College Football Game Lines – UAB Faces Must-Win vs Troy

The UAB Blazers have failed to turn the corner as a program in recent years. A struggling team faces a moment of urgency this weekend against Troy.

Troy Trojans @ Alabama-Birmingham Blazers
Saturday, September 18th – 4:05 PM ET
Legion Field, Birmingham
College Football Game Lines: Troy -3.5 UAB +3.5
Total: 58.5

The third game of the season may be seem too early in the season to declare it desperation time, but that’s exactly what time it is for coach Neil Callaway’s sagging and flagging Blazers. With visits to Tennessee and Conference USA foe Central Florida looming, the time to notch victory number one of the 2011 season is Saturday. For a team that plays in a football-mad city such as Birmingham and should be able to get a number of the players that Alabama and Auburn intentionally leave behind, UAB has not fared as well as the school administration would have hoped. Callaway – the former offensive coordinator at Georgia and a man with considerable coaching experience as an offensive guru – has not been able to create any excitement at UAB since he took over for former head coach Watson Brown. This game against Troy could very well be the pivot point in his team’s season. A win could kick-start the Blazers toward a bowl game, while a loss would almost certainly put him on the hot seat and doom his prospects this season.

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Handicapping College Football Game Lines: What Troy Has To Do To Win

When lauded senior quarterback Levi Brown graduated last year, there was a strong sense around the program that Troy would relinquish its hold on the Sun Belt Conference crown it has won in three of the last four seasons. However, while Sun Belt favorite Middle Tennessee has seen its star quarterback – Dwight Dasher – get suspended for multiple games, Troy hasn’t missed a beat under center. Freshman quarterback Corey Robinson leads the pass-happy Trojan attack for a program that is averaging 34.5 points and 443 yards of total offense per game. Robinson was very impressive in a 41-38 loss at Oklahoma State last week. The young pup played with the maturity of a veteran, completing 28 of 38 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns without a single interception. If Robinson can replicate those numbers – high in completion percentage and touchdowns, yet without an interception – the Trojans stand an excellent chance of winning this game.

Handicapping College Football Game Lines: What UAB Has To Do To Win

If the Blazers are to snap their early-season skid, they’ll need sophomore quarterback David Isabelle to be more consistent in the passing game. Isabelle has been electric when running the ball, rushing for three touchdowns and 248 yards on 38 carries, but he’s been less than effective when airing it out, completing only 16 of 34 passes for 188 yards to go along with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Senior wideout Frantrelle Forrest is Isabelle’s top target, and he needs to be established with regularity in this contest for UAB.

Troy may be just the tonic Isabelle, Forrest, and the UAB passing game need. The Trojans conceded 348 yards through the air in that 41-38 loss to Oklahoma State. Isabelle can make plays with his legs; this weekend, he needs to do more with his arm.

Handicapping College Football Game Lines: Outlook & Pick

Troy has winning in its competitive DNA, while UAB doesn’t. Corey Robinson looks like a keeper for a Troy program that has quickly adjusted to the graduation of Levi Brown, a man who re-wrote the Sun Belt Conference record book. UAB has not made the adjustments needed to change its fortunes. UAB lost at home to a middle-tier Sun Belt program – Florida Atlantic – on Sept. 2, so there’s no reason to trust UAB against the Sun Belt’s best team this Saturday. Take Troy, even though this game’s on the road in Birmingham.

College Football Pick: Troy -3.5