FACTS & STATS: Site: Legion Field (71,594) -- Birmingham, Alabama. Television: American Sports Net. Home Record: FIU 1-3, UAB 2-0. Away Record: FIU 0-0, UAB 0-1. Neutral Record: FIU 0-0, UAB 0-0. Conference Record: FIU 0-0, UAB 0-0. Series Record: UAB leads, 1-0.

GAME NOTES: With new coach Bill Clark at the helm, the UAB Blazers are off to a 2-1 start to the season, and will try to extend that mark when they host the FIU Panthers in a Conference USA clash at Legion Field in Birmingham.

FIU began the season with back-to-back matchups against FCS opponents - going 1-1 in that span - and then hosted games against national powers Pittsburgh and Louisville. The Panthers have played all four of their games at home so far, and will hit the road to Birmingham looking to end a two-game losing skid.

UAB has played exceptionally well in its three games this season, easily defeating Troy in the team's opening-week contest (48-10), staying with SEC power Mississippi State (a 47-34 loss) and taking down FCS opponent Alabama A&M (41-14). Clark, who was hired after leading Jacksonville State last season, and his Blazers are about to kick off conference play with last season's C-USA basement dweller.

The two teams have only met once on the field prior to this matchup, which occurred last season. The Blazers took the lone decision, 27-24, in Miami almost exactly a year ago.

Taking on Pittsburgh and Louisville in back-to-back weeks is a tall order for most college football programs across the country, so you can't blame FIU for trying. The chances of succeeding were slim anyway for the Panthers, who finished last season with a 1-11 record. FIU's offense just simply couldn't keep pace Saturday, as quarterback E.J. Hilliard and Alex McGough combined to complete 13-of-25 pass attempts for 117 yards with two interceptions. In general, the Panthers have struggled to get anything going offensively, averaging 265.3 ypg and a mere 18.5 ppg through four contests.

The running game proved to be a weakness against the Cardinals last weekend, as FIU gained 88 combined yards on the ground, with a team-high 38 coming from Anthon Samuel. In four games, the Panthers have only scored two rushing touchdowns and average just 84 rushing ypg.

Tight end Jonnu Smith is one of the lone bright stars on the FIU offense. The sophomore pass catcher caught four balls for 27 yards in the loss to Louisville, and has a team-best 22 receptions for 236 yards and two touchdowns this season. It's clear he's the most reliable target for Hilliard and McGough, since the next closest receiver has eight receptions in four games.

It's a bit hard to judge the team's defense based on the four opponents the team has gone up against this season, since the first two challengers and the last two have been on completely different ends of the spectrum in terms of talent and ability. That said, the Panthers are allowing 23.3 ppg to opponents, even taking into account the 42 points and 34 points the team gave up to Pittsburgh and Louisville, respectively.

Now that non-conference play is over, the Panthers will want to step it up defensively, especially going against a team with a proven offense. Demarkus Perkins is the only FIU player to have more than 20 tackles this season, leading the team with 29. But Denzell Perine has had his own success, registering 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks through four games played. Those numbers are topped by teammate Mike Wakefield, who has 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

Clark had a pretty upbeat offense at Jacksonville State last season, and looks to be employing some of his philosophies at UAB. The emphasis on the running game is already coming through, since the Blazers have a 215.3 rushing ypg average through three contests. The team gained 195 yards on the ground against Alabama A&M two weeks ago when the Blazers last took the field, with D.J. Vinson rushing for 106 yards and scoring five touchdowns. Jordan Howard has 279 rushing yards, while Vinson adds 235 this season.

Cody Clements got the majority of reps under center in UAB's last game, firing 23 pass attempts and completing 18 of them for 228 yards. Clements leads the team this season with 547 yards and three passing touchdowns. But again, the run is clearly emphasized, and evidenced by the 149 rushing attempts through three games compared to the team's 86 pass attempts.

Defensively, the Blazers have been sound through the first three games, allowing 23.7 ppg and 380 combined ypg to opponents.UAB has the 11-3 edge in rushing touchdowns this season, and has given up five touchdown passes and forced four interceptions in the same span. Three of those interceptions came against Alabama A&M.

The defensive unit has been disruptive in the backfield, having forced nine sacks and 21 tackles for loss in the three contests. Bobby Baker leads UAB with 19 stops, and has a tackle for loss, an interception and a quarterback hurry to his name. Diaheem Watkins is the only Blazers player to have multiple sacks (two) and will try to increase that number against a team that has given up 17 sacks already.

The Blazers appear to be on the right path moving forward, and have built a steady running game through the first three weeks. FIU just won't be able to keep pace offensively, and may be a little worn out after facing two ACC opponents in the past two weeks. Look for the Blazers to defend their home turf well this weekend.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: UAB 32, FIU 20