|
|
 Alabama-
Birmingham
Blazers
Sep.
1. 12 Noon. East Lansing, MI.
2007 Record: 2-9
TV: ESPN2
2007
Schedule
| 9/1 |
at
Mich St |
L,
18-55
|
| 9/8 |
at
Fla St |
L,
24-34
|
| 9/15 |
ALCORN
ST |
W,
22-0
|
| 9/29 |
at
Tulsa |
L,
30-38
|
| 10/6 |
at
Miss St |
L,
13-30
|
| 10/13 |
TULANE |
W,
26-21
|
| 10/20 |
HOUSTON |
L,
10-49
|
| 10/27 |
at
E Carolina |
L,
6-41
|
| 11/3 |
S
MISS |
L,
7-37
|
| 11/10 |
C
FLORIDA |
L,
31-45
|
| 11/17 |
at
Memphis |
L,
9-25
|
| 11/24 |
at
Marshall |
-
|
2006
Results (3-9
overall)
| 9/2 |
at
Oklahoma |
L,
17-24
|
| 9/9 |
E
CAROLINA |
W,
17-12
|
| 9/15 |
at
Georgia |
L,
0-34
|
| 9/23 |
MISS
ST |
L,
10-16
ot
|
| 9/30 |
TROY |
W,
21-3
|
| 10/7 |
MEMPHIS |
W,
35-29
|
| 10/14 |
at
Rice |
L,
33-34
|
| 10/21 |
MARSHALL |
L,
24-31
|
| 10/31 |
at
SMU |
L,
9-22
|
| 11/10 |
UTEP |
L,
17-36
|
| 11/18 |
at
S Miss |
L,
20-25
|
| 11/25 |
at
C Florida |
L,
22-31
|
back
to top
Strengths/Weaknesses
OFFENSE:
4 returning starters
DEFENSE: 4 returning starters
Rating
Scale
(5 = strong, 1 = weak)
|
POSITION
|
RATING
|
|
OL
|
1
|
|
WR/TE
|
2
|
|
QB
|
2
|
|
RB
|
1
|
|
DL
|
2
|
|
LB
|
2
|
|
DB
|
2
|
|
K/P
|
3/2
|
|
K/P
RET
|
2
|
|
COACH
|
2
|
back
to top
History
vs. UAB
first
meeting
back
to top
|
 The
Skinny on the Blazers:
Phil
Steele: 117 nationally/6 east C-USA
Sporting News: 110 nationally/6 east C-USA
Schedule Strength: 89th
Coach: Neil Callaway (0-0 career)
Series: first meeting
Website: www.uabsports.cstv.com
UAB Sucks...(link
here): If you want to know the truth, UAB sucks at any and everything
to do with football. The bad thing is ya'll try to figure out the one
thing that is making ya'll lose, when in actuallity it's everything. UAB
football program is moving backward instead of forward. They are already
behind Troy State, and they have only been D-1 for 3 yrs. You better hope
Jax State doesn't move up to D-1 b/c they will be ahead of UAB before
long.
Best Player: Everyone has the picture of UAB's Joe Henderson,
their WLB, listed in the media guides and FB preview mags. Phil Steele
rates him as a 3rd team all-conference player. So, he must be the best.
Their kicker, Swayze Waters, hit 9-of-12 FGs last year, so he's ok.
Best 2006 win: The Blazers beat Troy, 21-3 last year.
Troy, made it to the bowl game and beat fellow C-USA opponent Rice by
24 points... it was an anamoly.
Worst 2006 loss: Getting their butt kicked, 34-0, at
Georgia.
2007 season clincher: UAB needs to get by Central Florida at
home on Nov. 10 to make a step up. It won't happen.
2007 biggest pitfall: Sep. 8 at Florida State is a nightmare.
2007 biggest creampuff(s): The Blazers are ranked at
the bottom nationally. They are a creampuff.
Biggest weakness: Running game. No running backs return
with any experience, and only two lineman (C Jake Seitz, RT Adam Truitt)
return as starters. The ES rates this out as a 1 out of 5 for potential;
it will be the worst running game MSU will face all year long. And, who
the hell is their QB? This Joseph Webb guy, who is he? He was 33-51 for
426 yards last year, with 1 TD and 0 int.
Biggest strength(s): The defensive backfield has two
starters returning, CB Kevin Sanders and FS will Dunbar, that have lots
of playing time... against foes like Troy, UTEP, Rice, Memphis, etc...
but, it's the best they have.
 Chance
to win: Rating scale -
Even the hard
luck Spartans should win this game going away. MSU is playing one of the
worst and least experienced teams in the country, with the least amount
of depth in one of the weakest conferences. MSU's running game matches
up very well against a weak UAB front. The poor offensive experience of
UAB actually works into MSU's mediocre defensive experience; more particularly,
a good matchup to watch is how MSU's new physical bump-and-run style of
DB play will succeed against the lack of adequate UAB wideout experience.
By
the way, who the hell is this Neil Callaway guy? Phil Steele said he played
for Bear Bryant and was an asst coach at UGA, Auburn, Houston, E Carolina,
Wyoming... so he seems to have some experience. But this is the bigs,
and its a tough way to get indoctrinated. The Doctor will have a good
game to work lots of bugs out, but the talent level is completely different
in this game, and MSU actually matches up extremely well against an overmatched
opponent. If MSU wins by less than 20, it will be a shock. Make it: MSU
37, UAB 13.
back
to top
2006
Statistics
| MSU |
OFFENSE |
BLAZERS |
| 302 |
Points |
225 |
| 25.2 |
Points/Game |
18.8 |
| |
|
|
| 4281 |
Total
Yards |
3721 |
| 356.8 |
Total
Yards/Game |
310.1 |
| |
|
|
| 1550 |
Rush
Yards |
1507 |
| 129.2 |
Rush
Yds/Game |
125.6 |
| 387-4.0 |
Attempts
- Avg. |
432-3.5 |
| |
|
|
| 2731 |
Pass
Yards |
2214 |
| 227.6 |
Pass
Yds/Game |
184.5 |
| 417-248-13 |
Att-Comp-Int |
304-177-12 |
| 59.5% |
Comp
% |
58.2% |
| |
|
|
| -1 |
Turnover
Ratio |
+6 |
| |
|
|
| 81-672 |
Penalties
- Yds |
94-702 |
| |
|
|
| 221 |
1st
Downs |
211 |
| 18.4 |
1st
D/Game |
17.6 |
| |
|
|
| 73-173 |
3rd
Down Conv. |
48-149 |
| 42% |
3rd
Down % |
32% |
| |
|
|
| 15-19 |
FG
- FGA |
11-16 |
| MSU |
DEFENSE |
BLAZERS |
| 341 |
Points |
297 |
| 28.4 |
Points/Game |
24.8 |
| |
|
|
| 4365 |
Total
Yards |
4311 |
| 363.8 |
Total
Yards/Game |
359.2 |
| |
|
|
| 1594 |
Rush
Yards |
1761 |
| 132.8 |
Rush
Yds/Game |
146.8 |
| 416-3.8 |
Attempts
- Avg. |
409-4.3 |
| |
|
|
| 2771 |
Pass
Yards |
2550 |
| 363.8 |
Pass
Yds/Game |
212.5 |
| 355-206-8 |
Att-Comp-Int |
317-200-12 |
| 58.0% |
Comp
% |
63.1% |
| |
|
|
| 56-451 |
Penalties
- Yds |
68-595 |
| |
|
|
| 224 |
1st
Downs |
223 |
| 18.7 |
1st
Downs/Game |
18.6 |
| |
|
|
| 58-160 |
3rd
Down Conv. |
63-148 |
| 36.3% |
3rd
Down % |
43% |
| |
|
|
| 14-20 |
FG
- FGA |
14-17 |
Score
by Quarters
| Team |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
OT |
Total |
| uab |
40 |
64 |
55 |
66 |
0 |
225 |
| Opp |
72 |
80 |
59 |
80 |
6 |
297 |
| MSU |
66 |
57 |
68 |
111 |
0 |
302 |
| Opp |
54 |
133 |
92 |
62 |
0 |
341 |
|
