The UAB football team returns home following its first loss of the season and looks to get back on track against Louisiana, Saturday, Sept. 16, at Protective Stadium in Birmingham.

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

Read more on UAB football:

UAB aims to fix issues ahead of incoming Louisiana

Rewinding Trent Dilfer’s weekly UAB press conference

So how do the teams match up? Here is AL.com’s position-by-position breakdown for UAB’s showdown with the Ragin’ Cajuns:

Quarterback

Jacob Zeno is the “revelation” that UAB head coach Trent Dilfer spoke about in referring to the quarterback position, passing for 676 yards and five touchdowns, but also threw an interception in a critical moment during the Georgia Southern loss. The redshirt junior leads the nation in completions per game (35.5) and ranks second in completion percentage (84.5 percent) and fourth in passing (338 ypg).

Landry Lyddy has yet to see the field and third-string quarterback Harrison Barker converted 1-of-2 two-point attempts last week. Zeno is on pace for a historic passing season and perhaps more provided mistakes are limited going forward.

Louisiana quarterback Ben Woolridge is having a similar campaign to Zeno, albeit with a much worse completion percentage of 57.4 percent. The redshirt senior has attempted every pass for the Ragin’ Cajuns, amassing 508 yards, five touchdowns and an interception, and is nimble on his feet as well with 78 yards and two scores on the ground. Chandler Fields and Zeon Chriss have appeared in one game each but only the latter has any measurable stats, a 13-yard rush. Advantage: UAB

Running back

UAB has not inflicted the type of damage on the ground as in years past but a sleeping giant is nearing the end of a short slumber. Jermaine Brown and Isaiah Jacobs are both capable of shouldering the load on their own but are even more dangerous in open space as a duo — combining for 244 total yards and four rushing touchdowns on 47 touches.

Lee Beebe and Lee Witherspoon have seen action in both games and are the only other two running backs to receive a carry this season. Demetrius Battle and Taven Curry have both made appearances but have yet to receive a rushing attempt.

The Ragin’ Cajuns are averaging 189.5 ypg through two games this season and have taken the hot-hand approach in spreading out the carries between four different running backs. Jacob Kibodi leads the team with 19 attempts for 103 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown reception, and second-leading rusher Dre’lyn Washington has been ruled out for the UAB matchup. Terrence Williams should see the first reps off the bench, followed by Zylan Perry. Advantage: UAB

Receiver/tight end

With Zeno slinging the ball around the yard, the UAB receiving corps has benefited greatly from the increase of targets and opportunities in the offense. Tejhaun Palmer leads the team with 10 receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown, followed by Fred Farrier II with five catches for 121 yards. Iverson Hooks had the best game of his career last week and has nine receptions for 94 yards and a team-leading two touchdowns.

Samario Rudolph and TJ Jones have a combined 10 catches for 120 yards, the latter scoring on a 34-yard reception in the opener, and true freshman Amare Thomas and Indiana transfer Malachi Holt-Bennett are the only other receivers with a catch two games into the season. Bryce Damous also had one of the best games of his UAB career last week and leads the tight end rotation with nine catches for 61 yards and a score. Dallas Payne, along with Terrell McDonald and J.C. Sivley have all contributed greatly in pass protections.

Louisiana is also deep at the receiver position and has six players, along with a trio of tight ends, in rotation for an offense averaging 254 ypg through the air. Seniors Neal Johnson and Pearce Migl are pass-catching, run-blocking tight ends and have started each game with the Ragin’ Cajuns opening up in heavy sets.

Sophomore Robert Williams leads the team with 8 receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown, followed by senior Peter LeBlanc with six catches for 84 yards and a score. Jacob Bernard and Charles Robertson have combined for five receptions and 119 yards and true freshman Harvey Broussard is already contributing with five catches for 44 yards and a touchdown. Junior Tavion Smith has one catch this season but it went for a 21-yard touchdown. Advantage: Even

Offensive line

The Blazers debuted a brand new offensive line this season and the unit has impressed when considering its development in pass protection — allowing a single sack in 84 pass attempts this season. However, the brutal rushing attack once imposed by UAB is currently lacking in production, despite the backfield talents of Brown and Jacobs, and ranks 91st in the nation in rushing offense (129.5 ypg).

Louisiana’s offensive prowess is predicated on a physical offensive line and returns plenty of experience and talent in that arena, powering the Ragin’ Cajuns to 443.5 ypg and allowing only two sacks in two games. Redshirt junior Left guard AJ Grille has been a fixture on the line the last two seasons, making 27 starts in his last 29 games, and left tackle Nathan Thomas and right guard Jax Harrington are in their second year starting at their respective positions. George Jackson saw action last season and is now working full-time at right tackle, along with Landon Burton at center. Advantage: Louisiana

Defensive line

UAB’s defensive front came into the season with plenty of upside but has underperformed through two weeks of the season. The Blazers are ranked 80th in rushing defense (132.5 ypg) and were unable to generate any penetration last week against Georgia Southern, which executed a lightning-fast offensive attack to render the defensive line benign.

Senior nose tackle Kevin Penn has made an early impact on the interior, racking up nine tackles and a sack, and Fish McWilliams, Tyrique Howard and Joker Gill have combined for eight tackles (1.5 for loss). On the edge, defensive end Michael Fairbanks II has contributed five tackles (1 for loss).

The Ragin’ Cajuns operate out of a 3-4 alignment but present multiple fronts on the defensive side — ranking 38th in total defense (289.5 ypg) and allowing a 25 percent conversion rate on third down. Jordan Lawson leads the defensive line from his end position, racking up 11 tackles (4 for loss) and 3.5 sacks, and will be joined by his bookend mate Mason Narcisse, who is set to make his first appearance this season. Nijel McGriff and Antoine Baylis started at the other defensive end position in Narcisse’s absence, combining for 10 tackles and a sack, and juniors Sonny Hazard and Kadarius Miller work the interior. Advantage: Louisiana

Linebackers

Depth is now an issue at linebacker following the loss of Charlie Goode to a broken leg, specifically a broken fibula, tibia and part of an ankle, and more production is needed — despite owning five of UAB’s six sacks — as the Blazers are ranked 127th in third-down defense (56 percent)

Jackson Bratton leads the team with 17 tackles (2.5 for loss) and two sacks but there is little experience behind the former Alabama transfer. True freshman Everett Roussaw has started both games beside Bratton in the middle, posting five tackles and a sack, and redshirt sophomore Will Sorrells has made the jump to the two-deep behind Bratton. Senior safety Damien Miller has been working at linebacker this season and Reise Collier and Tamarious Brown round out the current rotation.

UAB has started only one outside linebacker each game this season and the honor has been that of Desmond Little and Michael Moore. The latter leads the SAM position and all edge-rushers with eight tackles (2 for loss), followed by Little at JACK with six tackles (1.5 for loss) and 1/5 sack. Nikia Eason runs behind Moore at SAM, contributing six tackles and a sack, and Kendall Johnson and Jamarcus Jones round out the rotation and are the only other outside linebackers to make an appearance this season.

Louisiana gets most of its production from its linebacker corps and three of its top four tacklers reside in the middle of the defense. K.C. Ossai leads the unit at MIKE, collecting 13 tackles (2 for loss) and a sack, and WILL linebacker Jasper Williams has 11 tackles (2 for loss) and 1.5 sack. Fellow WILL Kendre Gant is tied with Ossai for the team lead in tackles and Kailep Edwards backs up the latter at MIKE.

The Ragin’ Cajuns employ a trio of JACKs – Cam Whitfield, Cam George and Trey Fite – but have not been used as routinely as their other trio of SAMs. Tyler Guidry, Caleb Kibodi and Cejae Ceasar have combined for five tackles with Guidry adding a sack. Advantage: Even

Secondary

UAB currently ranks 45 in passing yards allowed (180 ypg) but that number is easily skewed by holding a run-dominated offense to 16 yards in the season opener. A better indicator — after allowing 344 yards and three touchdowns at Georgia Southern — is a 95th-ranked pass efficiency defense. Although there was no discernable pass rush against an offense too quick for a reaction, the secondary must bear its share of responsibility for the damage inflicted through the air.

Mac McWilliams and Colby Dempsey have started each game at cornerback, combining for 14 tackles, and Incarnate Word transfer BJ Mayes has made an immediate impact with six tackles, two pass breakups and an interception. True freshman Ricky Lee III and A.D. Diamond complete a corner rotation that needs a strong outing to get back on track.

Keondre Swoopes made his season debut against Georgia Southern, leading the Blazers with nine tackles, but Damon Miller has been sidelined two weeks and is sorely missed in the defensive backfield. Ike Rowell and former Clemson and South Florida transfer Ray Thornton III have led the backend of the secondary, along with AJ Brown and true freshman Chris Bracy, and Damien Miller continues his hybrid role at linebacker.

The Ragin’ Cajuns are ranked 44th in passing defense (178.5 ypg) but have yet to face a high-volume passing offense on the level of UAB. Safety Courtline Flowers has started both games at the STAR position, ahead of Amir McDaniel and Patrick Mensah, and Tyrone Lewis and Tyree Skipper, who is tied with a team-high 13 tackles, have taken up residence at the other two safety positions.

Keyon Martin and Caleb Anderson man the starting corner positions, posting two pass breakups each, and senior Glenn Brown and sophomores Shadwel Nkuball and Justin Agu will need to be on the top of their game as the Blazers have a bevy of receivers on hand. Advantage: Even

Special Teams

The Blazers have been as constant as the wind on special teams the last few seasons but are having a tough go at it to start the 2023 season. Senior placekicker Matt Quinn is 0-for-2 on field-goal attempts and Arkansas transfer punter Patrick Foley has both a 55-yard and 30-yard punt to his name. However, kickoff coverage is the true bane of the UAB special teams but can as easily turn a corner as the kicking game.

Meanwhile, Louisiana placekicker Kenneth Atmendares is 2-for-2 on field goals this season and punter Thomas Leo has averaged 42.1 yards on 10 kicks, forcing five fair catches and two touchbacks. Jacob Bernard has been stuffed on two punt returns but Zylan Perry presents a real threat with 27.5 yards averaged on eight kickoffs. Advantage: Louisiana

Coaching

An early test of Trent Dilfer’s coaching ability is recovering from his first loss as a college head coach — an experience not felt since his third season at Lipscomb Academy (Tenn.). The first-year UAB coach has the advantage of playing at home and a staff-wide mentality that is intent on correcting fixable issues. Louisiana coach Michael Desormeaux is in his second season (8-7 overall) at his alma mater and he was a successful high school coach before joining the Louisiana staff in 2016 as the running backs coach. Advantage: Even

Overall

The Blazers have proven their ability to score at will but defensively are in need of a rebound performance after being scorched through the air last week. Louisiana offers a unique challenge with a balanced offensive attack through heavy sets and formations and UAB will need to be on its toes to avoid another defensive letdown to a Sun Belt team. Fortunately, the Blazers are honoring Smile-A-Mile and routinely bring their best when playing for another name on the back of a jersey. Advantage: UAB