UAB preview

[ALEX LIFESON]

This will be the second game of the year and the first CUSA game, I like what it said about their secondary. Also, UAB signed 8 juco's, getting them early, should be to SMU's advantage. I plan on making this game at Legion Field.



UAB Begins: March 18 Game: April 11

The early spring buzz ... The Blazers are going to start this spring as optimistic as they’ve been in five years. Despite only winning four games last season, UAB finished 3-2 and played its best football over the final two months. Now that Neil Callaway is entering his third season in Birmingham, he’s been able to instill his philosophies into the program and attract his type of players. Plus, he welcomes back multi-dimensional QB Joe Webb, who proved a year ago to be one of the better kept secrets in Conference USA.

The big spring question is ... Is Webb going to get any help from his teammates? Being a one-man show may look good in boxscores, but it’s rarely enough to produce where it matters most. Not only did he throw for 2,367 yards, but he also ran for 1,021 more, or almost twice as much as the next best Blazer. If Webb can’t get a little more support from shifty Rashaud Slaughter and the more powerful Justin Brooks, he’s liable to run out of gas before the calendar says November.

The most important position to watch is ... the secondary. Gone from a defensive backfield that ranked 108th nationally are four seniors, including all-league first-teamer Kevin Sanders. The Blazer staff will have to really dig deep in order to piece this group together. Brandon Carlisle and Chase Daniel should be set at cornerback and safety, respectively. After those two, however, the pecking order is up in the air. Terrell Springs, Andre Hicks, Ugonna Amarikwa, and Marquis Colemen played enough as freshmen to get long looks this spring.

Spring attitude... Stay positive and keep moving forward. UAB isn’t ready to compete for the East Division, but the program got markedly better last season, and now has a borderline star at quarterback to rally around. If the Blazers can match last year’s growth spurt in 2009, they’ll be in the hunt for bowl eligibility in the last few weeks of the season. For that to happen, the defense must improve and the offense needs big plays from someone other than Webb and his favorite target Frantrell Forrest.

[One Trick Pony]

cHEck you been there before Craig?

[ALEX LIFESON]

No, and that's one of the reasons I'm going. It will be four years before we play there again. Plus, I could have been there for the great Bobby Chase game winning td catch in 05, and wasn't.

Fear the June Jones Air Force!

[CalallenStang]

Chase Daniel plays CB now?

[The PonyGrad]

So, it is there QB vs. our D and our RandS vs. their weak and decimated secondary.

I like it.