The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Adds Jacksonville State To 2005 Football Schedule
1/27/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 27, 2005
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- UAB and Jacksonville State will meet on the football field for the first time in eight years when the Gamecocks visit Legion Field this fall, according to an announcement Thursday by Blazers' Director of Athletics Watson Brown.
UAB and Division I-AA Jacksonville State will play on Sept. 17 with kickoff time tentatively set for 6:00 p.m. CT.
The in-state matchup will be the fifth meeting between the schools but the first since the 1997 season when the Blazers prevailed, 34-16. The series is tied at 2-2 with JSU winning in 1994 and 1995 when UAB was playing at the I-AA level. The Blazers defeated the Gamecocks during the 1996 season, 24-17, in UAB's first season as a I-A football participant.
"This game continues a friendly rivalry between two state schools that goes back to the early years of UAB football," said Brown. "We're continuing a series that's been played for years, and because of how close the two schools are, this is something that both UAB and Jacksonville State fans are going to be excited about.
"From a personal standpoint, I've got so many friends over there, and any way that we can help our program, and at the same time, help the people at Jacksonville State, I think that's a good thing."
Brown spent two years at Jacksonville State, serving as the Gamecocks' offensive coordinator during the 1976 and 1977 seasons.
Both programs will enter the 2005 season coming off successful campaigns last fall. UAB finished second in Conference USA and earned its first bowl invitation in program history, playing in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Since becoming a football-playing member of Conference USA, the Blazers have finished as league runner-up in three of those six seasons. In addition, UAB has the third-best conference record among league schools over the last six years.
Jacksonville State, which will be entering its fifth season under head coach Jack Crowe, will also be coming off a highly-successful season. The Gamecocks finished with a 9-2 record in 2004 and captured their second straight Ohio Valley Conference Championship. JSU has put together an overall record of 17-6 the past two seasons and a 14-2 mark in OVC play.
"We are pleased that UAB has been willing to negotiate this game," said Jacksonville State Director of Athletics Jim Fuller. "We have been looking to add a I-A opponent to our schedule and I think the fact that UAB is willing to do this is very, very significant. I think the fan base for both universities will be excited about this game, and I think there will be a very wholesome atmosphere around the game.
"One of the things that excites me about this game is that there are a lot of ties within the staffs to both schools. Coach Crowe is a graduate of UAB and Watson and I worked together on two different staffs."
The full 2005 UAB schedule is expected to be announced next month after the Conference USA office finalizes the league schedule for the coming season.
