The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Accepts Invitation To Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
11/28/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 28, 2004
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- UAB has accepted an invitation to play in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Friday, Dec. 24, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.
The Blazers (7-4. 5-3 in Conference USA), who have earned their first-ever trip to a postseason bowl, will meet an opponent still to be determined. The contest will kick off at 2:00 p.m. HST (6:00 p.m. CST).
The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
UAB, having been bowl-eligible twice previously (2000 and 2001) -- the Blazers have had intercollegiate football only since 1991 and have played at the Division I-A level only since 1996 -- are anxious to make their bowl debut.
"We're very excited and appreciative that the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl has invited our football team to participate in its event," said UAB head coach and Director of Athletics Watson Brown. "This first bowl game for our program is special, not only for our current players, but also for all the other guys from past years who played a part in getting us started.
"We have a great senior class and I am especially pleased for them," said Brown. "They have been bowl-eligible three of the five years they have been here and the other two years, we went to the final game of the season with a chance to go to a bowl."
Pete Derzis, Senior Vice-President for ESPN Regional, which owns and operates the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, says the Blazers are in for a great experience in Honolulu.
"We're extremely excited that the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl will serve as the inaugural bowl in UAB's football history," said Derzis. "This is a great reward for the players and staff who have worked so hard for a successful season. "We know from the past two years that the players will enjoy the activities of the bowl, and we look forward to hosting UAB."
Among the activities and events planned for the participating teams will be a beach-side Luau, a "sunset dinner", a beach party, as well as a trip to Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial.
The Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, which had the third choice among the bowl-eligible, Conference USA schools, will gain a UAB team that features one of the nation's most explosive offenses as the Blazers average more than 30 points per game.
Junior quarterback Darrell Hackney has thrown for 2,653 yards this season, hitting 166-of-304 passes with 24 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Hackney ranks No. 14 nationally in passing efficiency.
Senior wide receiver Roddy White is an All-America candidate in 2004 after catching 65 passes for a Conference USA record 1,339 yards and 13 touchdowns during the regular season. White ranks No. 2 in the country in receiving yards per game at 121.7.
Senior linebacker Zac Woodfin is a three-time all-conference player and two-time Butkus Award candidates. Woodfin is the team's leading tackler for the third straight season and has totaled 368 tackles in his career.
QUOTES ON THE SHERATON HAWAII BOWL ANNOUNCEMENT
UAB head coach Watson Brown
On the senior class:
"There was a look in their eyes I'll never forget. It's the first one, it's history. Thank goodness it could happen with this class because they were part of the two that didn't get to go. And these seniors have been eligible three times now. I wanted them to go and I just thought it would be unfair if they didn't get to."
On making the trip to Hawaii:
"I think the kids got lucky. They're going to have a good six days and I think the coaches will have a good time too."
On going to UAB's first bowl game:
"I told them that this is a credit to all of those Division III guys who started this and the early classes that couldn't go to a bowl no matter how good they were. It's a real credit to those two teams who were bowl-eligible but weren't picked. So there are a lot of people that this is for."
On the significance of going to the Hawaii Bowl:
"You have to take the next step, and hopefully this is the next step that will help our program."
UAB senior linebacker Gaylon Black
"It's our first bowl game and we're going to Hawaii, you can't beat that. As a team, we're just really excited right now."
"A lot of our parents and fans probably won't be able to go, but at least we know the game's going to be on TV. I think everyone is happy."
"Since I've been here, the other times we've been bowl-eligible, we haven't been picked. We've been through a lot of ups and downs and all of a sudden we're going to get that shot to get some more recognition. We've been through so many hard times and now we get to see our work pay off."
UAB senior linebacker Nigel Eldridge:
"It was really good. It got emotional in there at one point, but we came together and got to laughing and are looking forward to have a lot of fun with it."
"It will be great, not only to win the bowl game, but to get that record to 8-4 and have the most wins in UAB's history. That would also be a great accomplishment for this team."
UAB senior linebacker Zac Woodfin:
"It's a great feeling. This is probably one of the best feelings I've had here at UAB. It's just a great step for this program and it's a really exciting day for all of us."
"I'm so excited. I've never been to Hawai'i. I've heard all about how beautiful it is and just to be out there during the holidays, and our basketball team is going to be out there ... it's just going to be a great trip."
"This program is just going to take off from here. We've kind of been trying to get over that hump and get to our first bowl game since I've been here. Now that we've made that goal, I think this program is just going to keep going up and up. There's no telling where UAB is going to go from here, but I think big things are in the future."
