Jack's Pick
Miami (OH) is beset by a few injuries, including their quarterback, Brett Gabbert, who will miss the game. Aveon Smith will start in place of Gabbert. Smith completed 48.7% of his passes for an average of 6.0 yards per pass. The Redhawks aren't very successful as a passing team and will rely on the rushing game to score points.
The Redhawks will look to Smith to run the ball. He rushed for over 500 yards this season and, as a team, Miami (OH) averages 4.6 rushing attempts for over 10 yards per game.
Miami (OH) also plays one of the slowest paces of any team in college football. They run a play every 28.8 seconds. This is not a team looking to score quickly.
UAB is dealing with a bit of a coaching controversy, as interim coach, Bryan Vincent, will not return next year. UAB has elected to hire Trent Dilfer from the ranks of high school coaching to lead the Dragons. Much of the team is unhappy with this decision and it's hard to know how motivated they will be in this bowl game.
McBride Ruled Out
Expect UAB to try to run the ball most of the game. They will not be able to lean on star running back, DeWayne McBride, for production, since he's been ruled out for the game. McBride rushed for 1,173 yards and 19 touchdowns this season. The Dragons average 40.8 rushing attempts per game.
The team will turn to the second fiddle in their rushing duo, Jermaine Brown, Jr. Brown has collected 1,427 total yards this season. He is a threat in the receiving and return game as well. He will need to have a monster game for UAB to cover.
Given both teams proclivity to rely on the run game, I am going with the under here. I'm also going to take the Redhawks plus the points. The spread is too high for two teams that are fairly similar in game script.
Have fun with this one. The Bahamas Bowl has a reputation for wild finishes.
