UAB:
I guess you might say this is more of a play against a Houston team that seems to be dealing with some bad situaitions than it is a play for UAB. However, UAB has somewhat surprised a bit in there recent play as well.
The Houston problem with their QB is one of the main things I took in consideration and will get to that a little later. But first let?s take a look at both teams scheduling along with their home/away history.
UAB has been a pretty good Home team in the past. This season they are 2-1 at home with their only loss being just a 6 pt loss to a Pittsburgh team that has a pretty good defense. If you go back the 2 prior seasons, they were a combined 8-3 at home.
UAB was a team that ranked 5th in the nation last season defensively and although they lost a lot of those starters on defense this season, it it?s a team that I feel will continue to improve on defense as a lot will be contributed to the good coaching staff. Last game was a very good confidence booster for this team as they defeated Memphis 31-17 outright in a game where they were 8 point underdogs.
The Blazers also are coming off a bye week and have had the extra time to prepare for this one. The UAB coaching staff will be the first ones to admit it was a much needed week off as they held upwards of 12 players from practicing last week. Although a few may not practice this week as well, all are hopeful to play and be game-ready this week?so the extra week here plays a big role.
Houston on the other hand is a team that has a history of struggling on the road. They are just 1-2 Away with their one win coming in the season opener vs a Rice team that had only 8 returning starters from a year ago, so I really don?t think that road win has too much substantial meaning. If you continue to go back 2 more seasons, you?ll see that
Houston has just won 2 of their last 15 games on the Road! Also a big factor here is that not only is this a road game, but it?s also Houston?s 3rd straight road game.
Looking at common opponents this season, there has only been one in LA Lafayette?a game in which UAB lost 34-0 while Houston won 36-17. Just seems like players on both teams are looking the past opponent in Lafayette and are implying different things from it. This I feel is actually gonna benefit UAB. The UAB players admittedly overlooked and underestimated Lafayette after playing Pittsburgh tough the previous week. This was also a road game for UAB. Houston on the other hand could be a little overconfident from looking at the score of Lafayette vs UAB, but a bigger factor was that it was a Home game for them plus they had QB Barrick Nealy playing in that one who is currently hurt.
With Barrick Nealy hurt, Nick Eddy will get the start again which doesn?t bode well for Houston. Eddy was just 18-of-43 passes for 217 yards last week vs TCU and I really don?t expect him to light it up in this one either. Eddy has NO scrambling ability whatsoever and from what I?ve been reading from postings by a lot of Houston fans on message boards, the offensive coaches are in just as much disarray as far as being able to adjust to help the passing and running game. Unlike Nealy, Eddy is not very mobile and will throw the ball more which the UAB team is preparing for.
For those of you that don?t know, Eddy was the QB last season and now the offense is starting to look like last years offense for Houston. They ranked 112th in the nation last year in points scored at just 17.3 per game and were also ranked 112th in the nation in rushing yards at just 93 yards per game. I feel last week was a huge indicator of how this offense misses QB Barrick Nealy. Heck, they only had 27 yards rushing last week on 27 carries
They also miss his mobility and this showed last week as well with Eddy getting sacked 4 times.
Also from what I?ve heard from Cougar fans after this last week, it sounds like Eddy?s basically telegraphing all his plays. From one fan watching the game? ?On passing plays, the 2nd he gets the snap, he looks up (his whole body posture reads pass) If you watch, you?ll see that the secondary is watching this, and on long developing plays you?ll end up with double coverage on his primary receiver every single time.? This telegraphing of the pass has an aweful side effect, it telegraphs the run. ?Whenever it is a running play, Eddy stays hunched?doesn?t even bother to feign a look downfield. Just snap and hold the ball out for everyone to see and it looks it right into the breadbox of the running back. While this is a very sound way of avoiding fumbles on the handoff, it tells everyone RUN.?
Also heard from fans that Eddy was having problems late in the game hitting his receievers even when TCU was in the Prevent....makes you wonder how bad this guy is??
Bottom line, if you look at the numbers the line is probably justifiable, but if you between the lines a bit, you?ll see that this Houston team may be in big trouble and with Eddy back in there, it looks like their offense is going back to their 0-11 form of last season, while UAB will look to build off their last win and take advantage of the bad situational things going on with the Houston club.....I definately like there chances in this one.
One more thing?..Houston has never won a game in Alabama!
Good luck :thumb:
-ndnfan
