1. Turnovers from the UAB offense
UAB is facing an issue at the quarterback position. Their unit is not elite by any stretch of the imagination and normal starter A.J. Erdely has not played in a couple of weeks due to a shoulder injury. His touchdown to interception ratio is currently 7-6 and he has not thrown a touchdown in five weeks. In his last game versus UTEP, Erdely threw for 79 yards and a interception, which doesn’t bode well for the injured QB. His backup, Tyler Johnston III, has put up inconsistent performances as well. Johnston has started for the past two weeks and thrown four touchdowns and four interceptions. Johnston never completes more than 60 percent of his passes.
2. A&M’s rushing facing some difficulty
The rushing performances by both junior Trayveon Williams and freshman Jashaun Corbin have been outstanding the past couple of weeks. Williams posted the second most rushing yards in his career last week against Ole Miss and rushed for 107 yards the week before at Auburn. However, UAB is ranked 15th in rushing defense this season and hasn’t allowed more than 100 yards on the ground since the first week of October. Last week, UAB allowed only five rushing yards against Southern Miss. The offensive line has flourished in the rush blocking aspect and should be able to create some holes for Williams on Saturday.
3. A closer game than many people expect
Yes, it’s true, UAB didn’t even have a football program two years ago, but it doesn’t mean that this team should be underestimated. During this season, they have put up very respectable numbers on both sides of the ball and played well on the road. If the Blazers decide to put the ball in the air more, A&M could have a major problem on their hands.
4. Renewed sense of confidence from A&M
Now that A&M is a couple weeks out of the SEC road gauntlet and has captured a victory over Ole Miss at home, the Aggies seem to have their confidence back. Williams rushed for the most yards he has all year against a FBS program. A&M quarterback Kellen Mond really pulled it together in the fourth quarter and A&M’s defense didn’t allow a single point in the fourth quarter. The win last week was crucial to how A&M will to play for the rest of the season. The Aggies earned their bowl eligibility last week and will play tough against UAB to earn a better bowl placement in the postseason.
5. Another standout performance from Kellen Mond
Despite the back-to-back turnovers on the first two drives of the second half, Mond was very accurate in his ball placement for each of his touchdowns last week. He finished with four all-purpose touchdowns and two turnovers, but really showed out in the fourth quarter. Don’t be surprised if Mond has another impressive performance this week.