UAB football hosts ECU tonight in first matchup since 2013
UAB football is trending because the Blazers host East Carolina Thursday night in Birmingham, the first meeting between the two since 2013.
Why UAB football is trending
UAB football is trending because the Blazers play East Carolina on Thursday night at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game airs on ESPN. It marks the first meeting between UAB and ECU since 2013, back when both schools were members of Conference USA, according to 247Sports. That gap of more than a decade adds some novelty to what is otherwise a midweek American Conference game.
As of this writing, the game has not been played, so there is no score to report. UAB comes in at 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the American Conference. The Blazers are coming off a 38-13 loss on the road at rival Memphis, a game AL.com noted they actually led at halftime before Memphis scored 28 unanswered points. East Carolina is 3-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play, riding a three-game win streak that includes a 28-12 win over Rice.
The teams coming in
UAB is playing this season under new head coach Alex Mortensen, per 247Sports. Quarterback Ryder Burton has thrown for four touchdowns and nearly 1,000 yards on the year, completing 55 percent of his passes, AL.com reported. He has also thrown five interceptions, so ball security has been an issue for the Blazers.
East Carolina's offense leaned on running back TJ Engleman Jr. in the win over Rice. He rushed for a touchdown and nearly 150 yards in that game while averaging nine yards per carry, according to AL.com. 247Sports also noted this is the first of back-to-back Thursday night road games for East Carolina in Week 7, with contributor James Giglio calling the short week a potential trap game for the Pirates.
What's known and what isn't
What's known: both teams' records, the kickoff time and site, the broadcast details, and that this is the first ECU-UAB matchup since 2013. What isn't known yet is how the game actually plays out, since it has not kicked off. 247Sports contributor Stephen Igoe described East Carolina's defense as among the tougher units in the league and noted both offenses have struggled to score consistently this season.
247Sports writers also offered their own forecasts ahead of kickoff. Igoe predicted running back Ashton Gray would score his first touchdown as a Pirate. Peyton Brady predicted receiver Ray Ray Joseph Jr. would get into the end zone for East Carolina. Those are predictions from outside writers, not confirmed outcomes, and nothing about the final score is settled yet.
What happens next
The game is set to kick off Thursday night as scheduled. Fans can watch on ESPN, or stream it through five-day free trials offered by DIRECTV and FuboTV, or through a Sling subscription, per AL.com. A final score and recap will be available once the game wraps up in Birmingham.