The September 13, 2025 matchup between Akron and UAB at Protective Stadium in Birmingham sets up as one of those early season contests where the numbers on the board tell you just as much as the eye test, because UAB, at 1–1 under Trent Dilfer, has shown enough structure and confidence to be installed as an 11.5-point favorite, while Akron, sitting at 0–2 after a humbling 68–0 loss at Nebraska, has struggled mightily to find traction under Joe Moorhead in his fourth season. The Blazers have at least established a clear identity, opening the year with a shootout win over Alabama State that showed their offense can sustain drives and then going toe-to-toe in Week 2 before falling but covering, proving they can stay disciplined in higher-end competition. Their offensive system is built around a multiple look that can lean into run-pass balance, and the 3–4 defensive shell has shown discipline in containing perimeter speed, something that bodes well against an Akron unit that has lacked explosiveness and has been reduced to trying to manufacture yards in short increments. For Akron, the reality is that they have to find a way to stabilize after back-to-back weeks of offensive futility, first stalling against Wyoming and then being completely overwhelmed by Nebraska, where they produced under 200 total yards and averaged barely three yards a carry.

Moorhead’s best hope is to lean into tempo-control concepts, keeping the game inside the hashes with inside zone and quick screens to neutralize UAB’s pressure and limit possessions, because the Zips do not have the personnel to play catch-up in a track meet. The challenge, of course, is that UAB has the depth to rotate bodies on both sides of the ball, and if Akron falls behind early, the Zips’ offensive line could be exposed to the Blazers’ front seven, which has been opportunistic in creating pressure and forcing third-and-longs. The total, hovering around 53.5, also underscores the importance of red-zone execution, because each touchdown-for-field goal trade represents a four-point swing that could flip the spread either way. UAB’s checklist to separate is straightforward: sustain a 50 percent or higher early-down success rate, protect the football, and cash in red-zone trips at a 60 percent touchdown clip, while on defense forcing Akron into predictable passing downs and capitalizing on mistakes. Akron’s cover path is narrow but definable: protect the ball to avoid gifting UAB short fields, generate at least one turnover to flip momentum, and hold the Blazers to field goals on two red-zone trips, all while hitting on one or two explosive plays of their own to shift field position. The “middle eight” minutes around halftime loom especially large, as UAB has shown it can use that window to create separation, while Akron has historically struggled with composure in those stretches, often conceding back-to-back scores. Ultimately, this game profiles as one where UAB’s discipline, home-field energy, and overall depth should carry them to victory, but Akron’s resilience in defending the red zone and their ability to avoid the catastrophic mistakes that doomed them in Lincoln will determine whether they can hang inside the number or whether the Blazers will deliver the kind of decisive win that strengthens their early-season confidence.