Northern Illinois (8-5, Mid-American Conference) vs. UAB (10-3, Conference USA), Dec. 18, 7 p.m. ET
LOCATION: Boca Raton, Florida.
TOP PLAYERS
Northern Illinois: DE Sutton Smith, 24½ tackles for loss, 15 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries.
UAB: RB Spencer Brown, 247 carries, 1,149 yards, 16 touchdowns.
NOTABLE
Northern Illinois: The Huskies beat Buffalo 30-29 in the MAC championship game after trailing 29-10 with less than a minute left in the third quarter.
UAB: The Blazers beat Middle Tennessee 27-25 in the Conference USA championship game. UAB is bowling for a second straight season, a remarkable achievement for a school that started playing football again last season after a two-year hiatus.
LAST TIME
This is the first meeting between these two teams.
BOWL HISTORY
Northern Illinois: Second appearance in the Boca Raton Bowl, 13th bowl appearance overall.
UAB: First appearance in the Boca Raton Bowl, third bowl appearance overall. The Blazers are seeking their first bowl victory.
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