The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Football Prepares for Home Opener
9/2/2002 12:00:00β―AM | Football
Sept. 2, 2002
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-----The UAB football team will play its home opener this Saturday, Sept. 7 (6:00 CT) against Troy State at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. This contest will be the first meeting between these two schools since the Blazers began playing at the NCAA Division 1-A level. It will represent the third meeting overall between the schools on the gridiron. The Trojans captured the first game in 1993 and again two years later.
UAB (0-1) struggled this past Saturday against the Florida Gators. The Blazers, who ranked No. 5 nationally in total defense last season, allowed 643 yards to the Gators in the 51-3 loss. UAB's only points of the game were provided by sophomore placekicker Nick Hayes with a 32-yard field goal in the third quarter. Troy State (0-1) is coming off a 31-16 loss at Nebraska. The Trojans trailed only 14-10 early in the third quarter. Troy outgained Nebraska, 347 yards to the Huskers' 313.
Head coach Watson Brown held his weekly media luncheon Monday and made these comments:
Regarding Florida Game
"I think it is different every year and with every team. If this had been a real experienced team, I might had jumped in the middle of them. With it being such a young team and when you look at the tape and see what happened, we just froze up. We made more mistakes in that one game than we've made in the last four years. You can't play a great team, which I think talent wise that's the best team I've played in my eight years here, and then play a poor game. You see it in their (players) eyes, they are disappointed just like we (coaches) are so it doesn't do any good to turn around and jump all over them but we have to get some things corrected and we have got to settle down. We have to grow up fast now. The only way I know to do that is the coaches to make them aware of it. Hopefully, they will improve on it next week."
On Troy State
"This is a real senior team and I'm concerned. Our team has got to step up to play. Troy is not going to make very many mistakes. They are just so experienced. I know they are going to be ready to play and I can't imagine us not being ready to play. In some ways I think that game (Florida) helped us. It opened our eyes that we have a lot of work to do. Our players can see that they have to get on the practice field starting Tuesday and improve or we are going to have a long year."
Player Quotes
Senior Free Safety Chris Brown
"We made too many mistakes on Saturday. We have to minimize the mistakes. Troy State is a good team. We can't make the same mistakes against them like we did with Florida."
Sophomore Wide Receiver Chico Cleveland
"Florida came out and knew what they wanted to do. We lacked confidence in our first game. We have to come out confident this game. If we do that, we will have a good chance of winning."
Junior Safety Thurman Pearson
"Making mistakes agaisnt a team like that will cost you the game. We have to play better against Troy State to win. We went out Saturday not focused. We had a mental letdown."
Senior Center Kirk Tuck
"We have to get better and cut down on mistakes. If we cut those down, we will be okay against Troy."
