Rice is four games under .500 on the season and has not won a football game away from Rice Stadium. Yet the Owls are favored on Saturday afternoon. That says a lot about where UAB is as a team, as well as its second-year embattled coach,

The Blazers will honor a senior class of 19 players before kickoff, many of whom will leave holes in the starting lineup next season. Star center Brady Wilson, linebacker Michael Moore and the tight end trio of Bryce Damous, Dallas Payne and Terrell McDonald are notable players playing their final games at Protective Stadium.

Jalen Kitna threw for two touchdowns, Lee Beebe Jr. ran for two and UAB beat Rice 40-14 on Saturday. The teams exchanged two touchdowns each in the first quarter before UAB (3-8, 2-5 American Athletic Conference) went in front for good on two Jonah Delange field goals and Adrian Maddox's 99-yard pick-6 on the final play of the first half for a 27-14 lead.