Oct. 8, 2001

THE GAME: UAB vs. Cincinnati, Saturday, Oct. 13.

KICKOFF: Set for 4:00 pm CDT at Legion Field (83,091/Grass) in Birmingham.

THE TEAMS:  UAB is 2-3 (1-1 C-USA) and coming off a 24-7 loss at Central Florida last Saturday (Oct. 6).  Cincinnati  is 2-2 (2-0 C-USA) and coming off a 46-33 win over Tulane at home on Saturday (Oct. 6).

THE COACHES: UC's Rick Minter is 36-46-1 in his eighth season as head coach of the Bearcats. UAB's Watson Brown is 33-38 in his seventh season at UAB (65-115-1 in his 17th season as a collegiate head coach).

THE SERIES:  Cincinnati  leads 3-1, dating back to the 1996 season. Last season, the Bearcats defeated UAB 33-21 at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati (Nov. 4, 2000). Saturday's game will be the first meeting between the two in Birmingham since the 1996 season, and the first Conference USA game between the two in Birmingham (UAB was not a football member of C-USA when the two met at Legion Field on Nov. 16, 1996 -- a 34-14 Cincinnati victory).

TELEVISION: None.

RADIO:  The game will be broadcast live on the UAB Football Radio Network on stations throughout the state of Alabama and in Birmingham on the Blazers' flagship station, WAPI AM 1070.  Gary Sanders is in his 23rd season as the play-by-play voice of the Blazers (and his 11th broadcasting UAB football games).  Sanders will be joined in the booth by color commentator Matt Coulter (now in his fifth season with the UAB Broadcast crew), as well as producer/engineer and jack-of-all-trades Jon Gentile (now in his fourth year with UAB) and spotter/sideline reporter/legal advisor Bill Lewis. Saturday's broadcast will begin with the pre-game show at 3:30 pm CDT live from Legion Field.

IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME: After two very difficult weeks on the road (a 3-0 loss at Southern Miss, Sept. 29 and a 24-7 loss at Central Florida, Oct. 6), the Blazers begin a two-game home stand, starting with Saturday's game vs. Cincinnati and continuing with next week's homecoming game vs. Tulane (Oct. 20, 4:00 pm CDT).

IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME, cont.: UAB is  2-0 at Legion Field this season. The Blazer defense has not allowed a touchdown in eight quarters at home in 2001.  The only touchdown scored by a UAB opponent at Legion Field  to date this season was an interception return by Montana State's Kane Iaone (Aug. 30).

ALL-TIME AT LEGION FIELD: The Blazers are 40-16-1 (.717) in 11 seasons at Legion Field (1991-  ). UAB is 20-9 (.690) at Legion Field in the school's NCAA Division I-A era (1996-  ), and 3-4 (.429) all-time at home vs. C-USA opponents (including the 1996 non-league loss to Cincinnati).

BROWN FACES HIS OLD TEAM: UAB Head Coach Watson Brown was head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats for one season (1983). UC finished 4-6-1 that year, and opened the season with one of the biggest wins in school history -- a 14-3 win at defending national champion Penn State (Sept. 10, 1983).

IN CONTRAST: UAB is in its 11th season of college football competition (and its sixth at the NCAA Division I-A level), Cincinnati is in its 114th season.

A STREAK ENDS: After holding opponents without a touchdown for 11 consecutive quarters (dating back to the Florida State game on Sept.8), the Blazer defense finally surrendered a touchdown vs. Central Florida (Oct. 6).  UCF struck twice in the third quarter, first on a one-yard run by Terrance Williams that capped a 23-yard drive set up by a UAB fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half, and then on a very well-executed 64-yard pass from quarterback Ryan Schneider to Doug Gabriel (the Golden Knights' third touchdown of the evening was scored on a quarterback sack and fumble recovery in the end zone). The two TDs by UCF are the only ones given up by the UAB defense in the last 13 quarters of play.

SPEAKING OF THE  UAB  DEFENSE: As of Oct. 7, the Blazers are ranked seventh in total defense (allowing opponents an average of 259.40 yards per game), fifth in rushing defense (allowing an average of 59.20 yards per game), 11th in scoring defense (allowing 14.40 points per game), tied for 20th in interceptions with seven, 23rd in pass efficiency defense (opponents have a 101.5 rating) and tied for 27th in turnovers gained (11).

BLAZERS STINGY vs. C-USA  OPPONENTS: The UAB defense has not allowed a touchdown by a C-USA opponent this season, the Blazers allowed Army and Southern Miss one field goal each.

BLAZERS ESPECIALLY  TOUGH vs. THE   RUN:  The UAB Blazer defense has traditionally been very tough vs. the run.  UAB opponents rushed for 100+ yards as a team only five times in 2000 and six times in 1999 and have done so once thus far in 2001 (Florida State's 135 net yards Sept. 8), no individual opposing player has broken the 100+-yard barrier since Louisville's Frank Moreau did so vs. the Blazers during the 1999 season (Oct. 30, 1999 in Louisville) -- that's 18 straight  games.  Southern Miss' Tim Blackwell came as close as anyone has since then, Blackwell finished the game with 97 net rushing yards on 24 carries (he actually had 100 yards but three negative yards brought him back to 97 for the game).

VERY TOUGH: C-USA opponents have averaged 62.0 net rushing yards in the Blazers' two league games this season. 

BLAZERS STINGY WITH THE POINTS, TOO: UAB has allowed its two C-USA opponents an average of 3.0 points (literally two field goals) in two games this season.

 "THE  STEEL  SHIELD": A nickname that originated with Coach Watson Brown, given to the team's defensive front four -- seniors Bryan Thomas (DE), Eddie Freeman (DT), Rodney Jones (NG) and Marlon Bush (DE).  Of late, the nickname has also come to be used in reference to the entire defensive unit, which has been brilliant thus far. 

ANOTHER  GOOD THING  ABOUT  PLAYING  AT HOME:  UAB, which has struggled terribly on the offensive side of the ball in its last two games (3.5 points and 170.5 total yards per game, 3.5 turnovers per game), has averaged 48 points and 443.5 total yards per game, with only two turnovers in its two home games (wins over Montana State and Army).

DROUGHT ENDS: When freshman running back Kendal Gibson bulled over from the one-yardline for a TD in the third quarter vs. UCF last week, it was the first offensive score of any kind for the Blazers since the third quarter of the Army game (Sept. 22).  The UAB offense had gone seven quarters without scoring (the Blazers scored a defensive touchdown in the fourth quarter vs. Army).

COINCIDENTALLY:  Kendal Gibson scored the Blazers' last touchdown before the scoreless streak began, on a seven-yard run in the third quarter vs. Army.

UPON  FURTHER  REVIEW: Jason Southall's 93-yard kickoff return vs. UCF (that set up Gibson's touchdown) is indeed the longest in UAB history, scoring or not.  Here is a partial list of the top marks in Blazer history:

93 - Jason Southall at UCF (2001)

85 - Cedric Thatch at Wake Forest (1999)

82 - Darrin Reaves at Hampden-Sydney (1991)

70 - Cedrick Buchannon vs.  Southwestern Louisiana (1995)

54 - Cedric Thatch vs. Louisville (2000)

54 - Cedric Thatch at Northeast Louisiana  (1998)

52 - Omar Parker vs. Jacksonville State (1997)

BIG NUMBERS: UAB's 55 points vs. Army (Sept. 22) is the most ever by the Blazers vs. an NCAA Division I-A opponent. The UAB all-time record is 61 points vs. Knoxville College in  a I-AA game at Legion Field in 1995, the previous scoring high in the I-A era for the Blazers was 48 vs. Tennesssee-Martin (at the Hoover Met, 1998). 

MULTIPLE INTERCEPTIONS: UAB's four interceptions in the Army game (Sept. 22) equals the school's I-A era record, set vs. LSU last season (Sept. 23, 2000) when the Blazers picked off four Tiger passes en route to a 13-10 victory in Baton Rouge.  The all-time UAB mark for interceptions in a single game is five (5), set vs. Morehead State in a I-AA game at Legion Field in 1999.

DUGGER  WATCH: Senior running back Jegil Dugger has 340 net rushing yards this season on 87 carries (3.9 average) and 1,480 career rushing yards (he's UAB's career leader in the Division I-A era) on 322 carries (4.6 average).  Dugger, who is UAB's all-time rushing leader in the school's Division I-A era (1996-  ) and second on the Blazers' all-time list (Pat Green leads with 2,817 yards, 1991-94) , scored two TDs vs. Army, giving him 11 for his career (ranking him second in the UAB Division I-A era and third all-time in Blazer football history).

DUGGER  A  DOAK  WALKER AWARD CANDIDATE: Senior running back Jegil Dugger, who rushed for 852 yards and five touchdowns (including game-winners vs. Chattanooga and Memphis) on 177 carries in 2000 -- primarily as a backup to often-injured starter Carl Fair -- is among the initial 43 players named to the 2001 Doak Walker Award watch list.  The Doak Walker Award is given annually to college football's top running back.

A NOSE FOR THE BALL:  Senior linebacker Rod Taylor was credited with 20 tackles in the Southern Miss game (including 17 solo), that is a UAB Division I-A era record, and ties for second all-time in Blazer history. The feat was even more remarkable considering the fact that Taylor played the game (and has done so three times in all) on a sore ankle that was badly sprained in the Florida State game (Sept.8).

HUMPHRIES  BACK: Speaking of linebackers playing hurt, John Humphries, who backs up Taylor at the "mike" linebacker position, is back on the team's depth chart and ready for action. Humphries, who suffered a broken arm vs. Florida State (Sept. 8), dressed but did not play vs. UCF.

SPEAKING OF LINEBACKERS NAMED TAYLOR: Walk-on linebacker Darrius Taylor (Cherokee, Ala./Cherokee HS) has developed into a terror on special teams. Watch for no. 40 on kickoff and punt coverage, he's usually the one putting a big hit on the ballcarrier.

MULTIPLE INTERCEPTIONS:  UAB's (four) interceptions in the game equals the school's I-A era record, set vs. LSU last season (Sept. 23, 2000) when the Blazers picked off four Tiger passes en route to a 13-10 victory in Baton Rouge.  The all-time UAB mark for interceptions in a single game is five (5), set vs. Morehead State in a I-AA game at Legion Field in 1999.

IT'S A FACT: UAB has intercepted at least one pass in 21 of its last 27 games (and in three of five games this season).

IT'S ALSO A FACT:  UAB has blocked at least one kick in two games this season (punts vs. Montana State and Army), and in four of its last seven games dating back to the Southern Miss game at Legion Field last season.

ODDLY ENOUGH: There were two blocked kicks (both field goal attempts) in the UAB-Southern Miss game (Sept. 29), but both were apparently inadvertently blocked by the kicking teams, not the defenders.

PITTSBURGH  GAME  RESCHEDULED:   UAB will make up the game at Pittsburgh on Saturday, Dec. 1 at Heinz Field (1:30 pm EST).

MEMPHIS GAME  START  TIME  CHANGED:   Memphis announced Monday (10/8) that the Oct. 27 game at the Liberty Bowl has been moved from 7:00 pm to 1:00 pm CDT.

STRONG SCHEDULES: The Blazers have ambitious non-conference schedules over the next few seasons that include dates at Florida (2002),  at South Carolina (2003),  at Florida State (2004), and Tennessee (2005), as well as a home game vs.  Pittsburgh (2002), and home-and-home series with Baylor (2003 in Waco, 2004 in Birmingham) and UNLV (2005 in Las Vegas, 2006 in Birmingham).

THOMAS  PRESEASON  ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTION:  Senior defensive end Bryan Thomas was named to the Preseason All-Conference USA Team in July. 

CLOSING  IN:  Bryan Thomas led UAB with 10 sacks last season, and currently has 27.0 career sacks (including three vs. Southern Miss, Sept. 29), ranking him first among all UAB players in the NCAA Division I-A era (1996- ) and second all-time at UAB behind Rodney Foster (29, from 1991-94).

STEWART SHINES: Redshirt junior punter Ross Stewart had his finest game as a Blazer vs. Florida State (Sept. 8), the Blountsville, Ala. native punted six times for 285 yards (a 47.5 average), and had a long kick of 68 yards -- a personal best.  Stewart's season average is currently 45.55 yards per punt, good enough to rank him seventh nationally.  Six of Stewart's 22 punts this season have been downed inside the opponents' 20-yardline. Stewart is currently second in Conference USA  in punting.

AARON, GALLEGO RECEIVE C-USA  HONORS: UAB quarterback Jeff Aaron and placekicker Rhett Gallego were honored by Conference USA for their performances in last Saturday's 55-3 win over Army at Legion Field. Aaron, who completed 17 of 23 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another score - all in just over one half of play - was named C-USA Offensive Player of The Week.  The senior from Montgomery, Ala. (Jeff Davis HS) led scoring drives on all six UAB possessions in the first half.  Gallego, a senior from Birmingham (Hueytown HS), earned C-USA Special Teams Player of The Week honors.  He made both of his field goal attempts (from 45 and 34 yards) and hit six of six PAT attempts for 11 points in the game.  Gallego was named C-USA Player of The Week three times during the 2000 season.

TEAM CAPTAINS: UAB Head Coach Watson Brown selects game captains -- always seniors -- shortly before kickoff each week. Permanent captains are designated following the season.

NUMBER CHANGES: There were several jersey number changes among veteran Blazer players between the 2000 and 2001 season, primarily among the receiver corps. Those changes include:

Player                 Old Number/2001 Number

Maurice Gallery          20 (1998-00)/1

Travis Johnson           19 (1997-00)/3

T.J. Simmons               11 (1999-00)/9

NUMBER CHANGES, cont.:   One newcomer, junior receiver Brandon Seabrook, has changed jersey numbers  three times since the Montana State game (Aug. 30), Seabrook, a junior college transfer from Atlanta, Ga., wore no. 40 (a duplicate number, shared with linebacker Darrius Taylor) vs. the Bobcats, no. 8 at Florida State, was scheduled to wear no. 84 at Pittsburgh (Sept. 15), and was assigned to no. 26 for the Army game.  Two other number changes for the Army game included placekicker Will "Gimp" Morthland (no. 33), and receiver Brian Buckner  (no. 84).

BROTHERS:  The 2001 Blazer team has no less than three (3) sets of brothers on the roster. The most high profile are freshman twins Kendal and Randal Gibson (Aliceville, Ala.). The Gibsons are not, however, the first set of twins to play for the Blazers,  Terry and Perry Collier (Munday, Texas) were members of Coach Watson Brown's first UAB team in 1995. Other brothers on the 2001 team include redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Artavious Williams and redshirt freshman noseguard Tony Williams (Montgomery, Ala.), and sophomore receiver Lynorse and sophomore defensive back Anthony Garrett (Cottonwood, Ala.). There was almost another set of brothers on the 2001 team, freshman defensive lineman Ernest Repress (Barnesville, Ga.) and brother Clarence (also a lineman) both signed with the Blazers last spring, but Clarence did not enroll this fall.

CURRENTLY ON  NFL ROSTERS (as of Oct. 7):  Seven former Blazers, including:

Josh Evans (DT) * Tennessee Titans

Dainon Sidney (DB) * Tennessee Titans (injured reserve)

Izell Reese (DB) * Dallas Cowboys

Otis Leverette (DE) * Washington Redskins

Rodregis Brooks (DB) * Indianapolis Colts

Jake Arians (PK) * Buffalo Bills

Carl Fair (RB) * Cleveland Browns (practice squad)

UNIFORM CHANGES: The 2001 Blazers took the field for the Montana State game (Aug. 30) in re-designed uniforms. In addition to style changes on the green game jerseys, the team wore white pants for the first time during the Watson Brown era (1995-  ), and also sported green stockings. The new jerseys and pants (as well as the team's shoes) are made by adidas. UAB still has its traditional gold helmet with green stripe and "Dragon Shield" logos (a white helmet was developed but did not make it past the prototype stage). UAB will wear the green jerseys and white pants at home and its traditional white jersey and gold pants (both made by Alabama-based Russell Corp.)  in road games.<