Steve Irvine’s Five Storylines for UAB vs USF

By Steve Irvine

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - October 19, 2024

UAB VS. SOUTH FLORIDA

Site, kickoff time: Raymond James Stadium, 2:30 p.m. CT

Record: UAB 1-5 overall, 0-3 AAC; USF 2-4, 0-2 AAC

Five storylines

1.         Will UAB either start quickly or find a way to weather early problems? Let’s face it, UAB’s problems in the past five games aren’t just early game miscues. But, what happened early in four of five of those games went a long way toward deciding the outcome. UAB was outscored 53-22 in the first quarter over the past five games and that includes the Arkansas game when the Blazers had a 10-3 lead after 15 minutes. Trent Dilfer admitted early this week that has team has not handled early miscues – big and small - well. The tone set in the first quarter has led to bad second quarters and ultimately blowout losses for the Blazers. UAB has been outscored 72-16 in the fourth quarter over the past five games. Of course, the best remedy is getting off to a quick start. Making that happen means taking advantage of early possessions and keeping USF from early offensive success.

2.         Can either team consistently find their way into the end zone? UAB has moved the ball, at times, but is having trouble turning promising drives into touchdowns. The Blazers scored on 15 of 20 red zone trips but only eight of those scores have been touchdowns. They have settled for field goals or failed to score on 12 of those 20 visits into the red zone. It’s hard to win games when that’s happening. Take away the Arkansas game and UAB hasn’t scored more than 20 points in a game during the five-game losing streak and most of the points have come once the outcome was already decided. USF has just one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown during a three-game losing streak. The Bulls have seven red zone trips during that time with two touchdowns and two field goals.

3.         Will UAB quarterback Jalen Kitna take a step forward?  Dilfer said Kitna made two critical mistakes in the passing game during the loss at Army. One of the mistakes resulted in an Army interception and the other cost UAB a chance at getting a first down. Other than that, Dilfer said, Kitna had a solid outing in his second start. Overall, after two games, he is 45 of 80 for 481 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions. No official announcement has been made on Jacob Zeno’s availability but Kitna is expected to get the start.

4.         What happens if UAB is on the wrong end of another blowout loss? The losses are not only mounting but UAB has not even been competitive over the past three games. UAB has been outscored 156-48 in losses to Navy, Tulane and Army. All three of those teams are in the upper echelon of the AAC. Navy and Army are nationally ranked this week. Saturday’s game seems to be more evenly matched, even though USF is a two-touchdown favorite. UAB also has yet to win on the road under Dilfer. Can UAB find a way to head into the bye week with the momentum created by a win?

5.         Can Jonah Delange remain perfect on the season?   In a season filled with dim moments, Delange has been a bright spot. He is one of only four kickers in the country without a miss in a minimum of 10 field goal attempts. The sophomore is 10-of-10 on field goals and has also made all 12 of his extra point attempts. He hit a season-high 51-yard attempt against Army.

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UAB and USF Both Looking To Snap Losing Streaks