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FACTS & STATS: Site: Legion Field (83,091) -- Birmingham, Alabama. Television:None. Home Record: SMU 1-0, UAB 1-0. Away Record: SMU 0-0, UAB 0-0. Neutral Record: SMU 0-0, UAB 0-0. Conference Record: SMU 0-0, UAB 1-0. Series Record: SMU leads, 2-0.

GAME NOTES: The UAB Blazers will try to make it two league wins in as many weeks, as they host the SMU Mustangs in Conference USA action at Legion Field.

The Blazers got their 2009 campaign off to a terrific start, notching a 44-24 victory over Rice in a conference battle. The 44 points marked the team's highest output in a a conference game since 2005, helping UAB land its first season opening victory since 2004. The Blazers are coming off a 4-8 season in which they showed promise down the stretch and now appear headed in the right direction under head coach Neil Callaway.

As for SMU, it too kicked off its 2009 season on a winning note, rallying past Stephen F. Austin 31-23 this past weekend. It wasn't an impressive performance, but it was still the team's first season-opening win since 2000. The victory also put an end to a 10-game losing streak that dated back to last season, when the Mustangs finished just 1-11 in June Jones' first-year at the helm of the program.

SMU, which is riding a 17-game C-USA losing streak, is 2-0 all-time against UAB, including a 22-9 triumph in the last meeting in 2006.

Shawnbrey McNeal ran for 158 yards and a score on 19 carries, as SMU used a 17-point fourth quarter to defeat SFA this past weekend. It was quite an effort from the Miami-Florida transfer, who has already helped improve a ground attack that ranked last in the nation a year ago and didn't have a single player rush for a 100 yards in a game. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell also had a decent performance, throwing for 202 yards and a touchdown and rushing for another score. He however, completed just 23-of-45 tosses and was picked off twice. Levi Mitchell, who started as a true freshman last year and threw a nation-high 23 interceptions, had his moments in the game, but still needs to cut down on the turnovers. Emmanuel Sanders was his favorite target with eight catches for 66 yards and he also returned a punt 79 yards for a score. Considered one of the top receivers in the league, Sanders made 67 catches for 958 yards and nine scores last year, and showed his play-making abilities in the opener.

The Mustangs ranked as one of the worst defensive units in the nation last season and they had their issues in the opener. The unit did a solid job in limiting SFA to just 69 rushing yards, but it was torched for 460 yards through the air. However, the Ponies compensated for some of those yards by forcing six turnovers, including five interceptions. It marked the team's most interceptions in a game since recording eight against Arkansas in 1951. Last season, SMU had a total of eight picks, so the team should have no trouble improving on that number after the opening day performance. Rock Dennis accounted for two of the interceptions, while Chase Kennemer notched 10 stops and the team's lone sack. Dennis had just one pick, to go with 53 stops, all of last year, and Kennemer had no sacks and 25 stops as a backup in 2008.

UAB's offense revolved around quarterback Joe Webb last season and he put on a show in the team's opening win against Rice last weekend. Webb accounted for 415 of the Blazers' 516 total yards last weekend, setting a new single-game league rushing record by a quarterback with 194 yards and two scores on 20 carries. The dual-threat quarterback also completed 12-of-15 tosses for 221 yards and two more scores, showing 2008 was no fluke. Last season, Webb not only threw for 2,367 yards, but he also set a new C-USA record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,021. Frantrell Forrest, the team's top target the past two seasons, caught four balls for 64 yards and two touchdowns in the opener. UAB's offense was certainly clicking on all cylinders in the opener and this group has the potential to be dangerous all season long with Webb running the show.

The Blazers' defense wasn't nearly as impressive as the offense last weekend, but it didn't need to be with such a large lead. UAB gave up 391 total yards to Rice, including 156 on the ground. The unit though, allowed Rice to complete just 22-of-42 tosses and it even forced a pair of turnovers. It was by no means a stellar performance, but it wasn't all that bad either considering UAB allowed 31.3 ppg and 430.0 total ypg in 2008. Chase Daniel led the charge in the opener with six tackles and the team's lone interception. Daniel showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie last season, making 47 stops, and he is primed for a big 2009 campaign.

UAB is coming off an impressive opening victory, while SMU struggled to beat a FCS program. With Webb under center, the Blazers have an unmatched weapon and he should be able to shred a suspect SMU defense for the victory this weekend.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: UAB 41, SMU 27