Tulane @ UAB preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 27, 2012 ) Alabama-Birmingham 45, Tulane 55

UAB began the second season of its second life in impressive fashion with a shutout, but the defense could not hold that pace in Week 2. The Blazers will try to get back in the win column and continue a stunning rise in FBS play when they host Tulane on Saturday.

UAB, which went 8-5 last season after the program was shut down in 2015 and 2016, blew out Savannah State 52-0 in Week 1 before coming back down to earth with a 47-24 setback at Coastal Carolina last week. The Blazers totaled 76 points through the first six quarters of the season but failed to find the scoreboard in the second half against the Chanticleers and were outscored 27-0 after the break. The Green Wave are trending in the opposite direction and bounced back from an overtime loss to Wake Forest in Week 1 by trouncing FCS foe Nicholls 42-17 in Week 2. "This UAB game is going to be a big test for us," Tulane linebacker Zachery Harris told reporters after the win over Nicholls. "It's our first road game, and there's a lot of guys who are traveling for the first time. It was a good momentum swing with this win right here, but UAB is going to be a big test for us."

TV: 1 p.m. ET, Facebook. LINE: Tulane -4

ABOUT TULANE (1-1): The big difference between the first and second game on offense was the play of running back Corey Dauphine, who managed 29 yards on five carries against Wake Forest but exploded for 152 yards and three TDs on six carries in Week 2. “I feel like we can be a lot more dynamic," Dauphine told reporters. "We've just got to fix the minor problems, and when we fix them, I feel like we can be good -- great, actually." That offense is being guided by the steady hand of senior quarterback Jonathan Banks, who completed 30-of-53 passes for 471 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in the first two games.

ABOUT UAB (1-1): The Blazers, like the Green Wave, like to keep the ball on the ground and had six different rushers score a TD in the first two games. Sophomore running back Spencer Brown leads the way with 196 yards (and one TD) on 38 carries while quarterback A.J. Erdely ranks second on the team with 84 yards and a score on 16 carries. Erdely is up to 338 passing yards and threw for a pair of TDs against Savannah State but failed to find the end zone through the air in Week 2 while giving up an interception.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Tulane has rushed for at least 100 yards in each game since the beginning of the 2016 season and has totaled 250 yards or more on the ground 10 times in that span.

2. Blazers senior WR Collin Lisa leads the team's receiving corps with 12 catches for 108 yards and a score.

3. Banks is enjoying a streak of 90 straight pass attempts without an interception, dating back to last season.

PREDICTION: Tulane 35, UAB 31