The Machine

UAB

American Athletic · 5-4CFP unranked

UAB is 5-4 and No. 110 of 138 in the machine's ratings, 10.8 points below an average FBS team. Last game: won 23-12 vs Charlotte in Week 10.

Week 11: at Temple, Saturday, Nov 14: the matchup, unit by unit

Machine rankNo. 110of all FBS teams
Rating now−10.810.8 points below an average FBS team
Since July+4.7from −15.5 in the preseason rating

Why UAB is No. 110

  • UAB's rating is −10.8: the machine's estimate that UAB is 10.8 points worse than an average FBS team on a neutral field. That is No. 110 of 138. For scale, 0 is an average FBS team: right now the closest to it is No. 68 Arizona State (0.2).
  • It started the season at −15.5, ESPN's preseason Football Power Index from July. Its results since have moved it up 4.7.
  • The biggest weekly moves: +1.7 after Week 1 (L 23-42 at Illinois) and +1.6 after Week 4 (W 24-20 vs Navy).
  • Its record is 5-4. The 4 losses were to No. 42 Illinois, No. 57 Memphis, No. 83 South Florida, No. 88 Louisiana, by 17.8 points on average. The 5 wins came by 10.6 points on average; the best was over No. 76 Navy. The rating weighs how much a team won or lost by and against whom, not just the win-loss count.
  • Its FBS opponents so far average No. 88 in the machine's ratings.
  • Just above is No. 109 Buffalo (−10.7); just below is No. 111 Stanford (−11.0).

The rating, week by week

Strengths and weak spots

Head coach

Alex Mortensen is in his 2nd season at UAB (since 2025). This season: 5-4. At UAB overall: 7-8, counting this season.

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Team stats

Season totals and averages over 9 games, each with its national rank among 138 FBS teams (No. 1 = best). The game-by-game story is in the season, week by week.

Passing

Completions-attempts123-229
Passing yards1498
Touchdowns-interceptions6-8
Yards per attempt*6.5No. 114 of 138
Explosive pass rate7.4%No. 128 of 138
Sacks allowed (rate)10.5%No. 135 of 138

Rushing

Carries-yards372-1371
Yards per carry3.7No. 116 of 138
10-plus-yard runs (rate)11.1%No. 119 of 138
Stuffed at or behind the line (rate)18.5%No. 92 of 138

Scoring

Points per game21.8No. 112 of 138
Yards per play4.81No. 131 of 138
Third-down rate40.2%No. 71 of 138
Red-zone TD rate40.0%No. 134 of 138
Giveaways16No. 129 of 138

Defense

Points allowed per game23.8No. 63 of 138
Yards per play allowed4.83No. 23 of 138
Yards per pass attempt allowed5.8No. 8 of 138
Yards per carry allowed4.2No. 83 of 138
Sack rate8.3%No. 10 of 138
Takeaways10No. 90 of 138
Third-down rate allowed38.1%No. 65 of 138

Totals are the official box score. * Yards per attempt and the rates come from the play-by-play, where passing yards count on completions only, so they can differ from the box score by a play or two.

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Player leaders

The top 3 in each category over the same games. Passing yards count every completion (official box score).

Passing

  1. Ryder Burton121-223, 1474 yds, 6 TD, 8 INT
  2. Nate Rogers2-5, 24 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT

Rushing

  1. Roderick Robinson II122 carries, 551 yds, 1 TD
  2. Braylon McReynolds92 carries, 411 yds, 4 TD
  3. Ja'Vin Simpkins47 carries, 203 yds, 3 TD

Receiving

  1. C.J. Smith23 catches, 437 yds, 1 TD
  2. Tiaquelin Mims23 catches, 358 yds, 1 TD
  3. EJ Reid28 catches, 236 yds, 1 TD

Tackles

  1. Muaaz Byard85
  2. Jo Pierce77
  3. Ike Esonwune61

Sacks

  1. Marlin Dean11.5
  2. Tylin Jackson3.5
  3. Jo Pierce2.5

Interceptions

  1. Delvon Gulley2
  2. Ike Esonwune2
  3. Jeremiah Jordan1

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Who's playing

Based on who has actually played this season, from the box scores, not the team's published depth chart. Each bar is that player's share of the team's attempts, carries (quarterbacks left out), catches or tackles. The box score lists no positions, so there is no offensive line here.

Throwing

  1. Ryder BurtonMost passes in the last game9 games223 attempts98%
  2. Nate Rogers4 games5 attempts2%

Carrying

  1. Roderick Robinson II9 games122 carries42%
  2. Braylon McReynolds9 games92 carries32%
  3. Ja'Vin Simpkins9 games47 carries16%
  4. Nate Rogers6 games10 carries3%

Catching

  1. EJ Reid9 games28 catches23%
  2. C.J. Smith9 games23 catches19%
  3. Tiaquelin Mims9 games23 catches19%
  4. Roderick Robinson II6 games11 catches9%

Tackling

  1. Muaaz Byard9 games85 tackles15%
  2. Jo Pierce8 games77 tackles13%
  3. Ike Esonwune9 games61 tackles11%
  4. Jeremiah Jordan9 games54 tackles9%

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

The season, week by week

  1. Week 1 L 23–42 at Illinois. The pass defense gave ground: Illinois got 10.7 yards an attempt, 3.7 over what it usually gains. The most yards an attempt it has allowed all season.
  2. Week 2 W 26–20 vs UL Monroe. The pass defense was the strength: UL Monroe got 2.8 yards an attempt, 3.9 under what it usually gains. Its most yards a carry of the season.
  3. Week 3 L 14–21 at Louisiana. The run game struggled: 2.4 yards a carry, 2.4 less than Louisiana usually allows.
  4. Week 4 W 24–20 vs Navy. The pass defense was the strength: Navy got 8.0 yards an attempt, 2.7 under what it usually gains. The machine had Navy by 7.6 (68%), so this was a win it did not see coming.
  5. Week 5 W 33–14 vs Samford. Samford is an FCS team, so there is no FBS baseline to grade this one against.
  6. Week 6 L 13–38 at Memphis. The pass defense was the strength: Memphis got 7.8 yards an attempt, 2.3 under what it usually gains. Lost the turnover battle by 3.
  7. Week 7 W 30–17 vs East Carolina. The run game struggled: 3.1 yards a carry, 0.8 less than East Carolina usually allows. Won the turnover battle by 2.
  8. Week 9 L 10–30 at South Florida. The run game struggled: 0.5 yards a carry, 3.6 less than South Florida usually allows. Lost the turnover battle by 2.
  9. Week 10 W 23–12 vs Charlotte. The passing game struggled: 4.9 yards an attempt, 3.8 less than Charlotte usually allows. Lost the turnover battle by 4.

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