his two touchdowns against Navy marked the first multi-rushing-touchdown game of his collegiate career.
MIMS HITS TWO MILESTONES — Wide receiver Ty Mims surpassed 1,400 career receiving yards and 2,100 career all-purpose yards against Navy. He enters the week with 109 career receptions for 1,408 yards and seven touchdowns, while also averaging 15.2 yards per punt return, among the best marks in the American.
DUH-LONG-UH RANGE — Kicker Jonah DeLange continues to rank among the top specialists in the country. He is 8-of-9 on field goals and 9-of-9 on PATs this season and leads the American in both field-goal percentage and field goals made per game. DeLange is now 39-of-47 for his career and 17-of-21 from 40 yards or longer.
SAMFORD THROUGH THE AIR — The Bulldogs have leaned heavily on their passing game, averaging 248.8 passing yards per contest. Quarterback Gabarri Johnson has thrown for 868 yards and five touchdowns, while wide receiver Marquise Henderson averages 93.7 receiving yards per game.
BULLDOGS CREATE NEGATIVE PLAYS — Samford ranks among the top FCS teams in tackles for loss, averaging 8.0 per game, while also recording 2.5 sacks per contest. The Bulldogs have 32 tackles for loss and 10 sacks through four games.
FCS STREAK ON THE LINE — UAB enters Saturday having won 26 consecutive games against FCS/I-AA opponents since moving to the FBS level in 1996. The Blazers are 26-0 against FCS/I-AA competition during the FBS era and 9-0 since the return of football in 2017.
MORTENSEN'S SAMFORD CONNECTION — UAB head coach Alex Mortensen has his own history with Saturday's opponent. Mortensen played quarterback at Samford during the 2006 season and made his first collegiate start for the Bulldogs against Tennessee Tech. He has spoken this week about the relationships he built at Samford and how his time in Homewood helped introduce him to Birmingham long before eventually becoming UAB's head coach.
FAMILY WEEKEND — Saturday serves as UAB's Family Weekend game, with a full slate of pregame and in-game activities surrounding the matchup. Blazer Village will feature live music, a caricature artist and family activities, while the Family Fun Zone will include inflatables and a caricature artist through halftime. Members of UAB's 2000 football team, which defeated LSU 13-10 in Baton Rouge, will also be recognized as the week's Gridiron Greats.

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