UAB 24, Miami University 20: HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl What Happened, What It All Means

UAB 24, Miami University 20: HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl what happened, player of the game, and what it all means

UAB beat Miami University 24-20 to win the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl. What happened, who was the player of the game, and what does it all mean?


HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl What Happened, Player of the Game, What It All Means

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HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl What Happened

UAB RB Jermaine Brown overcame an earlier fumble with a 12-yard touchdown run on 4th-and-1 to cap off a 70-yard drive to take the 24-20 lead with 1:31 to play. Miami University made it interesting in the final moments, but on the UAB 15 with one second to go, the final pass to Miles Marshall came up just short – he was tackled on the two-yard line as time ran out.

UAB star RB DeWayne McBride – the nation’s leading rusher – opted out just before the game. Brown was able to fill in and finish with 116 yards and two scores.

The UAB offensive line took over late. Miami University was missing a slew of key parts, but it took advantage of a few UAB mistakes to stay in the game in the second half. When the Blazers needed the big scoring drive, they hammered way, but the D had to hang on for dear life at the very end.

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HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl Player of the Game

Reynard Ellis, LB UAB
He came up with a team-high 10 tackles, with a half a sack, but it’s all about his tenth stop that saved the game, stopping Jalen Walker on the two-yard line in the final moments.

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HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl Fun Stats

– Turnovers: UAB 3, Miami University 0. However, MU PK Graham Nicholson missed his lone field goal attempt off of one of the Blazer turnovers.

– Miami University was 4-of-5 on fourth downs. UAB was 1-of-3, but that one was the game-winning touchdown.

– In the heat of the Bahamas – both teams were struggling in the 80+ degrees – UAB had the ball for 33:27, Miami 26:33.

HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl What It All Means

The win makes it a winning season for UAB. It was a bit rocky, but it sent out head coach Bryant Vincent with a 7-6 final season, and now it’s Trent Dilfer’s program to run. With the win, UAB has now had six straight winning seasons since being off for two years. Before that, it went ten years without a winning campaign.

Miami University put up a great fight considering all the key players missing. Two yards – that’s all that came between the RedHawks and a winning campaign. It was still a solid year under head coach Chuck Martin, but it’s the program’s first losing season since 2017.

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UAB vs Miami University HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl Prediction Game Preview

UAB vs Miami University game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl Championship Week game on Friday, December 16

UAB vs Miami University prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl, Friday, December 16


UAB vs Miami University HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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UAB vs Miami University How To Watch

Date: Friday, December 16
Game Time: 11:30 am ET
Venue: Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, Nassau, NP
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: UAB (6-6), UAB (6-6)
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UAB vs Miami University HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl 5 Things To Know

It’s one of the funkier bowl games with the pressure of being first to get rolling. The matchup was determined weeks ago – with both teams needing time to prep everything for the trip to the Bahamas. The winner finishes with a winning season, the loser doesn’t. For either of the two programs that were supposed to be in the mix for their respective conference championships and weren’t, 7-6 wouldn’t be a bad way to finish.

It’s just the sixth bowl appearance for UAB, not counting the 2020 Gasparilla Bowl that got canceled. It’s 2-3 in bowls after winning the 2021 Independence last year over BYU.

Miami University is 8-5 in bowls and 1-2 under head coach Chuck Martin, winning the Frisco Football Classic last season over North Texas 27-14. However, seven of first 13 bowl appearances came in 1986 or earlier with the Martin era representing four of the programs bowl games since 2010.

The Bahamas Bowl has generally been solid. Two times it’s been among the best bowls of the season, wasn’t bad three times, got canceled in 2020, and was totally miserable the two of the three game the MAC team won incising Ohio’s 41-6 win over UAB in 2017.

UAB doesn’t have any key transfers yet, but the coaching situation is in a holding pattern with Trent Dilfer set to take over once this is done. Bryan Vincent will remain on for the bowl. Miami University QB Brett Gabbert was in the transfer portal and then he wasn’t, but he’s been hurt most of the year. Aveon Smith has been the main man outside of a few games in the middle of the season.

HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

Why Miami University Will Win The HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl

The RedHawks come into this playing well, winning three of their last four games including a clutch 18-17 performance over Ball State to get bowl eligible.

They don’t have a high-powered attack, but they’re good for around 200 passing yards per game without a slew of big mistakes – just one interception in the last six games – and they’re at their best when they get the ground game rolling.

They lost to Buffalo when the rushing attack rocked, but that’s been it for being on the wrong side when they’re powering away. Led by QB Aveon Smith and a rotation of young backs, Miami is 5-1 when running for 120 yards or more and 1-5 when they don’t.

The UAB run defense has been a disappointment finishing 94th in the nation partly because the line doesn’t do much of anything to get in the backfield. The team is 2-5 when allowing more than 140 yards and only allowed fewer than 120 four times.

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Why UAB Will Win The HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl

The Miami offense isn’t going to crank up 45 points with any sort of high-flying craziness. It’s about controlling the clock, running well, and not making any big mistakes. The problem with that is the inability to keep things moving – they’re awful on third downs.

UAB has the ability to crank up the points fast and turn the lights out. It might be inconsistent, but it was able to keep up in the 44-38 loss to UTSA, hung up 41 on North Texas, and overall stepped it up over the final month when it needed to go on a run to get bowl eligible.

Yes, Miami can run, but UAB has the star of the show in the nation’s leading rusher, DeWayne McBride. He averaged 155 yards per game, ran for a 1,713 yards despite missing the opener and getting stuffed by LSU.

Miami’s run defense led the MAC and should be able to hold up a bit, but …

HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

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