Pinned
Link copied
The North Texas Mean Green haven't won a contest against the UAB Blazers since Sept. 23 of 2017, but they'll be looking to end the drought on Saturday. The Mean Green and UAB will face off in a Conference USA battle at 3:30 p.m. ET at Protective Stadium. The defensive coordinators will surely put in extra hours ahead of this game since these teams' offenses combined for 1,176 yards last week.
When you finish with 365 more yards than your opponent like North Texas did last week, a favorable outcome is almost sure to follow. They steamrolled past the FIU Panthers 52-14 at home. The team ran away with 45 points in the first half and mostly just sat on those in the second to pick up the victory. QB Austin Aune continued his habit of dropping crazy stat lines, passing for five TDs and 414 yards on 34 attempts. Near the top of the highlight reel was Aune's 57-yard TD bomb to WR Jyaire Shorter in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, the Blazers fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against the UTSA Roadrunners last week but wound up with a less-than-desirable result, falling 44-38. That makes it the first time this season UAB has let down their home crowd. A silver lining for them was the play of RB DeWayne McBride, who rushed for two TDs and 141 yards on 19 carries. McBride put himself on the highlight reel with a 68-yard TD scramble in the second quarter.
North Texas is expected to lose this next one by 6. They might be worth taking a chance on against the spread, however, as they are currently on a six-game streak of ATS wins.
North Texas' win brought them up to 6-4 while the Blazers' defeat pulled them down to 4-5. A couple offensive numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: The Mean Green rank fifth in the nation when it comes to passing touchdowns, with 28 on the season. UAB has displayed some offensive firepower of their own as they come into the game boasting the sixth most rushing yards per game in the nation at 243.7.
