The UAB football team is set for one of the best traditions in college football as it welcomes South Florida for the seventh annual Children’s Harbor game, Saturday, Oct. 7, at Protective Stadium in New Birmingham.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

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

Quarterback

UAB quarterback Jacob Zeno is on pace to set a majority of the program’s single-season passing records and leads a top-25 passing attack (294 ypg) while ranking third in the nation in completions per game (31.4) and fourth in completion rate (75.5 percent). The redshirt junior has thrown for 1,442 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions, while also adding 102 yards and three scores on the ground. The only other quarterback on roster to hit the field this season has been third-stringer Harrison Barker on two two-point conversion attempts.

The South Florida offense starts and stops with sophomore quarterback Byrum Brown, who is passing at a 61 percent clip through five games while amassing 1,223 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. Brown has also produced 330 yards and three touchdowns on the ground — good for a third of the Bulls’ rushing average (182.4 ypg) this season. Coastal Carolina transfer Bryce Archie has attempted only two passes this season, completing one for a loss of two yards. Advantage: Even

Running back

The Blazers have not run the ball as effectively as the past few seasons, ranking 101st in rushing offense (126.2 ypg), but provided a glimpse of their potential last week at Tulane. Isaiah Jacobs leads the team with 249 yards and three touchdowns, adding 17 receptions for 63 yards, and Jermaine Brown Jr. has 279 total yards and three rushing scores on 57 touches. Lee Beebe and Lee Witherspoon, along with Demetrius Battle, are the only other running backs to receive a carry this season and UAB has also used receivers Brandon Buckhaulter, TJ Jones and Amare Thomas in the backfield, combining for 67 yards on five attempts.

With Brown leading the rushing game for the Bulls, the running back committee is split three ways with Florida graduate transfer Nay’Quan Wright pacing the unit. Wright has twice as many attempts (70) as the next running back in rotation, producing 287 yards and two touchdowns, and Michael Dukes and K’Wan Powell have a combined 65 attempts for 283 yards and a touchdown each. Advantage: Even

Receiver/tight end

The receiving corps was arguably one of the strengths heading into the season and true freshman Amare Thomas is quickly growing into one of the Blazers’ top wideouts. At only 17 years old, Thomas has a team-high 23 receptions for 227 yards and a touchdown and brought down 17 catches for 159 yards in the last two games. The emergence of Thomas has lightened the season-ending loss of redshirt freshman Iverson Hooks, who had 10 receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns in three games.

Tejhaun Palmer leads the team with 231 yards and a score on 20 receptions, followed by Samario Rudolph with 17 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown. Isaiah Jacobs and Jermaine Brown Jr. have 17 catches this season out of the backfield, and Fred Farrier II is developing into a deep threat with 10 receptions for 193 yards (19.3 yards per catch). Tight ends Bryce Damous and Dallas Payne are adept at both receiving and blocking, the former hauling 16 catches for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns,

South Florida has plenty of talent at the receiver position but the wealth has been chiefly spread to a trio of upperclassmen. Wagner transfer Naiem Simmons leads the team with 380 yards and two scores on 20 receptions, followed by Sean Atkins with a team-high 28 catches for 331 yards and three touchdowns and Khafre Brown with 14 receptions for 248 yards and a pair of scores.

Minnesota transfer Michael Brown-Stephens and Texas transfer Jaden Alexis have combined on nine receptions for 105 yards, the former adding a touchdown, and Maryland transfer Weston Wolff is the top tight end with eight catches for 61 yards. Senior tight end Jayson Littlejohn has three catches for 16 yards and a score. Advantage: UAB

Offensive line

The Blazers were rocked for seven sacks against Louisiana but made two key moves at guard — Luke Jones at left and Brennan Moran moving over to the right-side position — and have given up only three sacks total in the last two games. The offensive line is steadily improving in pass protection and, despite ranking 101st in rushing offense (126.2 ypg), imposed more of its will in the running game last week. Will Parker and Trey Bedosky have maintained their hold on the tackle positions and Brady Wilson is an anchor at center.

South Florida’s offensive line is in similar shape as the Blazers but has produced a more effective rushing attack through the first half of the season. The Bulls ranked 41st in rushing offense (182.4 ypg) but have allowed 23 sacks (4.6/game) and 43 tackles for loss (8.6/game). Left tackle Donovan Jennings has missed the last two games but is hopeful for a return this week, and Tennessee transfer and former Fairfield standout RJ Perry should move back to right tackle if the former can give it a go. The interior of the line features three first-year starters with left guard Andrew Kilfoyl, center Mike Lofton and Florida State transfer Zane Herring at right guard. Houston transfer Derek Bowman took right tackle duties when Perry moved to the left side. Advantage: Even

Defensive line

UAB’s defense is a pale substitute for what was expected of a unit that returned key pieces while signing young talent and injecting quick experience from the transfer portal. The Blazers rank 116th nationally in total defense (433.6 ypg) and its defensive front has taken most of the abuse in ranking 125th in the nation in rushing defense (204.4 ypg). Michael Fairbanks II leads the unit from his defensive end position and has 12 tackles (1.5 for loss), 1/2 sack and three forced fumbles.

Senior nose tackle Kevin Penn is having his best season on the Southside, racking up 17 tackles (3 for loss) and three sacks, and defensive tackle Fish McWilliams has 10 tackles (1/2 for loss) and a fumble recovery. Joker Gill and Tyrique Howard are the only other upperclassmen contributing on the defensive line, combining for 10 tackles, and true freshmen Miquon Merriweather, Emmanuel Waller and Eamon Smalls are starting to work their way into the rotation.

South Florida operates out of a 3-4 base but mixes it up as most defenses tend to do these days. The Bulls rank 90th in total defense (398 ypg) but have a penchant for causing damage at the line of scrimmage — ranking 44th in rushing defense (118.4 ypg) and collecting 41 tackles for loss (8.2) and 14 sacks (2.8).

Senior defensive tackle Rashad Cherry leads the interior defensive line, posting 13 tackles (2 for loss) and 1/2 sack, and TCU transfer Doug Blue-Eli, East Carolina transfer Immanuel Hickman and sophomore Jacquez Williams rotate alongside Cherry at nose tackle. Blue-Eli and Hickman have combined for 13 tackles (3 for loss) and Williams has contributed a sack.

Jonathan Ross and Tramel Logan reside on the edge at defensive end and have combined for 30 tackles (6 for loss) with Ross adding two sacks and Logan producing 1/2 sack, a fumble recovery and three pass breakups. Advantage: South Florida

Linebackers

UAB has taken a few hits at linebacker, primarily losing Charlie Goode for the season due to a non-contact injury in practice, but has talent and experience in place to turn the corner for a failing defense. The linebacker unit is also responsible for half of the Blazers’ eight fumble recoveries this season.

Jackson Bratton commands the platoon from the middle, amassing 27 tackles (3.5 for loss), two sacks and a fumble recovery, and Michael Moore has 29 tackles (3 for loss) and a forced fumble while closing out his career at SAM linebacker.

Will Sorrells and true freshman Everett Roussaw Jr. have both started beside Bratton, the latter of the two with four starts this season, and have combined for 25 tackles (1.5 for loss) and 1.5 sacks in cleaning up ball carriers that break the defensive line. On the edge, Desmond Little and Nikia Eason Jr. are coming up with big plays in the trenches, combining for 23 tackles (4.5 for loss) and 2.5 sacks and the latter forcing two fumbles, and Kendal Johnson has a sack and a fumble recovery.

The Bulls rebuilt their linebacker corps almost completely through the transfer portal but both starting middle linebackers are holdovers from last season and produce on a high level behind the defensive line. Jhalyn Shuler has a team-high 34 tackles (1/2 loss), while fellow senior DJ Gordon IV is fourth on the team with 25 tackles (5.5 for loss) and 1.5 sacks. Utah grad transfer Andrew Matu’ufu and FAU transfer Jamie Pettway provide depth on the inside, along with senior Mac Harris.

South Florida has its own hybrid position (B-Back) and best classifies as a linebacker with its use in space and on the edge. Florida transfer Llyod Summerall has started three games this season, totaling 13 tackles (2 for loss) and a sack, and Texas transfer D.J. Harris has two starts with eight tackles and two fumble recoveries. Jason Vaughn also contributes on a regular basis and has 10 tackles (2.5 for loss) and two sacks. Advantage: South Florida

Secondary

The Blazers are starting to show improvement in the backend, after conceding more than 340 yards to both Georgia Southern and Georgia, and currently rank 71st in passing yards allowed (229.2 ypg). Of course, a lack of run defense is also a factor in the secondary not being targeted as it was earlier this season.

Senior safety Keondre Swoopes missed the opener but has been on a mission since returning to the lineup, racking up a team-high 31 tackles, and Ike Rowell is turning in solid performances with 20 tackles, two pass breakups and a forced fumble. Ray Thornton has two starts in four games, and Damien Miller has split time at both safety and linebacker while contributing 17 tackles and forcing a pair of fumbles. Damon Miller has appeared in only two games while battling a preseason injury and AJ Brown and true freshman Chris Bracy continue to provide depth.

The cornerback rotation is objectively talented but is playing a bit too far off opposing receivers as compared to the man coverage wrought by the Blazers the past few seasons. Mac McWilliams leads the unit with 26 tackles and two pass breakups, followed by BJ Mayes with 15 tackles, a team-high six pass breakups and an interception. Colby Dempsey is part of the primary cornerback trio, contributing 12 tackles and three pass breakups, and true freshman Ricky Lee III has shown promise with an interception at Georgia. T’sai McDonald and A.D. Diamond have played sparingly.

South Florida gets a lot of production out of its secondary but mostly because it has to pick up the slack in ranking 120th in passing yards allowed (279.6 ypg), along with providing run support on the side. Daquan Evans is a versatile athlete at nickleback, racking up 28 tackles (9 for loss), three sacks and two pass breakups, and senior Jayden Curry is slotted behind the former but also spends time at safety.

Jaelen Stokes has started every game in the backend and is second on the team with 31 tackles (1 for loss), a sack and an interception. Logan Berryhill started the first four games, before ceding last week to Curry, and has 20 tackles, two pass breakups and two of the Bulls’ three interceptions. Chris Townsel and Will Jones fill out the depth at safety.

Senior Aamaris Brown paces the cornerback rotation, posting 18 tackles (2 for loss) and a sack, and Nebraska graduate transfer Braxton Clark has collected 17 tackles (1 for loss) and three pass breakups on the opposite side. Matthew Hill and Tavin Ward fall behind the former on the depth chart. Advantage: UAB

Special Teams

UAB’s Matt Quinn got off to a rough start this season in missing three of his first four field goal attempts but settled in last week with a 3-for-3 performance at Tulane. He is now 4-of-7 on the year with a long of 48 yards and is a valuable asset to the Blazers. Patrick Foley is winning the field position battle, averaging 42.6 yards per punt on 15 attempts. The return game is always ready to break one at any time and coverage has improved in the last few games.

South Florida kicker John Cannon is perfect so far on the season, going 5-for-5 with a long of 44 yards, and Brendan Farrell has 11 touchbacks on 28 kickoffs. Junior punter Andrew Stokes has 22 attempts for an average of 42.5 yards, including 10 downed inside the 20-yard line and seven fair catches. The Bulls have not been a threat on kick returns but that could change at any time. Advantage: Even

Coaching

Trent Dilfer has yet to grab his first victory over an FBS program but the team has shown true development and improvement in the last two weeks against reigning back-to-back national champion Georgia and current AAC champion Tulane. South Florida’s Alex Golesh is also in his first season as a head coach but has a wealth of college coaching experience and led high-powered offenses at both UCF and Tennessee before taking the reins in Tampa. Advantage: South Florida

Overall

The Blazers are flowing on offense but self-inflicted wounds and an underperforming defense have prevented them from reaching the apex of their potential. South Florida turned to the portal in Golesh’s first offseason and is much improved from a 4-29 showing under the previous administration. UAB is on a four-game skid but is playing for a larger purpose in honoring patients of Children’s Harbor — owning a 5-1 record the past six years. Advantage: UAB