The Tennessee Volunteers are beginning to pick up some momentum. After opening the season ranked 24th in the AP Poll, they have climbed to 15th and will take on the UAB Blazers this week. Both teams hold a 2-1 record on the season.
This will be the sixth time these programs have ever faced off, with their most recent matchup taking place in 2019. Tennessee has won all five of the previous matchups, with the largest margin being 35-3. UAB nearly pulled off an upset in 2010, with the final score finishing 32-29.
Looking at the odds for this season’s matchup, Tennessee enters as 38.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, and the game total is set at 68.5.
This article will take a brief preview of both teams and a pick for the Week 4 matchup.
Tennessee vs. UAB prediction, preview
Tennessee Preview
The Volunteers opened up their season with a 45-26 victory over Syracuse before steam rolling East Tennessee State 72-17 in Week 2. They had their first significant test this past weekend and fell to Georgia 44-41 in overtime. Tennessee had a chance at a 43-yard field goal to win the matchup as time expired in the fourth quarter, but was unable to capitalize and suffered the loss in overtime. Even still, they have opened up some eyes with their level of play.
Joey Aguilar was one of the bigger question marks in college football entering the season. The Appalachian State transfer was brought in following the conclusion of the Nico Iamaleava situation, which resulted in him transferring to UCLA following the NIL fallout. Even the biggest Volunteers supporters didn’t seem to be fully sure what they were getting with Aguilar, but he has made an early case for one of the better quarterbacks in college football. Through the opening three games, he has completed 66.3% of his pass attempts for 906 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions while adding a touchdown with his legs. Aguilar entered last week with +4500 odds of winning the Heisman on DraftKings Sportsbook and now has the ninth-best odds at +1600. It was a disappointing loss to Georgia last week, but it is one that will not hurt them too much in the overall conversation and should increase optimism surrounding Tennessee and Aguilar in particular.
Star Thomas has led the Volunteers’ rushing attack with 221 rushing yards and three touchdowns thus far. DeSean Bishop also has 204 rushing yards and a touchdown to his name, while Peyton Lewis, Duane Morris, and Aguilar have found paydirt with their legs as well. Chris Brazzell II has pulled in 20 receptions for 364 yards and a college football-best five touchdowns already this season. Braylon Staley has 18 receptions for 231 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Mike Matthews has 199 receiving yards and a touchdown as well. Joshua Josephs headlines the defensive attack with three sacks on the season, with Tennessee recording 12.0 quarterback takedowns as a unit.
UAB Preview
The UAB Blazers opened up their season with a 52-42 victory over Alabama State. They then dropped their Week 2 matchup 38-24 at the hands of Navy. UAB bounced back with a 31-28 victory over Akron, but will now leap up in competition and take on Tennessee. Head coach Trent Dilfer remains at the helm and is looking to get the program back on track after their 3-9 record last season and 9-18 record across his tenure.
Jalen Kitna, son of John Kitna, stands in as quarterback for UAB. He has completed 70.7% of his passing attempts for 892 passing yards, six touchdowns, and a pair of interceptions thus far on the season. Jevon Jackson headlines the rushing attack with 277 yards and three touchdowns on the year. Isaiah Jacobs has 95 yards and a touchdown of his own, while Solomon Beebe has added 72 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. Corri Milliner headlines the receiving effort with 17 receptions for 268 yards and three touchdowns this season. Iverson Hooks has added 229 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Solomon Beebe and BJ Hawkins Jr. have also eclipsed 100 yards through the air.
Defense is where the bulk of the concerns lie surrounding UAB. They have not held an opponent to under 28 points this season and are allowing an average of 36 points per game. Tennessee has another caliber of offense than they are used to seeing, which only increases the level of panic. The Volunteers currently rank sixth in the country in scoring and total yards. The Blazers rank 131st in total yards allowed and 122nd in scoring defense. They have given up 218.7 rushing yards per contest and 11.4 yards per pass attempt, which ranks dead last in the FBS. UAB has yet to force a turnover this season, and opponents are converting just shy of 58% of their third-down attempts.
Tennessee vs. UAB pick, best bet
If you like to see points put on the board, this will be a football game for you. Tennessee’s offense has looked sharp thus far. They most recently put up 41 points against a tough Georgia defense and will face far less resistance in this matchup. The Volunteers have eclipsed 40+ points in all three games, including putting up 72 points against East Tennessee State.
This type of offensive output feels completely in play for this matchup. Tennessee is one of the best offenses in college football and will be facing off against a defensive unit that has a convincing case for being the worst in all college football. UAB has shown no success getting off the field against Akron, Navy, and Alabama State. Tennessee will be facing a completely different beast based on the caliber of talent.
On the other side of the matchup, count on Jalen Kitna doing his best to give the team a chance. The Florida transfer plays with an admirable poise and has the arm talent to make plays. He has shown nice chemistry with his playmakers around him and should have free rein to let it fly as much as he desires based on the context of this matchup. Tennessee’s defense will be a step-up in competition, but Kitna has looked the part of a capable Power 5 caliber quarterback for the start of this year. Don’t expect this to make enough of a difference for the game to remain competitive, but count on Kitna to do his part by helping put some points on the board.
While Tennessee has a legitimate chance of clearing this game total by itself, count on the game soaring over the total one way or another. My lean is toward Tennessee covering the spread, but the 38.5-point number is a bit too high for my liking. Count on the offenses being the story of this game and for the pair of teams to combine for 69+ points.
