Boca Raton Bowl 2018: UAB vs. Northern Illinois TV Schedule, Time and Odds
One of the best stories of the college football season takes over the spotlight in Tuesday's Boca Raton Bowl.
Two years after failing to field a team, UAB went 10-3 and won the Conference USA Championship to set up a matchup with MAC champion Northern Illinois.
The Boca Raton Bowl is one of three bowl games pitting a pair of conference champions against each other, with the Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl the other two.
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The Blazers and Huskies won their respective conference titles in similar fashion, as UAB used a game-winning field goal with three minutes and 23 seconds left to beat Middle Tennessee State, and Northern Illinois knocked off Buffalo on a touchdown pass with 1:09 remaining.
UAB carries the better record of the two Group of Five champions into the Boca Raton Bowl, and if the Blazers come out on top, they could finish in the Top 25 at the end of the season.
Boca Raton Bowl Information
Date: Tuesday, December 18
Start Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN or the ESPN app
Odds (via OddsShark): UAB -2.5; Over/Under: 43
Preview
Although we're aware of the success stories at UAB and Northern Illinois, we haven't been able to dedicate a ton of time to watching both teams on the gridiron.
Tuesday is the perfect showcase for the Conference USA and MAC champions because they will be participating in the lone bowl game of the night.
By now, you at least know of the incredible job head coach Bill Clark has done at UAB, and if he continues to achieve success with the Blazers, a power-five job will come his way sooner rather than later.
UAB's primary concern going into Tuesday comes at quarterback, as A.J. Erdely and Tyler Johnston III, who recorded 140 passing yards and 56 more on the ground in the Conference USA Championship, split time at the end of the regular season with Erdely nursing a shoulder ailment.
Regardless of who starts at quarterback, the Blazers are expected to use running back Spencer Brown as much as possible.
The sophomore ran for 156 yards on the first Saturday of December, and he's run for over 100 yards in four of his last seven games.
Even if he receives the ball at a high volume, there's no guarantee Brown will run for triple digits, as he's facing the 17th-best rushing defense in the FBS.
If the Huskies, who conceded 109.7 rushing yards per game and 16 touchdowns on the ground, halt the momentum of Brown and the UAB offense, a stalemate could be in the cards.
Northern Illinois is no stranger to low-scoring, one-possession games, as eight of its 13 contests were decided by eight points or less.
When the Huskies are in need of a big play, they turn to quarterback Marcus Childers, who has 1,996 passing yards and 496 rushing yards for 21 total touchdowns.
However, there is one glaring issue when you look at Childers' recent stat lines, and it's a weakness the Blazers are capable of exploiting with their 29th-best passing defense.
In his last four games, Childers was intercepted on five occasions, including twice in a loss to Western Michigan.
Tuesday's game at FAU Stadium could come down to who gets the most pressure on the opposing quarterback, as Northern Illinois leads the FBS in sacks and UAB ranks third.
The difference between the Boca Raton Bowl foes in passing defense comes in yards given up per game, as UAB ranks 17th, while the Huskies are 79th.
Of the players attempting to disrupt the offense Tuesday night, Northern Illinois' Sutton Smith is the most talented pass-rusher, while Jamell Garcia-Williams will be a menace for UAB.
Prediction
UAB 17, Northern Illinois 13
The under is the best betting play for the Boca Raton Bowl.
The defenses will be the stars of the contest, and points will be hard to come by.
Once offensive adjustments are made, a few points will be added to the scoreboard, with UAB pushing across one more touchdown than Northern Illinois.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
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