The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Play Host To 14th-Ranked Houston Saturday
11/5/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 5, 2011
Gameday Central | Gametracker | Listen Live | Game Notes
The UAB Blazers are back in action Saturday as the 14th-ranked Houston Cougars and their high-powered offense visit Legion Field for a 6:00 p.m. CT kickoff. The game will be televised on the CBS Sports Network and will also serve as UAB's 2011 Homecoming Game.
The Blazers (1-7, 1-4 C-USA) are coming off a 59-14 loss at Marshall last Saturday. UAB was held scoreless in the first half before posting a pair of rushing touchdowns (Nick Adams, 6 yards; Darrin Reaves, 5 yards) after intermission. The Blazers finished with 310 offensive yards but were limited to just 70 on the ground.
Houston (8-0, 4-0 C-USA) is ranked No. 14 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls and comes to Birmingham fresh off a 73-34 victory over Rice last Thursday. Cougars' QB Case Keenum threw for 534 yards and nine TDs in the game, while WR Patrick Edwards had seven catches for 318 yards.
Keenum needs 267 yards passing on Saturday to break the NCAA career yardage record of 17,072 which Is currently held by former Hawaii QB Timmy Chang.
The Cougars are currently ranked No. 1 nationally in total offense (612.4), passing offense (453.3) and scoring offense (52.3). Their average margin of victory in eight games is +27.5 (52.3 - 24.8).
Houston is looking to 9-0 in a season for the first time in school history.
No. 14 Houston at UAB
Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011
Legion Field • Birmingham, Ala.
6:00 p.m. CT
(CBS Sports Network)
TV: CBS Sports Network - Dave Ryan (pbp), Rich Rodriguez (color) and Krisa Blunk (sidelines) call the action.
RADIO: Blazer IMG Sports Network - David Crane (pbp), John Whitcomb (color) and Sam Miller (sidelines) have the call. The game can also be heard on WUHT 107.7 FM in Birmingham.
FIRST AND 10
-- UAB returned 16 starters on offense (7) and defense (9) from last season's team that finished 4-8. The Blazers had a pair of performers -- offensive tackle Matt McCants and defensive tackle Elliott Henigan -- named to the 2011 preseason All-Conference USA team by the league's coaches.
-- UAB has a young football program compared to most of its opposition. The Blazers are in their 21st season of football (and 16th at the Division I-A or FBS level) as they played their first intercollegiate season in 1991 at the NCAA Division III level. UAB moved to Division I-AA two seasons later in 1993 and remained at that level three years before making the transition to Division I-A beginning in 1996.
-- Safety Jamie Bender's 35-yard interception return for a touchdown at East Carolina was the Blazers' first defensive score since Marquis Coleman returned a pick 99 yards at UTEP on Oct. 31, 2009. UAB scored defensive touchdowns in back-to-back games after T.J. Ballou returned an interception 52 yards for a score in the Blazers' 24-23 loss Oct. 1 at Troy.
-- Senior Nick Adams' 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown vs. Tulane Sept. 17 was the Blazers' first kickoff return for a score since the 2008 season, a span of 37 games.
-- In the Sept. 10th season opener at Florida, there were 19 UAB players who saw first-time action in a Blazer uniform, including seven true freshmen. The seven true freshmen were: TE Kennard Backman, RB Bashr Coles, DL Mickey Jackson, PK Ty Long, DE Tyler Peppers, RB Darrin Reaves and DE Diaheem Watkins.
-- QB Bryan Ellis moved into the No. 4 spot on UAB's career list for passing yards with his performance at Florida in the season opener. Ellis, who is now expected to miss the rest of the 2011 season due to injury, has 3,697 career passing yards and reached that number in only 13 starts.
-- WR Jackie Williams, who caught a career-best 10 passes for 82 yards against UCF two weeks ago, has had at least one reception in all 20 games of his collegiate career. He has a team-high 45 grabs for 423 yards in eight games this season. WR Patrick Hearn has caught a pass in 18 of the past 19 games for the Blazers.
-- UAB has one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country with 158 career starts among six offensive linemen. Senior Terence Edge leads the way with 40 career starts. Fellow senior Matt McCants has 38 career starts for the Blazers.
-- UAB has an all-time record of 13-4 in the Blazers' Homecoming games.
SERIES HISTORY: EIGHTH MEETING BETWEEN UAB AND HOUSTON
UAB and Houston will be meeting for the eighth time when they play Saturday Legion Field. The Blazers lead the series with the Cougars by a 4-3 margin but have seen Houston win three of the past four matchups betweens the teams.
Houston claimed a 45-20 victory on its home field in 2008 and won by a 49-10 margin in 2007 in the Cougars' last trip to Birmingham. The Blazers' last win in the series was a 20-7 decision at home in 2004.
UAB won the first three meetings between the teams (1999, 2001 and 2002). The Blazers took a 29-10 win at Legion Field in 1999 in the first-ever meeting.
2008 - Houston won 45-20 at Houston
2007 - Houston won 49-10 at Birmingham
2004 - UAB won 20-7 at Birmingham
2003 - Houston won 56-28 at Houston
2002 - UAB won 51-34 at Birmingham
2001 - UAB won 43-21 at Houston
1999 - UAB won 29-10 at Birmingham
LAST MEETING
UAB quarterback Joe Webb completed 24 of his 40 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown and also had 25 carries for a team-high 72 yards and one touchdown on the ground in a 45-20 loss to Houston on the Cougars' homefield in 2008.
Case Keenum threw for 360 yards and two touchdowns as Houston rallied to score six touchdowns in the second half en route to the victory.
The Blazers outgained the Cougars in the opening half, 277-174, including a 116-13 advantage in the ground game.
However, the roles were reversed in the second half, as UAB only mustered 80 yards on 38 plays, compared to Houston's 375 yards of offense. Additionally, the Cougars' running attack outgained UAB 119-2 over the final 30 minutes of the contest.
Keenum, who went 24-for-36, threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tyron Carrier and a 70-yard TD pass to Patrick Edwards as the Cougars erased a 20-3 halftime deficit and scored 42 straight points in the second half.
Bryce Beall rushed 12 times for 108 yards for the Cougars, who had 375 yards of total offense in the second half after getting only 174 in the first half. Webb completed 24 of his 40 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown and also had 25 carries for a team-high 72 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
The Blazers dominated the first half as Webb carried the ball 16 times for 86 yards. He gave UAB a 10-0 lead just 37 seconds into the first quarter with a 3-yard run.
After Ben Bell got Houston its first points with a 35-yard field goal with 1:27 left in the first half, the Blazers answered with a quick 80-yard scoring drive capped by a 21-yard touchdown pass from Webb to tight end Zach Lankford.
The Cougars regrouped at halftime and scored 21 points in each the third and fourth quarters en route to their second straight win after losing three straight.
PERRY MADE FIRST CAREER START VS. TROY OCT. 1
Quarterback Jonathan Perry made his first career start Oct. 1 at Troy, a week after he saw what had been his most extensive action at East Carolina. Perry, who had not played for the Blazers until the 2011 season, has seen action in all eight games, but he saw considerable playing in the fourth quarter Sept. 24 at ECU after starting QB Bryan Ellis left the game due to an injury.
Perry, who finished with 106 passing yards at East Carolina as he hit 9-of-16 passes against the Pirates and led the Blazers on two long, late-game drives, has gone on to complete 96-of-171 for 1,057 yards this season. He had his best game two weeks ago vs. UCF as he threw for 327 yards on 31-of-42 passes and led UAB to a 26-24 win.
BLAZERS CAUSED SEVEN TURNOVERS SEPT. 24 AT EAST CAROLINA
UAB forced seven Pirate turnovers in the Sept. 24 loss at East Carolina, causing four fumbles and recording three interceptions. The four opponent fumbles recovered tied the Blazer school record. The last time UAB recovered four opponent fumbles was the Morehead State game in 1993.
WILLIAMS EXTENDS RECEPTION STREAK TO 20 GAMES
UAB sophomore wide receiver Jackie Williams has posted 37 catches in his last six games (East Carolina, Troy, Mississippi State, Tulsa, UCF and Marshall) combined to extend his reception streak to 20 consecutive games. He has caught at least one pass in every game he has played with the Blazers, going back to the start of the 2010 season.
Williams' streak is the fourth-longest in UAB history. Roddy White (2002-05) and Derrick Ingram (1991-94) each had 35-game streaks, while Cedrick Buchannon had a 23-game streak from 1993-95.
FRESHMAN KICKER Ty Long HAS CONNECTED ON 10-OF-12
UAB freshman placekicker Ty Long has connected on 10 of his first 12 field goal attempts this season. Long, from Roswell, Ga., made his first five attempts before missing a 43-yarder at Troy Oct. 1. His longest kick of the season thus far is a 49-yarder three weeks ago at Tulsa.
BENDER RANKS NO. 31 IN NATION IN TACKLES
Senior safety Jamie Bender is now ranked No. 31 nationally with a 9.25 average. The Blazers' leader has 74 tackles on the season and has recorded double-digit stops in four of UAB's eight games.
Bender was named the Conference USA Defensive Player-of-the-Week following his performance against East Carolina Sept. 24.
COLEMAN, SPRINGS WENT TO SAME SOUTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL
Senior defensive backs Marquis Coleman and Terrell Springs both attended Chester High School in Chester, S.C. Coleman came to UAB a year earlier than Springs but was redshirted for the 2007 season.
Coleman has made 22 career starts for the Blazers while Springs has started 26 games in the Green and Gold.
LB BURDETTE REACHES 200 CAREER TACKLES
Junior linebacker Marvin Burdette has reached the 200-mark for career tackles at UAB. Burdette, who has 58 stops this season to rank No. 2 on the team through eight games, now has totaled 215 tackles in his three-year career. Burdette ranks No. 15 on the Blazers' career list for tackles.
Burdette led the Blazers in tackles in 2010 with 114. He also has 13 career tackles for loss.
