By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
On Friday night, the UAB Blazers face the Ohio Bobcats in the Bahamas Bowl. The game will kick off at 12:30 pm EST on ESPN from Thomas Robinson Stadium in the Nassau, Bahamas.
Both teams come into this game with 8-4 records. The Blazers, who once had the football program cut, along with two other teams in 2014, reversed course on their decision six months later and announced that the football program would return in 2017, then they won a school-record eight wins.
According to Covers.com Consensus Analysis, the Blazers have a 55% chance to win this game, according to their public poll. Their expert poll; however, says they have a 58% chance to win this game.
This is the first meeting between these two teams.
This Blazers will be appearing in their first Bowl game in 13-years. The last time they played in a Bowl game was a 59-40 loss in the Hawai’i Bowl to the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors on Christmas Eve 2004, which is also their only Bowl appearance.
Unlike UAB, who has only experienced this feeling once, the Bobcats are 2-8 all-time in Bowl games. They have lost their last three Bowl games.
Both of their wins came in 2011 and 2012. They defeated the Utah State Aggies, 24-23, in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on December 17th, 2011.
The following year, they defeated the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks, 45-14, in the Independence Bowl on December 28th, 2012.
The Blazers defeated the UTEP Miners in their last game. They have not lost a game since being defeated 36-7 to the Florida Gators in their only win after firing Jim McElwain in late October.
The Bobcats have lost their past two regular season games. They have not won a game since November 8th when they defeated the Toledo Rockets, 38-10.
The Blazers are averaging 29.6 points per game. The Bobcats are averaging 38.9 points per game.
A.J. Erdely, the Blazers quarterback, has gone 181 of 293 for 2,077 passing yards. He has 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Spencer Brown leads the running backs with 237 carries for 1,292 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Andre Wilson leads the receivers with 48 receptions for 619 yards and six touchdowns.
Nathan Rourke, the Bobcats quarterback, has gone 149 of 274 for 2,018 passing yards. He has 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
A.J. Ouellette leads the running backs with 184 carries for 980 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Papi White leads the receivers with 32 receptions for 525 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
