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(All odds via PointsBet Sportsbook)
Part of the opening weekend of the bowl season, the Independence Bowl features BYU, who are led by rushing touchdown leader Tyler Allgeier. They take on an upstart UAB team that finished second in the Conference USA West thanks to one of the best defenses in the conference.
Here’s a look at some of the players and matchups to watch, including a best bet if you’re looking for a rooting interest in NOLA:
What: Independence Bowl
Who: BYU (10-2) vs. UAB (8-4, 6-2 in Conference USA)
Where: Independence Stadium in Shreveport, LA
When: Saturday, December 18 at 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Opening line: BYU -8 (O/U 54)
Current line: BYU -7 (O/U 54)
Most recent bowl result: BYU beat UCF 49-23 in the 2020 Boca Raton Bowl. UAB lost to Appalachian State 31-17 in the 2019 New Orleans Bowl.
BYU at a glance: The Cougars did a pretty job after losing quarterback Zach Wilson to the NFL as they finished the season 10-2, including wins over PAC-12 and Mountain West champs Utah and Utah State, respectively. Quarterback Jaren Hall was a good replacement for Wilson, but running back Tyler Allgeier was the anchor of this offense as he finished eighth in the rushing yards (1,414) and at the top with a stellar 20 rushing touchdowns. It was a letdown year for BYU as they were hoping to get into a New Year’s Six bowl game, but without a conference affiliation they are now contractually obligated to play in Independence Bowl since they didn’t finish high enough in the final rankings.
UAB at a glance: The Blazers are starting to become a force in the C-USA. They didn’t quite finish the job this season, as there highly favored to win the conference title, but to finish the season playing a big-name program like BYU could help them get more national attention. The defense was the driving force as they gave up the fewest points in the conference (20.1 PPG) and had the most sacks (30).
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Key to the matchup: As previously mentioned, UAB knows how to get to the quarterback, but they will face a stellar BYU offensive line that only allowed Hall to get sacked 13 times this season. The most significant factor is going to come in the red zone. The Cougars hold a substantial advantage as they’ve scored 46 touchdowns in 52 trips, while the Blazers have allowed 32 touchdowns out of 36 opponent trips. If the Cougars are able to get within reach of the end zone, their closing ability may prove important.
Best Bet: BYU -7: In the end, BYU’s offense will be the determining factor. If you look back at UAB’s matchup against Liberty, quarterback Malik Willis torched this team in the air and on the ground. Jaren Hall is not as dynamic as Willis, but he has the dual-threat ability, and with Tyler Allgeier in the backfield, the Cougars can attack in the trenches to open things up in the passing game. Expect them to win this game by more than a touchdown.
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