UAB @ Texas A&M preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 26, 2009 ) Alabama-Birmingham 19, Texas A&M 56

Texas A&M righted itself with a big win over Ole Miss last weekend, avoiding a three-game slide and making itself bowl eligible in the process. The Aggies will take a final step out of conference play and add to their strength of schedule by hosting No. 25 UAB, which enters the week on fire after winning its last eight games.

Texas A&M averaged 18.5 points in losses at Mississippi State and Auburn to fall out of contention in the SEC and looked like it was headed for another lackluster performance before breaking out with 17 points in the fourth quarter to earn a 38-24 win at home last week. "That was really our main focus," Aggies quarterback Kellen Mond told reporters. "Going into that locker room, instead of focusing on winning, we wanted to dominate. That's just small details that coach (Jimbo) Fisher emphasizes. I think we did that really well." The Blazers are dominating their opponents and rank fourth in the FBS in scoring defense while holding opponents to an average of 13.2 points. UAB allowed a total of three points in wins over UTEP and Texas-San Antonio before struggling a bit last week at home against Southern Miss and pulling out a 26-23 overtime triumph.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2. LINE: Texas A&M -17

ABOUT UAB (9-1): The Blazers clinched the Conference USA West Division and a spot in the conference championship game with the win over Southern Miss and are celebrating as a program after coming back from the dead a few years ago, when the program was abandoned. “Words can’t describe how excited I am," linebacker Tre' Crawford told reporters. "It's an unbelievable experience. I have never done anything like this. I am extremely excited to be a part of this team." UAB will need to tighten some things up on offense to beat the Aggies after quarterback Tyler Johnston III was intercepted three times last week.

ABOUT TEXAS A&M (6-4): Mond nearly lost his starting spot against Ole Miss after turning the ball over on the first two second-half possessions but recovered after a conversation with Fisher on the sideline. "That doesn't faze him or anyone on the offense," Aggies wide receiver Jhamon Ausbon told reporters of Mond's turnovers. "We have confidence in him. He's so confident, it's kind of hard to knock him off his game. If he gets knocked off, we're right behind him to pick him up." Mond has thrown an interception in each of the last three games and is up to eight on the season to go with 15 TD passes.

EXTRA POINTS

1. UAB set a program record by recording its 35th sack of the season last week.

2. Texas A&M RB Trayveon Williams (3,014) became the sixth player in school history to amass 3,000 career rushing yards while rumbling for 228 against Ole Miss.

3. Aggies TE Jace Sternberger (644) needs 67 receiving yards to pass Rod Bernstine for the most by a tight end in a single season in school history.

PREDICTION: Texas A&M 24, UAB 13