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FACTS & STATS: Site: Veterans Memorial Stadium (30,000) -- Troy, Alabama. Television: SportSouth. Home Record: UAB 0-1, Troy 1-0. Away Record: UAB 0-2, Troy 0-2. Neutral Record: UAB 0-0, Troy 0-0. Conference Record: UAB 0-2, Troy 0-0. Series Record: Series is tied, 4-4.

GAME NOTES: Head coach Neil Callaway takes his UAB squad to Alabama this weekend in search of its first victory of the season, as the Blazers take on a struggling Troy team that got its first taste of victory last week.

UAB is coming off a tough 28-23 loss to East Carolina in Greenville. The Blazer defense looks to continue its success this week after forcing seven turnovers in their conference struggle. The loss was UAB's best showing of the year thus far as they were blown out by Florida and Tulane in their first two games.

Troy looks to build on last week's success after winning the Battle of the Palladium over rival Middle Tennessee, 38-35 in front of their home crowd. The win came after road losses to BCS opponents Clemson and Arkansas.

This game will break the all time series tie as both teams have beaten each other four times. Last year UAB won 34-33, as Jackie Williams wrestled the ball away from a trio of Troy players in the end zone as time expired to give the Blazers a thrilling victory in Birmingham.

UAB has struggled so far this season on the offensive side of the ball. The Blazers are averaging a dismal 11 points per game and are ranked near the bottom in the nation in yardage, averaging just over 286 yards per game. UAB did put up a season high 23 points against East Carolina in their previous game, but it left some opportunities on the table, as the offense only turned two of the seven Blazer takeaways into points.

Quarterback Byran Ellis is doubtful against Troy after being knocked out with a concussion by the Pirates. His backup Jonathan Perry did well in his collegiate debut in relief by completing 9-of-16 passes for 106 yards. Perry is slated to get the start for the Blazers this week.

Pat Shed showed off his versatility in the loss to East Carolina by rushing for 59 yards with a touchdown and catching 11 passes for 62 yards. The offense compiled 400 total yards, well over its total from the first two games.

Defensively UAB relied on big plays last week. The defense gave up 541 yards, but made up for it with three interceptions and recovering four fumbles. Jamie Bender led the defense with 11 tackles, two sacks, and an interception which he returned for a touchdown. Still, the defense is allowing opponents to score an average of 38.7 points per game so far this year.

Offensively, Troy has relied heavily on quarterback Corey Robinson for production. Robinson completed 24-of-38 passes for 348 yards with three touchdowns in the Trojans' win over Middle Tennessee. His passing attack was complemented by Shawn Southward's efficient 13 rushes for 94 yards on the ground. As a team the Trojans gained 479 total yards as they scored a season high 38 points.

The Trojans' defense was exposed by Middle Tennessee quarterback Logan Kilgore last week as he had a career day with 415 passing yards. However, when it mattered most, the defense stepped up. As Kilgore tried to drive the Blue Raiders down the field with under two minutes left, Brannon Bryan intercepted a pass to clinch the win for Troy. The defense hopes to improve from their overall shoddy performance as the unit gave up 582 total yards last week.

A last second loss can leave a sour taste in the loser's mouth for a long time. Troy has not forgotten about the heartbreaker in last year's contest, but UAB is going in hungry for that first win. This one will remain close if the Blazers can continue to produce turnovers defensively.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Troy 31, UAB 24