05-25-2007, 04:46 PM
In 2005 I put together a list of the best and worst moments from UAB football's first 10 seasons in Division I-A.
Now that we have a history forum, I revive it from the archives.
Enjoy -- or throw up, if it makes you sick ...
The categories will be:
The best wins -- self explanatory
The worst losses -- this is not necessarily margin of defeat, but what the defeat meant. There will be a lot of "charlie brown" moments here.
The program builders -- these will be games that win or lose helped UAB's program advance.
The no-shows -- these were games that were ugly defeats all the way around.
Feel free to add your commentary or own lists.
Remember, thes llists are only for the I-A era and does not include any games prior to 1996. And it stops at 2005. So the forgettable 2006 season is not included anywhere.
NO-SHOWS
These were games people thought UAB would have a legitimate or at least reasonable chance to win, but they were ugly blowouts from the start. I am not including games like the thumpings by Virginia Tech or Florida. Those were not realistic opportunities for UAB to get a big win for the program.
1. Louisiana-Lafayette 34, UAB 0
Sept. 21, 2002
Where have thou gone, Steel Shield? One week after nearly upsetting Pittsburgh at Legion Field, the Blazers went to Cajun land and suffered an embarrassing beatdown against a team they had destroyed in the three most recent meetings. Thomas Cox was ineffective and freshman Darrell Hackney couldn't do much either as he played hurt. UAB let the Cajuns hit a TD pass just before halftime to make it 10-0, and then in a driving rainstorm played like they didn't want to be there in the second half. Ugly, ugly, ugly.
2. USF 45, UAB 20
Nov. 3, 2004
What a harbinger of things to come. Amazingly, UAB was driving in for what might've been a dagger in the Bulls' hearts in this rain-soaked game. USF was in complete disarray, a player had already been sent to the locker room by Coach Jim Leavitt for a meltdown on the sideline and Roddy White was on his way into the end zo ... ooops. Fumble! USF recovers. USF scores. And then they score again, and again, and UAB melts down in one of the most stunning fourth-quarter collapses ever witnessed at Legion Field. It seemed as if the Bulls scored more points than there were people in the stands. Easily the worst single quarter in UAB's football history, and a sad omen for what this team would do over the next 13 games whenever hit with some adversity.
3. Wake Forest 47, UAB 3
Oct. 23, 1999
UAB went to Wake thinking they might have a chance to knock off a bottom-rung ACC team. They were riding high after a thrilling OT win at Cincinnati where Jake Arians kicked a game-winning FG after Rick Minter foolishly took the ball out of his best player's hands -- RB Robert Cooper, who had run wild in the second half after UAB had blown a 21-0 lead -- in the extra session. So, they get to Wake and get blown out the stadium in the first quarter. One of the ugly, ugly beatdowns UAB has ever faced, because Wake was hardly Florida or Virginia Tech.
4. Memphis 38, UAB 14
Oct. 9, 1999
This was UAB's homecoming, and after decent showings vs. Missouri and Va. Tech, and wins over Houston and La-Monroe, this figured to be an opportunity for a major step forward. Instead, the Blazers played horrible and never were in the game. IMO, this was one of the games where you first started hearing some major grumbings about Watson Brown.
5. Louisiana Tech 41, UAB 20
Nov. 13, 1999
Facing La. Tech at Legion Field with a chance to remain bowl eligible, the Blazers put on their black jerseys and then got blacked out by Tim Rattay and his merry band of pass catchers. UAB never came close to slowing down the Bulldogs.
6. South Carlina 42, UAB 10
Sept. 20, 2003
The Blazers went up to Columbia thinking they could at least be competitive with a mediocre Lou Holtz team, but the news that Pat Sullivan had cancer threw them completely off track. They were never in this one as Demetrius Summers ran wild.
7. Houston 56, UAB 28
Nov. 29, 2003
Bowl eligiblity hung in the balance for the winner. Despite and up-and-down season marked by the loss of Darrell Hackney to a broken thumb, the Blazers went to Houston with a chance to steal the Hawaii Bowl berth by knocking off the Cougars. Houston never had beaten UAB and the year earlier had been blown out of Legion Field 51-34. But this time, UAB had no answer for the Cougars' offense, and ended yet another year with a bowl slipping from their grasp on the final weekend of the season.
8. Louisville 38, UAB 17
Oct. 7, 2000
UAB had beaten LSU and had just demolished Louisiana-Lafayette 47-2. This was for the early lead in C-USA, but Dave Ragone and the Cardinals came to Legion Field and dominated from start to finish.
9. Louisiana Tech 54, UAB 23
Oct. 17, 1998
UAB had nearly beaten Tech the two previous years in two of the more thrilling games ever played by the Blazers. But this time, they had no answers for Tim Rattay and Robert Edwards and were out of this one before halftime. This was the game where Watson decided he didn't want to have Tech on the schedule much longer.
10. Vanderbilt 30, UAB 15
Nov. 2, 1996
Don't be fooled by the score. UAB scored on the last play of the game to make it somewhat respectable, but the Blazers never were in this one. It was Watson's return to Vanderbilt, and for whatever reason (maybe it was the earlier respectable showing vs. Auburn) a lot of people actually were picking UAB to upset the Commodores. That probably was neither fair nor realistic. It also was nowhere near accurate as this was a physical domination by the 'Dores.
WORST LOSSES
This is not necessarily margin of defeat, but what the defeat meant. There will be a lot of "charlie brown" moments here, i.e. close-but-no-cigar moments where a win could've really helped the program take a giant step but instead the Blazers tasted hearbreak. There are a couple of notable close losses to SEC teams that will appear on other lists.
1. SMU 28, UAB 27
Oct. 8, 2005
UAB was 3-1 with a 3-game winning streak. They were 21-point favorites but managed to slop around most of the second half and let the Mustangs hang around. But Darrell Hackney rallied the Blazers to a 27-22 lead, and when UAB recovered a fumble in SMU territory, the Blazers began celebrating and dancing on the sideline. All they had to do was pick up one first down, and it's over. Three runs, no first down. Punt, through the end zone. Even still, no way could SMU go 80 yards in 23 seconds with no timeouts. No freaking way. They couldn't do that if you took the defense off the field, right? Wrong. Wayne Bolt's prevent defense came to SMU's rescue, and when the pass was snagged out of the air and Carlos Hendricks' hands by the Mustang receiver, UAB's Season of Glory became Season of Gory. Like 2001, 2003 and 2004 before it, a shocking loss was followed by an inexplicable losing streak.
2. Tulane 59, UAB 55
Oct. 23, 2004
Some might say the Watson Brown era was effectively killed on this hot afternoon in the Big Easy. UAB was 5-1, 3-0 in C-USA, ranked No. 24 in the BCS and receiving votes in both the AP and coaches' polls. But Pat Donahoe's absence from the coaching staff began to show. The game became a shootout in the humid afternoon, and UAB's defensive rotations were off. Tulane's Lester Ricard and Darrell Hackney took turns ripping through both defenses. Hackney had 448 yards, including 253 to Roddy White. Ricard had 417. UAB had a 3-point lead and finally got a defensive stop that it needed to put the game away. The Wave punt hung in the air. Reggie Lindsey went under it, but muffed the ball. A play later, TD Green Wave. UAB retook the lead, but couldn't stop the Wave's final possession. It was the first of several late-game failures for the defense in the next season and a half. Including this loss, UAB is 6-9 in its last 15 games.
3. Southern Miss 3, UAB 0
Sept. 29, 2001
This was the hardest hitting and most physical game in UAB history. Two great defense slugged each other in the mouth at Hattiesburg, like Foreman and Frazier going toe to toe. This was supposed to be UAB's breakout year, and they entered the game with a 2-1 mark that included a respectable showing at FSU and a flawless 55-3 rout of Army in the emotional first game played after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. This one will forever be remembered for the touchdown that wasn't, when the referees took a Jeff Aaron touchdown pass off the board for an alleged illegal lineman downfield. It was an impossible call, as UAB was on the 3-yard line and there was no room for the lineman to be downfield, and in fact, he was behind the line of scrimmage. Little good it did UAB. Even still, three missed field goals by the usually reliable Gallego didn't help matters, either. This loss also sent UAB into what would become an all-to-familiar tailspin after a tough loss. The Blazers funked their way to Orlando to get beaten by UCF, and then gave away again in the rain to Cincinnati for a three-game losing streak.
4. Southern Miss 33, UAB 30, OT
Nov. 11, 2000
Much like a Kansas game earlier in this season, UAB had a chance to perhaps put the dagger in an opponent and blew it at the goal line. Tied at 17 late in the fourth quarter, UAB had first-and-goal at the USM 2, but couldn't punch the ball in and had to settle for a Rhett Gallego field goal. Without the pressure of having to score a TD, the Eagles marched down the field in the closing two minutes. Getting some help with the refs who called a curious illegal procedure penalty on the UAB defense to help USM get into field goal range, the Eagles tied it and forced OT on a 20-yard FB. Both teams scored TDs in the first OT, but UAB had to kick a FG in the second. USM won the game on a beautifully executed misdirection screen from QB Jeff Kelly to Dawayne Woods from 10 yards out -- a play the Eagles would burn UAB again with in 2005. The loss probably cost UAB a bowl bid in the first meeting between the two schools.
5. Southern Miss 17, UAB 12
Sept. 4, 2003
A UAB record crowd of 44,659, American Idol winner Ruben Studdard and an ESPN national television audience watched UAB self-destruct and lose another heartbreaker to Southern Miss. The Blazers outgained USM and got a strong performance from Darrell Hackney (playing on a sprained knee). But four turnovers helped the Eagles escape with yet another single-digit win over the Blazers. UAB led 3-0 and had a first down at the Eagles' 10-yard line, when more trademark goalline cuteness bit them in the rear. Watson Brown inserted Lance Rhodes in at QB for a trick play, but he fumbled and USM recovered. Then USM QB Mickey D'Angelo hit a long bomb to set up a short TD run, and that was followed by a Bo Moncur fumble to set up another USM TD and a 14-3 lead. Hackney tried to rally the Blazers, getting a fourth-quarter TD pass. UAB had one last drive and was moving into scoring range when another fumble sealed their doom. Cue the familiar losing streak: the next week, the Blazers fumbled their way to a loss to Troy and followed that clunker with a blowout loss at South Carolina.
6. Kansas 39, UAB 37, 4 OT
Sept. 26, 1998
UAB had lost to Kansas 72-0 and 24-0 in two previous meetings, but were finally getting the Jayhawks in Birmingham. A crowd of 30,543 showed up at Legion Field for one of the most thrilling games of the 199 college season. UAB dominated the first half, but lost the momentum on the last play of the half when a punt that was supposed to be kicked out of bounds was instead fielded by Harrison Hill and returned 81-yards down the sideline for a TD and a 10-7 KU lead. Hill would come back to bite the Blazers in a big way later. Kansas had a chance to win in regulation, but their short field goal attempt was blocked with about 30 seconds to play. In the fourth OT, UAB scored but missed on the required two-point conversion. Kansas scored on its possesion to tie it with a 25-yard TD pass to Hill, who then also leaped over the UAB defense for a catch on the 2-point conversion and the victory.
7. Louisiana Tech 35, UAB 31
Oct. 26, 1996
UAB had won 4 in a row and scored on a TD run by Robert Davis with less than 2 minutes to play to take a 31-28 lead in Ruston, La. A win would've pushed UAB within a victory of clinching a winning record in their first season of I-A competition. They got a sack of La. Tech QB Chris Martin on second down, but allowed a long third-down conversion and then lost when Bobby Ray Tell scored on a short TD run in the closing seconds.
8. TCU 27, UAB 24
Oct. 18, 2003
TCU was unbeaten, ranked No. 16 and on its way to flirting with perfection and a BCS bid. UAB was 3-3 but had played very well in getting its annual win over Memphis and thumping Cincinnati in its two previous games. Darrell Hackney was starting to come into his own as the Blazers' quarterback, and he lit up the Horned Frogs with big play after big play when they tried to blitz him. Unfortunately, the game turned on a UAB touchdown as Roddy White was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for celebrating too much on UAB's 24-13 lead. The field position turned on that play as TCU answered to get back into the game. And then Hackney broke his thumb when his hand hit charging -- and some said, late-hitting -- TCU defender's helmet, and Chris Williams could not get the Blazer offense going enough to hold the lead. It was a gutsy performance by a young UAB team against an experienced TCU squad, but in the end it was a missed opportunity for some fantastic national exposure and a momentum-building victory. UAB finished 1 victory short of going to a bowl, and had they won this one, they surely would have gone.
9. Kansas 23, UAB 20
Sept. 16, 2000
The Watson Brown bashers get louder, at least for a week. UAB finally was going to beat Kansas. After falling behind 14-0, the Steel Shield put the clamps on KU and UAB reeled of 20 straight points in this game, which counted as a C-USA game because of the league's unbalanced schedule. UAB's lead probably should have been 24-14 as they had first and goal on the Kansas 2 in the third quarter but had to settle for a field goal when they got too cute on the goal line (foreshadowing similar fates vs. USM in a couple of other heartbreaking losses). Later, after Kansas tied it, Brown inexplicably declined a holding penalty on KU that would have taken them out of field goal range late in the fourth quarter. Instead, KU lined up and made a 50-yard field goal to go ahead, and then stopped the Blazers and ran out the clock. The next week, UAB upset LSU. But the loss to Kansas came back to bite them. With a win in Lawrence, they would have shared the C-USA title and surely would not have been left out of a bowl as they were by finishing 7-4.
10. Missouri 31, UAB 28
Sept. 4, 1999
Missouri was a better team than UAB in 1999, so this game is not like some of the others on this list, although the Tigers also were hardly an elite team. UAB fell behind early, but just before halftime had an amazing drive with some spectacular play calling and running by Percy Coleman. Then UAB blocked two punts for TDs and was in position to steal one in Columbia, Mo. Had they done it, they likely finish with at least a 6-5 record and make their first bowl appearance.
BEST WINS
OK, after reviewing some of the worst losses in UAB's I-A football history on Wednesday, today we lighten the mood by remembering some of the best victories. Some games you expect to be on this list will not be here -- they will show up on my list of "program building" victories. This list is reserved for games where UAB played exceptionally well or gave fans a thrilling show, but the games did not necessarily have major significance in advancing the program.
1. UAB 35, Memphis 28
Sept. 25, 2004
One of the most thrilling games UAB has ever played at Legion Field ended with Corey White blasting through a hole created by Quinton Harris for a 30-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left. It was a wild, back-and-fourth game dominated by UAB in the first half before the Blazers overcame a rally by the Tigers. Darrell Hackney and Roddy White were unstoppable in this ESPN clash, connecting eight times for 177 yards and three touchdowns. Hackney finished 21 of 31 for 398 yards, and Dan Burks led the rushing attack with 23 attempts for 146 yards. The Blazers rolled up 539 yards on Joe Lee Dunn's defense. UAB led 21-3 at the half, but for the second straight week had to hang on for dear life. Memphis star running back DeAngelo Williams gained 92 yards, well below his average. But Danny Wimprine brought the Tigers back, passing for 347 yards. He was intercepted four times, which proved to be a key stat. The Tigers tied it at 28 on a TD run by Williams with 1:37 to play, and it appeared the game might head to overtime. Reggie Lindsey had other ideas. The Blazers' star kick returner returned Memphis' kickoff to the UAB 47, setting up a couple of completions by Hackney and then White's game-winner. The run --- and the crushing block thrown by Harris -- got special mention on ESPN's plays of the day.
2. UAB 16, East Carolina 13
Oct. 28, 2000
The Blazers proved their victory over then No. 17 East Carolina in 1999 was no fluke, this time beating the Pirates -- among the favorites to win C-USA that year -- on their own turf. Jeff Aaron, who took over as the starter midway through the year and led the Blazers to their third straight victory, passed for 192 yards on 15 completions. His thread-the-needle 28-yard bullet to T.J. Simmons on the last play of the third quarter tied the score at 13. UAB caught a break to get its winning field goal. The UAB defense pinned the Pirates back near their own goal line, and ECU's all-star punter, Kevin Miller, had a 25-yard punt that gave UAB the ball at the Pirate 33. UAB moved 6 yards, and Rhett Gallego came in and boomed the winning field goal from 42 yards out with 2:42 to play. UAB then withstood a last-gasp Hail Mary from David Garrard. This victory also made UAB bowl eligible for the first time as a I-A team.
3. UAB 27, Mississippi State 13
Oct. 9, 2004
It didn't matter that Mississippi State was coming off a horrible season and had just lost to I-AA Maine. The Bulldogs were fired up to redeem themselves, and facing a Southeastern Conference team on the road is always a challenge. State drove for a field goal on its first possession, and then UAB answered with a familiar site: a bomb, this one covering 52 yards, from Darrell Hackney to Roddy White. The teams were tied 10-10 at the half, and UAB was having all kinds of trouble stopping State running back Jerious Norwood, who finished with 201 yards rushing on 21 carries -- almost all of that in the first half. UAB's defense put the clamps on him and State in the second half, limiting them to only a field goal. Another TD pass to White gave UAB a 7-point lead, before the team's swapped field goals. With a little less than 8 minutes to play, the Blazers forced a punt. Reggie Lindsey gathered the ball at the UAB 33, started left, gave a stutter step and then cut down the left sideline for a 67-yard clinching TD. UAB had its second victory ever on SEC home turf, a feat that was celebrated by the UAB players and the couple thousand Blazer fans who made the trek to Starkville on a wet Saturday afternoon.
4. UAB 38, TCU 17
Nov. 10, 2001
This was one of UAB's most complete performances against a quality team. The Blazers were shut out in the first quarter and then struck for 38 points over the final three quarters. Thomas Cox, replacing Jeff Aaron under center, completed 9 of 18 passes for 233 yards and two TDs. UAB also ran for 104 yards, led by 86 and a TD from Jegil Dugger. Willie Quinnie had 4 catches for 109 yards and a TD. But the real story was UAB's defense. The Steel Shield held the Horned Frogs to 20 yards rushing as UAB built a huge lead before a couple of late TCU scores made it more respectable than it really was. Unfortunately, the Frogs had the last laugh. Even though UAB beat them by 21 points and had a better record, it was TCU that was selected to play Texas A&M in the galleryfurniture.com bowl.
5. UAB 24, Baylor 19
Aug. 30, 2003
The legend of Darrell Hackney is born on a day when he completed 13 of 29 passes for 238 yards. The Blazers played exceptionally well early, building a 17-7 lead on the strength of good running by Bo Moncur, who gained 136 yards on 21 attempts. But Baylor scored a TD, got a safety off a blocked punt in the end zone and then kicked the go-head field goal with about 6 minutes left for a 19-17 lead. Hackney had been knocked out of the game with a knee injury, and it appeared the Bears would get a win in the debut of Coach Guy Morriss after they stopped Blazer backup Chris Williams on fourth-and-one. But the Blazer defense forced a punt, giving the ball back to UAB on the Blazer 20 with 1:02 to play and no timeouts. Enter Hackney, with a slight limp, against the advice of team doctors. Bam, completion for a gain of 30 to midfield. Wham, post pattern to Nick Coon for the TD! 50 yards! Hackney to Coon! Coon hauled it in over the shoulder and outran his man! Blazers lead! Blazers lead! It wasn't over yet, though. Baylor got the ball back, but the Blazer defense held this time and UAB escaped Waco with a thrilling win over a Big 12 opponent.
6. UAB 24, Memphis 10
Oct. 4, 2003
Memphis was finally going to beat UAB. The Blazers were reeling, having lost to Southern Miss, Troy and South Carolina. Memphis was on its way to 9 victories and the school's first bowl bid in three decades. Didn't matter, they still weren't going to beat UAB on this day at the Liberty Bowl. Darrell Hackney and a little-used running back named Trey Chaney made sure of it. Hackney passed for 231 yards and Chaney ran for 81 hard-earned yards on 29 carries. The Blazers jumped to a 17-0 lead with three drives in the second quarter and the defense never let Memphis get untracked despite a 100-yard rushing performance from DeAngelo Williams and a 100-yard receiving performance from Maurice Avery. Danny Wimprine tried to rally the Tigers, pulling them within 17-0. But Hackney iced it with a 57-yard bomb to freshman Nick Coon, and the streak was intact.
7. UAB 13, Memphis 9
Oct. 14, 2000
UAB was coming off a loss to Louisville and needed this one badly to stay in the hunt in C-USA as they were having to count a loss to Kansas as a conference game. This was a defensive slugfest, with UAB gaining only 200 yards led by QB Jeff Aaron (in his first start) and RB Jegil Dugger. But Memphis could do nothing against the Steel Shield, finishing with only 186 yards. Still, Memphis took a 9-3 lead with a TD and a safety, and it appeared the Tigers would get out of Legion FIeld with their third straight victory over the Blazers. In the fourth quarter, Aaron led a go-ahead TD drive that was capped by a Dugger run, and then UAB forced a turnover and got a field goal from Rhett Gallego to seal it. This was a huge win for UAB, starting their dominance over the Tigers that extends to today, and it started a three-game winning streak that helped the Blazers to a 7-4 record, their first winning season as a I-A team.
8. UAB 42, Southwestern Louisiana 7
Sept. 27, 1997
It was Southwestern Louisiana's homecoming and the Cajuns were hoping to smash the Blazers like they had done in UAB's previous trip. In that game, USL (led by Jake Delhomme) rolled to a 56-21 victory that was not as close as that score indicated. The Cajuns ran up the score in that game until UAB scored a couple of late TDs, and their fans were hardly hospitable hosts to either the UAB player or the Blazer fans. USL also was motivated to avenge a surprising loss to UAB in 1996, when the BLazers took a 39-29 win a Legion Field. Imagine the Cajuns' surprise when they took this shellacking. The noticeable difference was team speed -- USL's defense simply could not keep up with UAB, which used the option to break some long gains. QB Daniel Dixon, a freshman, ran for 156 yards and 3 scores. The most memorable score may have been a 60-something yard (I think it was 67) TD run by freshman Ernest Ross. Ross, one of UAB's first heralded recruits, was put in the game late in place of Dixon. He was so nervous that he threw up in the huddle. Then he went out and on his first play broke the TD. Great moment in UAB's first road victory as a Division I-A team.
9. UAB 22, USF 19
Nov. 22, 2003
Darrell Hackney was out with a broken thumb and UAB was trying to sneak back into bowl contention without him. Curtis Falany started for the Blazers, who were underdogs to a USF team in its first year of C-USA play. The Blazers, with Corey White running the ball hard and utilizing the kind of "ugly" ball-control game plan that Watson Brown knows all so well, built a 19-3 lead. Those Blazer fans in the stands, however, didn't feel comfortable with it even though the Blazers forced six turnovers and USF hurt itself with 16 penalties. THey had good reason as the Bulls scored two touchdowns and converted two 2-point conversions in a span of 3:25 to tie. The Bulls then intercepted a pass and returned it near field-goal range and the Blazer fans groaned as the obnoxious and drunk jerks around them peppered them with taunts and threats to fight (I am not kidding). But the Blazer defense held, got the ball back and Chris Williams (in for the injured Falany) drove the Blazers into field goal range for Nick Hayes, who booted the game winner with 9 seconds left. It was only USF's second loss in Raymond James Stadium in 24 games there. It also moved UAB to 4-3 in C-USA games, assuring the Blazers of another "upper division" finish.
10. UAB 51, Houston 34
Oct. 12, 2002
This was Darrell Hackney's coming-out party. He had made his first start the previous week in yet another upset victory over Memphis, but this one showed he would assault the UAB and C-USA record books if he could stay healthy. Houston never had beaten UAB and the Cougars came out determined. They jumped to a 28-6 lead in the first half to stun the crowd of 13,897 at Legion Field. UAB got a TD pass from Hackney to Roddy White -- a connection that would become familiar to UAB fans in the coming years -- in the closing seconds of the first half to get back in the game. Then the Blazers reeled off 31 straight points in the second half to take command. Hackney finished with 329 yards passing, his first 300-yard game. Willie Quinnie had 156 yards receiving on 10 catches, and White had one of his first big games with 94 yards receiving.
Continuing the series looking back at the first decade of UAB Division I-A football, we now look at program-building games. These were games that went beyond W or L, giving UAB the opportunity to build the program. Some notable games did not make my list, such as the Blazers' gutsy showing at Nebraska and their gutsy effort at Tennessee this year. The Nebraska game ultimately was a 31-point margin --- too much for this list -- and as we know now, UT just isn't that good this year and UAB has not built on that performance.
Anyway, it's just for some memories and some discussion, anyway. Feel free to add your own.
PROGRAM BUILDERS
1. UAB 13, LSU 10
Sept. 23, 2000
Death Valley. Night. Homecoming. It was supposed the be the setting for LSU's latest "rent-a-win" as the paper in Baton Rouge had proclaimed in its gameday preview. Somebody forgot to tell the Blazers and the "Steel Shield" defense, who smacked the Bengal Tigers in their second game under Coach Nick Saban. UAB held LSU to 263 yards and picked off QB Josh Booty four times. UAB cashed in an LSU fumble for a Rhett Gallego field goal and a 3-0 lead. The Blazer offense was stymied, but Daniel Dixon came off the bench and threw a beautiful 24-yard TD pass to a leaping Leron Little for a 10-0 lead. LSU mounted a comeback in the second half, getting a 1-yard TD run by Domanick Davis after recovering a Carl Fair fumble at the Blazer 34. Then came a field goal by John Corbello with 2:33 left. Overtime? LSU went for the win in regulation, and Booty made an ill-advised pass in the flat that Chris Brown snagged and returned deep into LSU territory. A couple of plays later, and ESPN's cameras were breaking in to show the nation as Gallego lined up for a 32-yard game-winning kick. The snap … the hold … the kick … IT'S GOOD! IT'S GOOD! IT'S GOOD! GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY, YES!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!! YES!!!!!! Less than 10 years after lining up for its first NCAA football game, the little team that a lot of people said shouldn't even exist -- the team the Tuscaloosa News proclaimed it would take a "genie" to pull off -- had gone into Death Valley and beaten one of the SEC's elite programs. LSU would go on to beat Tennessee the next week and go to the Peach Bowl. A year later, many of the same players won the SEC title, and the year after that, with many of the same players still in the lineup, the Tigers won the national championship. But on this night, the Dragons roared on the Bayou.
2. Auburn 29, UAB 0
Aug. 31, 1996
There were predictions of 65-0, 75-0 and even 100-0 for this game. Auburn, coached by Terry Bowden and ranked in the top 20, was expected to roll all over a UAB squad that was, quite honestly, I-A in name only. The Blazers still were not up to I-A scholarship levels. The Blazers' I-A debut, however, showed the Tigers and the state of Alabama that UAB was serious about this football thing. The game did not start off well, though. Auburn blocked a Blazer punt by Kevin Tatarek and recovered near the UAB goal line. But three plays netted no TD, and Auburn had to settle for a field goal. The Blazer defense turned the Tigers away several more times, and Jarett Holmes kicked two more field goals to give Auburn a 9-0 halftime lead. Auburn fans were furious at halftime, while UAB fans celebrated like they'd just seen Robert Shannon knock down a 3-pointer in Tuscaloosa. Amazing, UAB held Auburn without a touchdown! The Blazers actually were in this thing? Holmes got two more field goals in the third quarter to make it 15-0, but still the Blazers were within striking distance. The Blazer defense, which harrassed and pounded Dameyune Craig and Rusty Williams, was stout. Perhaps Auburn would turn it over. Perhaps UAB would strike a big play. Ah, but the Auburn defense was even stouter, and UAB simply couldn't move the ball despite some heroic efforts by Robert Davis, the LSU transfer, and Rodney Hudson, the Mississippi State transfer. The Blazers wore down, and little Markeith Cooper began to squirt through the cracks, setting up Auburn for two late scores. It was a defeat, but the Blazers had sent a message across the bow to skeptics of the program, media and recruits who might be looking at UAB across the state and region: We're here, and we're here to stay.
3. UAB 36, East Carolina 17
Nov. 6, 1999
East Carolina came to Legion Field with a No. 17 ranking, and earlier in the season had staged one of the great comebacks of the 1990s to beat Miami. With David Garrard, they had one of the top quarterbacks in the South. And they were expected to thump a UAB team reeling from 2 straight losses and starting a new quarterback, Thomas Cox, in place of the injured Daniel Dixon. Early, it looked like that would happen. ECU jumped out to 17-3 lead and the Blazers had a scary moment when their All-American cornerback and punt returner, Rodregis Brooks, was carted off the field with a neck injury in the second quarter. The UAB gained a little momentum when Jake Arians kicked a field goal on the last play of the half. It was all Blazers in the second half, as they ripped off 31 straight points. Cox finished 10 of 20 for 122 yards, and his 5-yard TD run after UAB forced and recovered a fumble gave the Blazers the lead. Then, to the amazement of the crowd at Legion Field, a familiar No. 29 was noticed stepping back into punt return formation. It was Brooks, wearing a jersey his mother had been wearing in the stands because the paramedics had cut off his game jersey to examine him at the hospital. Cleared to play, Brooks fielded the punt and returned it 59 yards, zig-zagging through Pirates, to set up a 3-yard TD run by Cox and a 29-17 lead. Then in the fourth, Brooks stepped in front of a Gerrard pass and raced 91 yards for another score, weaving through the Pirates and then diving headfirst into the end zone for a jubilant TD. It was an amazing, gutsy performance by the team, and especially for Brooks, who earned C-USA defensive player of the week honors, earned mention on SportsCenter and in Sports Illustrated. He would go on to earn AP All-American honors, the first Blazer to do that in the I-A era. He would turn pro a year early and be drafted by the Indianapolis Colts. This victory remains UAB's first and only over a nationally ranked team.
4. UAB 41, TCU 25
Oct. 15, 2004
The nation finally got to see what UAB fans had known for a couple of years when the DHack Show went prime time on a Friday night ESPN game. In front of 33,280 at Legion Field, the Hack Attack went for five first-half touchdowns as the Blazers routed the Horned Frogs. Hackney was amazing, connecting with Roddy White on a 58-yard TD on his first pass. Then he hit Reggie Lindsey from 16 yards out, then found TE Cedric Hampton from 10 and then Norris Drinkard from 10. Early on, TCU had some offensive success, but a goa- line stand helped swing all the momentum in UAB's favor, and the Blazers also forced a fumble deep in UAB territory to stop another drive. Late in the half, Hackney hit Lindsey for another 40-yard bomb and a 35-14 halftime lead. Ah, but the fireworks weren't over just yet. In the third quarter, Hackney unleashed one of the most vicious stiff-arms of the college football season when he leveled a TCU defensive back on a scramble that caused the crowd to ooh-and-ahhh. Hackney finished 15 of 24 for 337 yards, including 130 yards to White. His play earned major props on SportsCenter and earned this phrase from the anchor: "Some quarterbacks get away from pressure like Doug Flutie … Hackney gets away from pressure like GODZILLA!" Postscript: This was the high point of UAB football. National TV, great performance, great individual star in the making, great crowd. The victory propelled UAB to 5-1, including 3-0 and first place in C-USA, and a No. 24 ranking in the Bowl Championship Series. Unfortunately, they have not been able to build on it, as they lost 59-55 to Tulane the next week and are only 6-9 overall since this spectacular night at Legion Field. But for one night, UAB football was the talk of the state and the talk of a lot of people around the country.
5. Georgia 16, UAB 13
Oct. 25, 2003
Playing without Darrell Hackney, who broke his thumb the previous week in a 27-24 loss to unbeaten TCU, the Blazers were not expected to offer No. 4 Georgia much competition. The Blazers were 29-point underdogs on Georgia's homecoming. But Chris Williams played admirably in Hackney's absence, and UAB lulled the 'Dawgs to sleep with an effective ball-control offense and darn near left Sanford Stadium with another shocking upset of an SEC team. Georgia got three Bill Bennett field goals, the last with 12:57 remaining to put Georgia on top for good. UAB had taken a 13-10 lead in the third quarter, battling back from an early 10-0 deficit and silencing the Georgia faithful. UAB had a chance with its last possession. Williams threw to Bradley Chavez for 24 yards to the Georgia 32. Another few yards, and they would have at least been well within Nick Hayes' field-goal range with a chance to force overtime. But a delay of game penalty backed UAB up, and then the Georgia rush forced two incompletions. Theron Dudley scored UAB's TD on a 1-yard run, and Hayes had two field goals. The perfomance was huge for a UAB program seeking to earn respect and gave UAB much-needed visibility and credibility in Georgia, where the Blazers recruit heavily.
6. UAB 29, Houston 10
Sept. 25, 1999
Finally, UAB made its Conference USA football debut, almost four years after it was announced the Blazers would be invited as football-playing members to the league, of which UAB was a charter member in other sports. The Houston Cougars, a tradition-rich refuge from the Southwest Conference, were the first official C-USA opponent, coming to Legion Field for the second time in three weeks (they had lost to Alabama 37-10 in their opener). Daniel Dixon threw TD passes of 55 yards to Cedric Thatch, 79 yards to Darrius Malone and 31 yards to Johnni Arrington. The turning point game in the third quarter when a vicious hit by Bryan Thomas on Houston QB Jason McKinley resulted in a safety and knocked McKinley from the game. After the free kick, Dixon found Malone over the middle near midfield, and the speedster split the UH defense for his 79-yard TD. The victory showed immediately that UAB, in only it's fourth year of I-A ball, was ready for C-USA.
7. UAB 39, Southwestern Louisiana 29
Oct. 19, 1996
USL had beaten Texas A&M earlier in the season and had beaten UAB 56-21 the year before in Lafayette, La. Imagine their surprise when they showed up at Legion Field and were beaten by the Blazers. Dainon Sidney had some big plays, and Robert Davis and Carl Sanders had a fine afternoon running the ball. A key play was a screen pass late in the game that Davis broke for a huge gain to seal the victory. This game gave a stamp of legitimacy to the UAB program in its first year of I-A competition and began to separate the Blazers from Sun Belt-level teams.
8. Hawaii 59, UAB 40
Dec. 24, 2004
Aloha! It's UAB's first bowl game. The Blazers had slumped terribly in midseason 2004, but righted the ship enough to earn a trip to the Islands to face the homestanding Warriors in a bowl matchup of top offenses. They didn't disappoint, combining for 1,079 yards and 99 points. Darrell Hackney threw for 417, including two touchdowns. Hawaii's Timmy Chang threw for 405 yards and 4 TDs. The game started with a bang for the Blazers, as Roddy White teamed with Hackney on a 57-yard catch and run. But the Blazers quickly got sucked into a shootout that left their depleted defense gasping. It was 28-26 Hawaii at the half, and the Warriors then reeled of 17 straight points early in the third to take command. Chad Owens burned the Blazers with a punt return for a score, and Hawaii also returned a Blazer onside kick for a TD late in the game. Though Hackney was incredible, the Blazers may have made a tactical error by not trying more to exploit Hawaii's weak run defense. Dan Burks, Corey White, Norris Drinkard and company combined to run for 173 yards, and Hawaii rarely slowed the Blazer running game. However, once the Warriors got the lead, UAB abandoned the run and Hackney finished with a 54 attempts. UAB also hurt itself with a dozen penalties. Still, for a program trying to build some tradition, the bowl game was a much-anticipated and much-needed achievement that warrants being on this list.
9. UAB 23, Tulane 20, OT
Nov. 20, 1999
It wasn't for a bowl bid -- heck, it wasn't even for an opportunity to clinch a winning record. But this OT victory over Tulane -- just a year removed from their perfect season -- was big for the Blazers because it secured a 4-2 record in C-USA play and a tie for second place in the league. This played huge on the recruiting trail in the coming couple of years, and also set the tone for winning records in 2000 and 2001. Tulane had the ball first in OT, but the Blazers blocked a Seth Marler field-goal attempt. UAB ran three plays, and then Jake Arians booted the game winner from 37 yard out.
10. UAB 42, Arkansas State 17
Sept. 14, 1996
This was UAB's first home game as a Division I-A team, and while Arkansas State was hardly a world-beater, the Indians were an established team that recently had a victory and a tie against Mississippi State and were once coached by Ray Perkins. This game, UAB's first home victory over a I-A opponent, showed right off the bat that UAB could be competitive.
A DECADE, BY THE NUMBERS
Ok, wrapping up our look at 10 years of UAB football, let's examine the record for the Blazers during since moving up to I-A for the 1996 season. These marks include the now-completed 2005 season.
(Note: this may be a game or two off as I did it in a hurry. I will double and triple-check and adjust accordingly, but for now you can get a general glimpse of program performance).
OVERALL RECORD: 54-59
OVERALL RECORD VS. I-A ONLY: 42-59
RECORD AT HOME: 36-18
RECORD AT HOME VS. I-A TEAMS: 24-18
RECORD AWAY FROM HOME: 18-41
RECORD VS. BCS CONFERENCES: 4-22
RECORD VS. NON-BCS NOT INCLUDING C-USA TEAMS: 11-9
RECORD VS. NON-BCS INCLUDING C-USA TEAMS: 39-37
RECORD VS. C-USA TEAMS: 28-28
Note: This includes games vs. C-USA teams before UAB was a member, teams that later joined C-USA and teams that were members of C-USA at the time but later left for another league.
RECORD VS. CURRENT C-USA EAST TEAMS: 9-15
RECORD VS. SEC TEAMS: 2-7
RECORD VS. I-AA TEAMS: 12-0
RECORD IN GAMES DECIDED BY 7 POINTS OR LESS: 20-19
RECORD IN GAMES DECIDED BY 7 POINTS OR LESS VS. I-A TEAMS: 16-19
RECORD IN GAMES DECIDED BY 21 OR MORE POINTS: 13-23
RECORD IN GAMES DECIDED BY 21 OR MORE POINTS VS. I-A TEAMS: 7-23
Now that we have a history forum, I revive it from the archives.
Enjoy -- or throw up, if it makes you sick ...
The categories will be:
The best wins -- self explanatory
The worst losses -- this is not necessarily margin of defeat, but what the defeat meant. There will be a lot of "charlie brown" moments here.
The program builders -- these will be games that win or lose helped UAB's program advance.
The no-shows -- these were games that were ugly defeats all the way around.
Feel free to add your commentary or own lists.
Remember, thes llists are only for the I-A era and does not include any games prior to 1996. And it stops at 2005. So the forgettable 2006 season is not included anywhere.
NO-SHOWS
These were games people thought UAB would have a legitimate or at least reasonable chance to win, but they were ugly blowouts from the start. I am not including games like the thumpings by Virginia Tech or Florida. Those were not realistic opportunities for UAB to get a big win for the program.
1. Louisiana-Lafayette 34, UAB 0
Sept. 21, 2002
Where have thou gone, Steel Shield? One week after nearly upsetting Pittsburgh at Legion Field, the Blazers went to Cajun land and suffered an embarrassing beatdown against a team they had destroyed in the three most recent meetings. Thomas Cox was ineffective and freshman Darrell Hackney couldn't do much either as he played hurt. UAB let the Cajuns hit a TD pass just before halftime to make it 10-0, and then in a driving rainstorm played like they didn't want to be there in the second half. Ugly, ugly, ugly.
2. USF 45, UAB 20
Nov. 3, 2004
What a harbinger of things to come. Amazingly, UAB was driving in for what might've been a dagger in the Bulls' hearts in this rain-soaked game. USF was in complete disarray, a player had already been sent to the locker room by Coach Jim Leavitt for a meltdown on the sideline and Roddy White was on his way into the end zo ... ooops. Fumble! USF recovers. USF scores. And then they score again, and again, and UAB melts down in one of the most stunning fourth-quarter collapses ever witnessed at Legion Field. It seemed as if the Bulls scored more points than there were people in the stands. Easily the worst single quarter in UAB's football history, and a sad omen for what this team would do over the next 13 games whenever hit with some adversity.
3. Wake Forest 47, UAB 3
Oct. 23, 1999
UAB went to Wake thinking they might have a chance to knock off a bottom-rung ACC team. They were riding high after a thrilling OT win at Cincinnati where Jake Arians kicked a game-winning FG after Rick Minter foolishly took the ball out of his best player's hands -- RB Robert Cooper, who had run wild in the second half after UAB had blown a 21-0 lead -- in the extra session. So, they get to Wake and get blown out the stadium in the first quarter. One of the ugly, ugly beatdowns UAB has ever faced, because Wake was hardly Florida or Virginia Tech.
4. Memphis 38, UAB 14
Oct. 9, 1999
This was UAB's homecoming, and after decent showings vs. Missouri and Va. Tech, and wins over Houston and La-Monroe, this figured to be an opportunity for a major step forward. Instead, the Blazers played horrible and never were in the game. IMO, this was one of the games where you first started hearing some major grumbings about Watson Brown.
5. Louisiana Tech 41, UAB 20
Nov. 13, 1999
Facing La. Tech at Legion Field with a chance to remain bowl eligible, the Blazers put on their black jerseys and then got blacked out by Tim Rattay and his merry band of pass catchers. UAB never came close to slowing down the Bulldogs.
6. South Carlina 42, UAB 10
Sept. 20, 2003
The Blazers went up to Columbia thinking they could at least be competitive with a mediocre Lou Holtz team, but the news that Pat Sullivan had cancer threw them completely off track. They were never in this one as Demetrius Summers ran wild.
7. Houston 56, UAB 28
Nov. 29, 2003
Bowl eligiblity hung in the balance for the winner. Despite and up-and-down season marked by the loss of Darrell Hackney to a broken thumb, the Blazers went to Houston with a chance to steal the Hawaii Bowl berth by knocking off the Cougars. Houston never had beaten UAB and the year earlier had been blown out of Legion Field 51-34. But this time, UAB had no answer for the Cougars' offense, and ended yet another year with a bowl slipping from their grasp on the final weekend of the season.
8. Louisville 38, UAB 17
Oct. 7, 2000
UAB had beaten LSU and had just demolished Louisiana-Lafayette 47-2. This was for the early lead in C-USA, but Dave Ragone and the Cardinals came to Legion Field and dominated from start to finish.
9. Louisiana Tech 54, UAB 23
Oct. 17, 1998
UAB had nearly beaten Tech the two previous years in two of the more thrilling games ever played by the Blazers. But this time, they had no answers for Tim Rattay and Robert Edwards and were out of this one before halftime. This was the game where Watson decided he didn't want to have Tech on the schedule much longer.
10. Vanderbilt 30, UAB 15
Nov. 2, 1996
Don't be fooled by the score. UAB scored on the last play of the game to make it somewhat respectable, but the Blazers never were in this one. It was Watson's return to Vanderbilt, and for whatever reason (maybe it was the earlier respectable showing vs. Auburn) a lot of people actually were picking UAB to upset the Commodores. That probably was neither fair nor realistic. It also was nowhere near accurate as this was a physical domination by the 'Dores.
WORST LOSSES
This is not necessarily margin of defeat, but what the defeat meant. There will be a lot of "charlie brown" moments here, i.e. close-but-no-cigar moments where a win could've really helped the program take a giant step but instead the Blazers tasted hearbreak. There are a couple of notable close losses to SEC teams that will appear on other lists.
1. SMU 28, UAB 27
Oct. 8, 2005
UAB was 3-1 with a 3-game winning streak. They were 21-point favorites but managed to slop around most of the second half and let the Mustangs hang around. But Darrell Hackney rallied the Blazers to a 27-22 lead, and when UAB recovered a fumble in SMU territory, the Blazers began celebrating and dancing on the sideline. All they had to do was pick up one first down, and it's over. Three runs, no first down. Punt, through the end zone. Even still, no way could SMU go 80 yards in 23 seconds with no timeouts. No freaking way. They couldn't do that if you took the defense off the field, right? Wrong. Wayne Bolt's prevent defense came to SMU's rescue, and when the pass was snagged out of the air and Carlos Hendricks' hands by the Mustang receiver, UAB's Season of Glory became Season of Gory. Like 2001, 2003 and 2004 before it, a shocking loss was followed by an inexplicable losing streak.
2. Tulane 59, UAB 55
Oct. 23, 2004
Some might say the Watson Brown era was effectively killed on this hot afternoon in the Big Easy. UAB was 5-1, 3-0 in C-USA, ranked No. 24 in the BCS and receiving votes in both the AP and coaches' polls. But Pat Donahoe's absence from the coaching staff began to show. The game became a shootout in the humid afternoon, and UAB's defensive rotations were off. Tulane's Lester Ricard and Darrell Hackney took turns ripping through both defenses. Hackney had 448 yards, including 253 to Roddy White. Ricard had 417. UAB had a 3-point lead and finally got a defensive stop that it needed to put the game away. The Wave punt hung in the air. Reggie Lindsey went under it, but muffed the ball. A play later, TD Green Wave. UAB retook the lead, but couldn't stop the Wave's final possession. It was the first of several late-game failures for the defense in the next season and a half. Including this loss, UAB is 6-9 in its last 15 games.
3. Southern Miss 3, UAB 0
Sept. 29, 2001
This was the hardest hitting and most physical game in UAB history. Two great defense slugged each other in the mouth at Hattiesburg, like Foreman and Frazier going toe to toe. This was supposed to be UAB's breakout year, and they entered the game with a 2-1 mark that included a respectable showing at FSU and a flawless 55-3 rout of Army in the emotional first game played after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. This one will forever be remembered for the touchdown that wasn't, when the referees took a Jeff Aaron touchdown pass off the board for an alleged illegal lineman downfield. It was an impossible call, as UAB was on the 3-yard line and there was no room for the lineman to be downfield, and in fact, he was behind the line of scrimmage. Little good it did UAB. Even still, three missed field goals by the usually reliable Gallego didn't help matters, either. This loss also sent UAB into what would become an all-to-familiar tailspin after a tough loss. The Blazers funked their way to Orlando to get beaten by UCF, and then gave away again in the rain to Cincinnati for a three-game losing streak.
4. Southern Miss 33, UAB 30, OT
Nov. 11, 2000
Much like a Kansas game earlier in this season, UAB had a chance to perhaps put the dagger in an opponent and blew it at the goal line. Tied at 17 late in the fourth quarter, UAB had first-and-goal at the USM 2, but couldn't punch the ball in and had to settle for a Rhett Gallego field goal. Without the pressure of having to score a TD, the Eagles marched down the field in the closing two minutes. Getting some help with the refs who called a curious illegal procedure penalty on the UAB defense to help USM get into field goal range, the Eagles tied it and forced OT on a 20-yard FB. Both teams scored TDs in the first OT, but UAB had to kick a FG in the second. USM won the game on a beautifully executed misdirection screen from QB Jeff Kelly to Dawayne Woods from 10 yards out -- a play the Eagles would burn UAB again with in 2005. The loss probably cost UAB a bowl bid in the first meeting between the two schools.
5. Southern Miss 17, UAB 12
Sept. 4, 2003
A UAB record crowd of 44,659, American Idol winner Ruben Studdard and an ESPN national television audience watched UAB self-destruct and lose another heartbreaker to Southern Miss. The Blazers outgained USM and got a strong performance from Darrell Hackney (playing on a sprained knee). But four turnovers helped the Eagles escape with yet another single-digit win over the Blazers. UAB led 3-0 and had a first down at the Eagles' 10-yard line, when more trademark goalline cuteness bit them in the rear. Watson Brown inserted Lance Rhodes in at QB for a trick play, but he fumbled and USM recovered. Then USM QB Mickey D'Angelo hit a long bomb to set up a short TD run, and that was followed by a Bo Moncur fumble to set up another USM TD and a 14-3 lead. Hackney tried to rally the Blazers, getting a fourth-quarter TD pass. UAB had one last drive and was moving into scoring range when another fumble sealed their doom. Cue the familiar losing streak: the next week, the Blazers fumbled their way to a loss to Troy and followed that clunker with a blowout loss at South Carolina.
6. Kansas 39, UAB 37, 4 OT
Sept. 26, 1998
UAB had lost to Kansas 72-0 and 24-0 in two previous meetings, but were finally getting the Jayhawks in Birmingham. A crowd of 30,543 showed up at Legion Field for one of the most thrilling games of the 199 college season. UAB dominated the first half, but lost the momentum on the last play of the half when a punt that was supposed to be kicked out of bounds was instead fielded by Harrison Hill and returned 81-yards down the sideline for a TD and a 10-7 KU lead. Hill would come back to bite the Blazers in a big way later. Kansas had a chance to win in regulation, but their short field goal attempt was blocked with about 30 seconds to play. In the fourth OT, UAB scored but missed on the required two-point conversion. Kansas scored on its possesion to tie it with a 25-yard TD pass to Hill, who then also leaped over the UAB defense for a catch on the 2-point conversion and the victory.
7. Louisiana Tech 35, UAB 31
Oct. 26, 1996
UAB had won 4 in a row and scored on a TD run by Robert Davis with less than 2 minutes to play to take a 31-28 lead in Ruston, La. A win would've pushed UAB within a victory of clinching a winning record in their first season of I-A competition. They got a sack of La. Tech QB Chris Martin on second down, but allowed a long third-down conversion and then lost when Bobby Ray Tell scored on a short TD run in the closing seconds.
8. TCU 27, UAB 24
Oct. 18, 2003
TCU was unbeaten, ranked No. 16 and on its way to flirting with perfection and a BCS bid. UAB was 3-3 but had played very well in getting its annual win over Memphis and thumping Cincinnati in its two previous games. Darrell Hackney was starting to come into his own as the Blazers' quarterback, and he lit up the Horned Frogs with big play after big play when they tried to blitz him. Unfortunately, the game turned on a UAB touchdown as Roddy White was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for celebrating too much on UAB's 24-13 lead. The field position turned on that play as TCU answered to get back into the game. And then Hackney broke his thumb when his hand hit charging -- and some said, late-hitting -- TCU defender's helmet, and Chris Williams could not get the Blazer offense going enough to hold the lead. It was a gutsy performance by a young UAB team against an experienced TCU squad, but in the end it was a missed opportunity for some fantastic national exposure and a momentum-building victory. UAB finished 1 victory short of going to a bowl, and had they won this one, they surely would have gone.
9. Kansas 23, UAB 20
Sept. 16, 2000
The Watson Brown bashers get louder, at least for a week. UAB finally was going to beat Kansas. After falling behind 14-0, the Steel Shield put the clamps on KU and UAB reeled of 20 straight points in this game, which counted as a C-USA game because of the league's unbalanced schedule. UAB's lead probably should have been 24-14 as they had first and goal on the Kansas 2 in the third quarter but had to settle for a field goal when they got too cute on the goal line (foreshadowing similar fates vs. USM in a couple of other heartbreaking losses). Later, after Kansas tied it, Brown inexplicably declined a holding penalty on KU that would have taken them out of field goal range late in the fourth quarter. Instead, KU lined up and made a 50-yard field goal to go ahead, and then stopped the Blazers and ran out the clock. The next week, UAB upset LSU. But the loss to Kansas came back to bite them. With a win in Lawrence, they would have shared the C-USA title and surely would not have been left out of a bowl as they were by finishing 7-4.
10. Missouri 31, UAB 28
Sept. 4, 1999
Missouri was a better team than UAB in 1999, so this game is not like some of the others on this list, although the Tigers also were hardly an elite team. UAB fell behind early, but just before halftime had an amazing drive with some spectacular play calling and running by Percy Coleman. Then UAB blocked two punts for TDs and was in position to steal one in Columbia, Mo. Had they done it, they likely finish with at least a 6-5 record and make their first bowl appearance.
BEST WINS
OK, after reviewing some of the worst losses in UAB's I-A football history on Wednesday, today we lighten the mood by remembering some of the best victories. Some games you expect to be on this list will not be here -- they will show up on my list of "program building" victories. This list is reserved for games where UAB played exceptionally well or gave fans a thrilling show, but the games did not necessarily have major significance in advancing the program.
1. UAB 35, Memphis 28
Sept. 25, 2004
One of the most thrilling games UAB has ever played at Legion Field ended with Corey White blasting through a hole created by Quinton Harris for a 30-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left. It was a wild, back-and-fourth game dominated by UAB in the first half before the Blazers overcame a rally by the Tigers. Darrell Hackney and Roddy White were unstoppable in this ESPN clash, connecting eight times for 177 yards and three touchdowns. Hackney finished 21 of 31 for 398 yards, and Dan Burks led the rushing attack with 23 attempts for 146 yards. The Blazers rolled up 539 yards on Joe Lee Dunn's defense. UAB led 21-3 at the half, but for the second straight week had to hang on for dear life. Memphis star running back DeAngelo Williams gained 92 yards, well below his average. But Danny Wimprine brought the Tigers back, passing for 347 yards. He was intercepted four times, which proved to be a key stat. The Tigers tied it at 28 on a TD run by Williams with 1:37 to play, and it appeared the game might head to overtime. Reggie Lindsey had other ideas. The Blazers' star kick returner returned Memphis' kickoff to the UAB 47, setting up a couple of completions by Hackney and then White's game-winner. The run --- and the crushing block thrown by Harris -- got special mention on ESPN's plays of the day.
2. UAB 16, East Carolina 13
Oct. 28, 2000
The Blazers proved their victory over then No. 17 East Carolina in 1999 was no fluke, this time beating the Pirates -- among the favorites to win C-USA that year -- on their own turf. Jeff Aaron, who took over as the starter midway through the year and led the Blazers to their third straight victory, passed for 192 yards on 15 completions. His thread-the-needle 28-yard bullet to T.J. Simmons on the last play of the third quarter tied the score at 13. UAB caught a break to get its winning field goal. The UAB defense pinned the Pirates back near their own goal line, and ECU's all-star punter, Kevin Miller, had a 25-yard punt that gave UAB the ball at the Pirate 33. UAB moved 6 yards, and Rhett Gallego came in and boomed the winning field goal from 42 yards out with 2:42 to play. UAB then withstood a last-gasp Hail Mary from David Garrard. This victory also made UAB bowl eligible for the first time as a I-A team.
3. UAB 27, Mississippi State 13
Oct. 9, 2004
It didn't matter that Mississippi State was coming off a horrible season and had just lost to I-AA Maine. The Bulldogs were fired up to redeem themselves, and facing a Southeastern Conference team on the road is always a challenge. State drove for a field goal on its first possession, and then UAB answered with a familiar site: a bomb, this one covering 52 yards, from Darrell Hackney to Roddy White. The teams were tied 10-10 at the half, and UAB was having all kinds of trouble stopping State running back Jerious Norwood, who finished with 201 yards rushing on 21 carries -- almost all of that in the first half. UAB's defense put the clamps on him and State in the second half, limiting them to only a field goal. Another TD pass to White gave UAB a 7-point lead, before the team's swapped field goals. With a little less than 8 minutes to play, the Blazers forced a punt. Reggie Lindsey gathered the ball at the UAB 33, started left, gave a stutter step and then cut down the left sideline for a 67-yard clinching TD. UAB had its second victory ever on SEC home turf, a feat that was celebrated by the UAB players and the couple thousand Blazer fans who made the trek to Starkville on a wet Saturday afternoon.
4. UAB 38, TCU 17
Nov. 10, 2001
This was one of UAB's most complete performances against a quality team. The Blazers were shut out in the first quarter and then struck for 38 points over the final three quarters. Thomas Cox, replacing Jeff Aaron under center, completed 9 of 18 passes for 233 yards and two TDs. UAB also ran for 104 yards, led by 86 and a TD from Jegil Dugger. Willie Quinnie had 4 catches for 109 yards and a TD. But the real story was UAB's defense. The Steel Shield held the Horned Frogs to 20 yards rushing as UAB built a huge lead before a couple of late TCU scores made it more respectable than it really was. Unfortunately, the Frogs had the last laugh. Even though UAB beat them by 21 points and had a better record, it was TCU that was selected to play Texas A&M in the galleryfurniture.com bowl.
5. UAB 24, Baylor 19
Aug. 30, 2003
The legend of Darrell Hackney is born on a day when he completed 13 of 29 passes for 238 yards. The Blazers played exceptionally well early, building a 17-7 lead on the strength of good running by Bo Moncur, who gained 136 yards on 21 attempts. But Baylor scored a TD, got a safety off a blocked punt in the end zone and then kicked the go-head field goal with about 6 minutes left for a 19-17 lead. Hackney had been knocked out of the game with a knee injury, and it appeared the Bears would get a win in the debut of Coach Guy Morriss after they stopped Blazer backup Chris Williams on fourth-and-one. But the Blazer defense forced a punt, giving the ball back to UAB on the Blazer 20 with 1:02 to play and no timeouts. Enter Hackney, with a slight limp, against the advice of team doctors. Bam, completion for a gain of 30 to midfield. Wham, post pattern to Nick Coon for the TD! 50 yards! Hackney to Coon! Coon hauled it in over the shoulder and outran his man! Blazers lead! Blazers lead! It wasn't over yet, though. Baylor got the ball back, but the Blazer defense held this time and UAB escaped Waco with a thrilling win over a Big 12 opponent.
6. UAB 24, Memphis 10
Oct. 4, 2003
Memphis was finally going to beat UAB. The Blazers were reeling, having lost to Southern Miss, Troy and South Carolina. Memphis was on its way to 9 victories and the school's first bowl bid in three decades. Didn't matter, they still weren't going to beat UAB on this day at the Liberty Bowl. Darrell Hackney and a little-used running back named Trey Chaney made sure of it. Hackney passed for 231 yards and Chaney ran for 81 hard-earned yards on 29 carries. The Blazers jumped to a 17-0 lead with three drives in the second quarter and the defense never let Memphis get untracked despite a 100-yard rushing performance from DeAngelo Williams and a 100-yard receiving performance from Maurice Avery. Danny Wimprine tried to rally the Tigers, pulling them within 17-0. But Hackney iced it with a 57-yard bomb to freshman Nick Coon, and the streak was intact.
7. UAB 13, Memphis 9
Oct. 14, 2000
UAB was coming off a loss to Louisville and needed this one badly to stay in the hunt in C-USA as they were having to count a loss to Kansas as a conference game. This was a defensive slugfest, with UAB gaining only 200 yards led by QB Jeff Aaron (in his first start) and RB Jegil Dugger. But Memphis could do nothing against the Steel Shield, finishing with only 186 yards. Still, Memphis took a 9-3 lead with a TD and a safety, and it appeared the Tigers would get out of Legion FIeld with their third straight victory over the Blazers. In the fourth quarter, Aaron led a go-ahead TD drive that was capped by a Dugger run, and then UAB forced a turnover and got a field goal from Rhett Gallego to seal it. This was a huge win for UAB, starting their dominance over the Tigers that extends to today, and it started a three-game winning streak that helped the Blazers to a 7-4 record, their first winning season as a I-A team.
8. UAB 42, Southwestern Louisiana 7
Sept. 27, 1997
It was Southwestern Louisiana's homecoming and the Cajuns were hoping to smash the Blazers like they had done in UAB's previous trip. In that game, USL (led by Jake Delhomme) rolled to a 56-21 victory that was not as close as that score indicated. The Cajuns ran up the score in that game until UAB scored a couple of late TDs, and their fans were hardly hospitable hosts to either the UAB player or the Blazer fans. USL also was motivated to avenge a surprising loss to UAB in 1996, when the BLazers took a 39-29 win a Legion Field. Imagine the Cajuns' surprise when they took this shellacking. The noticeable difference was team speed -- USL's defense simply could not keep up with UAB, which used the option to break some long gains. QB Daniel Dixon, a freshman, ran for 156 yards and 3 scores. The most memorable score may have been a 60-something yard (I think it was 67) TD run by freshman Ernest Ross. Ross, one of UAB's first heralded recruits, was put in the game late in place of Dixon. He was so nervous that he threw up in the huddle. Then he went out and on his first play broke the TD. Great moment in UAB's first road victory as a Division I-A team.
9. UAB 22, USF 19
Nov. 22, 2003
Darrell Hackney was out with a broken thumb and UAB was trying to sneak back into bowl contention without him. Curtis Falany started for the Blazers, who were underdogs to a USF team in its first year of C-USA play. The Blazers, with Corey White running the ball hard and utilizing the kind of "ugly" ball-control game plan that Watson Brown knows all so well, built a 19-3 lead. Those Blazer fans in the stands, however, didn't feel comfortable with it even though the Blazers forced six turnovers and USF hurt itself with 16 penalties. THey had good reason as the Bulls scored two touchdowns and converted two 2-point conversions in a span of 3:25 to tie. The Bulls then intercepted a pass and returned it near field-goal range and the Blazer fans groaned as the obnoxious and drunk jerks around them peppered them with taunts and threats to fight (I am not kidding). But the Blazer defense held, got the ball back and Chris Williams (in for the injured Falany) drove the Blazers into field goal range for Nick Hayes, who booted the game winner with 9 seconds left. It was only USF's second loss in Raymond James Stadium in 24 games there. It also moved UAB to 4-3 in C-USA games, assuring the Blazers of another "upper division" finish.
10. UAB 51, Houston 34
Oct. 12, 2002
This was Darrell Hackney's coming-out party. He had made his first start the previous week in yet another upset victory over Memphis, but this one showed he would assault the UAB and C-USA record books if he could stay healthy. Houston never had beaten UAB and the Cougars came out determined. They jumped to a 28-6 lead in the first half to stun the crowd of 13,897 at Legion Field. UAB got a TD pass from Hackney to Roddy White -- a connection that would become familiar to UAB fans in the coming years -- in the closing seconds of the first half to get back in the game. Then the Blazers reeled off 31 straight points in the second half to take command. Hackney finished with 329 yards passing, his first 300-yard game. Willie Quinnie had 156 yards receiving on 10 catches, and White had one of his first big games with 94 yards receiving.
Continuing the series looking back at the first decade of UAB Division I-A football, we now look at program-building games. These were games that went beyond W or L, giving UAB the opportunity to build the program. Some notable games did not make my list, such as the Blazers' gutsy showing at Nebraska and their gutsy effort at Tennessee this year. The Nebraska game ultimately was a 31-point margin --- too much for this list -- and as we know now, UT just isn't that good this year and UAB has not built on that performance.
Anyway, it's just for some memories and some discussion, anyway. Feel free to add your own.
PROGRAM BUILDERS
1. UAB 13, LSU 10
Sept. 23, 2000
Death Valley. Night. Homecoming. It was supposed the be the setting for LSU's latest "rent-a-win" as the paper in Baton Rouge had proclaimed in its gameday preview. Somebody forgot to tell the Blazers and the "Steel Shield" defense, who smacked the Bengal Tigers in their second game under Coach Nick Saban. UAB held LSU to 263 yards and picked off QB Josh Booty four times. UAB cashed in an LSU fumble for a Rhett Gallego field goal and a 3-0 lead. The Blazer offense was stymied, but Daniel Dixon came off the bench and threw a beautiful 24-yard TD pass to a leaping Leron Little for a 10-0 lead. LSU mounted a comeback in the second half, getting a 1-yard TD run by Domanick Davis after recovering a Carl Fair fumble at the Blazer 34. Then came a field goal by John Corbello with 2:33 left. Overtime? LSU went for the win in regulation, and Booty made an ill-advised pass in the flat that Chris Brown snagged and returned deep into LSU territory. A couple of plays later, and ESPN's cameras were breaking in to show the nation as Gallego lined up for a 32-yard game-winning kick. The snap … the hold … the kick … IT'S GOOD! IT'S GOOD! IT'S GOOD! GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY, YES!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!! YES!!!!!! Less than 10 years after lining up for its first NCAA football game, the little team that a lot of people said shouldn't even exist -- the team the Tuscaloosa News proclaimed it would take a "genie" to pull off -- had gone into Death Valley and beaten one of the SEC's elite programs. LSU would go on to beat Tennessee the next week and go to the Peach Bowl. A year later, many of the same players won the SEC title, and the year after that, with many of the same players still in the lineup, the Tigers won the national championship. But on this night, the Dragons roared on the Bayou.
2. Auburn 29, UAB 0
Aug. 31, 1996
There were predictions of 65-0, 75-0 and even 100-0 for this game. Auburn, coached by Terry Bowden and ranked in the top 20, was expected to roll all over a UAB squad that was, quite honestly, I-A in name only. The Blazers still were not up to I-A scholarship levels. The Blazers' I-A debut, however, showed the Tigers and the state of Alabama that UAB was serious about this football thing. The game did not start off well, though. Auburn blocked a Blazer punt by Kevin Tatarek and recovered near the UAB goal line. But three plays netted no TD, and Auburn had to settle for a field goal. The Blazer defense turned the Tigers away several more times, and Jarett Holmes kicked two more field goals to give Auburn a 9-0 halftime lead. Auburn fans were furious at halftime, while UAB fans celebrated like they'd just seen Robert Shannon knock down a 3-pointer in Tuscaloosa. Amazing, UAB held Auburn without a touchdown! The Blazers actually were in this thing? Holmes got two more field goals in the third quarter to make it 15-0, but still the Blazers were within striking distance. The Blazer defense, which harrassed and pounded Dameyune Craig and Rusty Williams, was stout. Perhaps Auburn would turn it over. Perhaps UAB would strike a big play. Ah, but the Auburn defense was even stouter, and UAB simply couldn't move the ball despite some heroic efforts by Robert Davis, the LSU transfer, and Rodney Hudson, the Mississippi State transfer. The Blazers wore down, and little Markeith Cooper began to squirt through the cracks, setting up Auburn for two late scores. It was a defeat, but the Blazers had sent a message across the bow to skeptics of the program, media and recruits who might be looking at UAB across the state and region: We're here, and we're here to stay.
3. UAB 36, East Carolina 17
Nov. 6, 1999
East Carolina came to Legion Field with a No. 17 ranking, and earlier in the season had staged one of the great comebacks of the 1990s to beat Miami. With David Garrard, they had one of the top quarterbacks in the South. And they were expected to thump a UAB team reeling from 2 straight losses and starting a new quarterback, Thomas Cox, in place of the injured Daniel Dixon. Early, it looked like that would happen. ECU jumped out to 17-3 lead and the Blazers had a scary moment when their All-American cornerback and punt returner, Rodregis Brooks, was carted off the field with a neck injury in the second quarter. The UAB gained a little momentum when Jake Arians kicked a field goal on the last play of the half. It was all Blazers in the second half, as they ripped off 31 straight points. Cox finished 10 of 20 for 122 yards, and his 5-yard TD run after UAB forced and recovered a fumble gave the Blazers the lead. Then, to the amazement of the crowd at Legion Field, a familiar No. 29 was noticed stepping back into punt return formation. It was Brooks, wearing a jersey his mother had been wearing in the stands because the paramedics had cut off his game jersey to examine him at the hospital. Cleared to play, Brooks fielded the punt and returned it 59 yards, zig-zagging through Pirates, to set up a 3-yard TD run by Cox and a 29-17 lead. Then in the fourth, Brooks stepped in front of a Gerrard pass and raced 91 yards for another score, weaving through the Pirates and then diving headfirst into the end zone for a jubilant TD. It was an amazing, gutsy performance by the team, and especially for Brooks, who earned C-USA defensive player of the week honors, earned mention on SportsCenter and in Sports Illustrated. He would go on to earn AP All-American honors, the first Blazer to do that in the I-A era. He would turn pro a year early and be drafted by the Indianapolis Colts. This victory remains UAB's first and only over a nationally ranked team.
4. UAB 41, TCU 25
Oct. 15, 2004
The nation finally got to see what UAB fans had known for a couple of years when the DHack Show went prime time on a Friday night ESPN game. In front of 33,280 at Legion Field, the Hack Attack went for five first-half touchdowns as the Blazers routed the Horned Frogs. Hackney was amazing, connecting with Roddy White on a 58-yard TD on his first pass. Then he hit Reggie Lindsey from 16 yards out, then found TE Cedric Hampton from 10 and then Norris Drinkard from 10. Early on, TCU had some offensive success, but a goa- line stand helped swing all the momentum in UAB's favor, and the Blazers also forced a fumble deep in UAB territory to stop another drive. Late in the half, Hackney hit Lindsey for another 40-yard bomb and a 35-14 halftime lead. Ah, but the fireworks weren't over just yet. In the third quarter, Hackney unleashed one of the most vicious stiff-arms of the college football season when he leveled a TCU defensive back on a scramble that caused the crowd to ooh-and-ahhh. Hackney finished 15 of 24 for 337 yards, including 130 yards to White. His play earned major props on SportsCenter and earned this phrase from the anchor: "Some quarterbacks get away from pressure like Doug Flutie … Hackney gets away from pressure like GODZILLA!" Postscript: This was the high point of UAB football. National TV, great performance, great individual star in the making, great crowd. The victory propelled UAB to 5-1, including 3-0 and first place in C-USA, and a No. 24 ranking in the Bowl Championship Series. Unfortunately, they have not been able to build on it, as they lost 59-55 to Tulane the next week and are only 6-9 overall since this spectacular night at Legion Field. But for one night, UAB football was the talk of the state and the talk of a lot of people around the country.
5. Georgia 16, UAB 13
Oct. 25, 2003
Playing without Darrell Hackney, who broke his thumb the previous week in a 27-24 loss to unbeaten TCU, the Blazers were not expected to offer No. 4 Georgia much competition. The Blazers were 29-point underdogs on Georgia's homecoming. But Chris Williams played admirably in Hackney's absence, and UAB lulled the 'Dawgs to sleep with an effective ball-control offense and darn near left Sanford Stadium with another shocking upset of an SEC team. Georgia got three Bill Bennett field goals, the last with 12:57 remaining to put Georgia on top for good. UAB had taken a 13-10 lead in the third quarter, battling back from an early 10-0 deficit and silencing the Georgia faithful. UAB had a chance with its last possession. Williams threw to Bradley Chavez for 24 yards to the Georgia 32. Another few yards, and they would have at least been well within Nick Hayes' field-goal range with a chance to force overtime. But a delay of game penalty backed UAB up, and then the Georgia rush forced two incompletions. Theron Dudley scored UAB's TD on a 1-yard run, and Hayes had two field goals. The perfomance was huge for a UAB program seeking to earn respect and gave UAB much-needed visibility and credibility in Georgia, where the Blazers recruit heavily.
6. UAB 29, Houston 10
Sept. 25, 1999
Finally, UAB made its Conference USA football debut, almost four years after it was announced the Blazers would be invited as football-playing members to the league, of which UAB was a charter member in other sports. The Houston Cougars, a tradition-rich refuge from the Southwest Conference, were the first official C-USA opponent, coming to Legion Field for the second time in three weeks (they had lost to Alabama 37-10 in their opener). Daniel Dixon threw TD passes of 55 yards to Cedric Thatch, 79 yards to Darrius Malone and 31 yards to Johnni Arrington. The turning point game in the third quarter when a vicious hit by Bryan Thomas on Houston QB Jason McKinley resulted in a safety and knocked McKinley from the game. After the free kick, Dixon found Malone over the middle near midfield, and the speedster split the UH defense for his 79-yard TD. The victory showed immediately that UAB, in only it's fourth year of I-A ball, was ready for C-USA.
7. UAB 39, Southwestern Louisiana 29
Oct. 19, 1996
USL had beaten Texas A&M earlier in the season and had beaten UAB 56-21 the year before in Lafayette, La. Imagine their surprise when they showed up at Legion Field and were beaten by the Blazers. Dainon Sidney had some big plays, and Robert Davis and Carl Sanders had a fine afternoon running the ball. A key play was a screen pass late in the game that Davis broke for a huge gain to seal the victory. This game gave a stamp of legitimacy to the UAB program in its first year of I-A competition and began to separate the Blazers from Sun Belt-level teams.
8. Hawaii 59, UAB 40
Dec. 24, 2004
Aloha! It's UAB's first bowl game. The Blazers had slumped terribly in midseason 2004, but righted the ship enough to earn a trip to the Islands to face the homestanding Warriors in a bowl matchup of top offenses. They didn't disappoint, combining for 1,079 yards and 99 points. Darrell Hackney threw for 417, including two touchdowns. Hawaii's Timmy Chang threw for 405 yards and 4 TDs. The game started with a bang for the Blazers, as Roddy White teamed with Hackney on a 57-yard catch and run. But the Blazers quickly got sucked into a shootout that left their depleted defense gasping. It was 28-26 Hawaii at the half, and the Warriors then reeled of 17 straight points early in the third to take command. Chad Owens burned the Blazers with a punt return for a score, and Hawaii also returned a Blazer onside kick for a TD late in the game. Though Hackney was incredible, the Blazers may have made a tactical error by not trying more to exploit Hawaii's weak run defense. Dan Burks, Corey White, Norris Drinkard and company combined to run for 173 yards, and Hawaii rarely slowed the Blazer running game. However, once the Warriors got the lead, UAB abandoned the run and Hackney finished with a 54 attempts. UAB also hurt itself with a dozen penalties. Still, for a program trying to build some tradition, the bowl game was a much-anticipated and much-needed achievement that warrants being on this list.
9. UAB 23, Tulane 20, OT
Nov. 20, 1999
It wasn't for a bowl bid -- heck, it wasn't even for an opportunity to clinch a winning record. But this OT victory over Tulane -- just a year removed from their perfect season -- was big for the Blazers because it secured a 4-2 record in C-USA play and a tie for second place in the league. This played huge on the recruiting trail in the coming couple of years, and also set the tone for winning records in 2000 and 2001. Tulane had the ball first in OT, but the Blazers blocked a Seth Marler field-goal attempt. UAB ran three plays, and then Jake Arians booted the game winner from 37 yard out.
10. UAB 42, Arkansas State 17
Sept. 14, 1996
This was UAB's first home game as a Division I-A team, and while Arkansas State was hardly a world-beater, the Indians were an established team that recently had a victory and a tie against Mississippi State and were once coached by Ray Perkins. This game, UAB's first home victory over a I-A opponent, showed right off the bat that UAB could be competitive.
A DECADE, BY THE NUMBERS
Ok, wrapping up our look at 10 years of UAB football, let's examine the record for the Blazers during since moving up to I-A for the 1996 season. These marks include the now-completed 2005 season.
(Note: this may be a game or two off as I did it in a hurry. I will double and triple-check and adjust accordingly, but for now you can get a general glimpse of program performance).
OVERALL RECORD: 54-59
OVERALL RECORD VS. I-A ONLY: 42-59
RECORD AT HOME: 36-18
RECORD AT HOME VS. I-A TEAMS: 24-18
RECORD AWAY FROM HOME: 18-41
RECORD VS. BCS CONFERENCES: 4-22
RECORD VS. NON-BCS NOT INCLUDING C-USA TEAMS: 11-9
RECORD VS. NON-BCS INCLUDING C-USA TEAMS: 39-37
RECORD VS. C-USA TEAMS: 28-28
Note: This includes games vs. C-USA teams before UAB was a member, teams that later joined C-USA and teams that were members of C-USA at the time but later left for another league.
RECORD VS. CURRENT C-USA EAST TEAMS: 9-15
RECORD VS. SEC TEAMS: 2-7
RECORD VS. I-AA TEAMS: 12-0
RECORD IN GAMES DECIDED BY 7 POINTS OR LESS: 20-19
RECORD IN GAMES DECIDED BY 7 POINTS OR LESS VS. I-A TEAMS: 16-19
RECORD IN GAMES DECIDED BY 21 OR MORE POINTS: 13-23
RECORD IN GAMES DECIDED BY 21 OR MORE POINTS VS. I-A TEAMS: 7-23
While some of it makes me 
Allot of it makes me 
Some of it makes me want to 
uke: Sometimes I would yell at Watson 
and sometimes I just wanted to 
After a press conference I would throw the 
and 
but all in all after each game most of the time I would just 
:drinky2: