The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Picked To Finish Second In C-USA East Division
8/1/2005 12:00:00β―AM | Football
Aug. 1, 2005
MEMPHIS, Tenn. ----- The UAB Blazers have been picked to finish second in Conference USA's East Division, edged for the top spot by Southern Miss, according to a vote of the league's head football coaches.
The result was announced as the 2005 C-USA Football Media Days kicked off here Monday.
The Blazers garnered 60 points, just off the total of 64 totaled by the Golden Eagles. Memphis was listed to finish third (55 points) in the East with Marshall (35), East Carolina (19) and UCF (19) rounding out the choices.
UTEP grabbed the first place spot in the C-USA West Division, earning 68 points of a possible 72, ahead of runner-up Houston (59) and Tulane (46). Tulsa was picked to finish fourth with 31 points with Rice (27) and SMU (21) in the West.
This is the first season for a divisional format in Conference USA. Marshall, UCF, UTEP, Tulsa, Rice and SMU are all first-year members in the league.
Most observers have tabbed UAB to be among the league's contenders in 2005. The Blazers return a large contingent of their team of a season ago when they finished 7-5 and earned the school's first bowl invitation, earning a spot in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.
Senior quarterback Darrell Hackney is one of the top signal-callers in the country and is coming off an outstanding junior campaign (3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns). Defensively, the Blazers return the majority of their players from 2004 except at the linebacker position. Defensive end Larry McSwain was a first-team all-conference performer in 2004 as a sophomore after leading the league in sacks with a league-high 13.
2005 C-USA FOOTBALL COACHES PRESEASON POLL
Predicted Order of Finish
East
1. Southern Miss 64
2. UAB 60
3. Memphis 55
4. Marshall 35
5. East Carolina 19
UCF 19
West
1. UTEP 68
2. Houston 59
3. Tulane 46
4. Tulsa 31
5. Rice 27
6. SMU 21
Offensive Player of the Year
DeAngelo Williams, RB, Memphis (1,948 yards, nation-leading 22 rush TDs, 24 total TDs)
Defensive Player of the Year
John Syptak, DE, Rice (69 tackles, 15 TFLs, 8 sacks)
Special Teams Player of the Year
Ashlan Davis, KR, Tulsa (led nation in KOR avg. at 30.6; set NCAA record with 5 returns for TDs)
Players to Watch
Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina (561 yards, 5 TD; 32 rec., 2 TD)
Richard Koonce, LB, East Carolina (50 tackles, 11 TFLs, 5 sacks)
Kevin Kolb, QB, Houston (198-of-353, 2,766 yards, 11 pass TD; 303 rush yds., 5 rush TD)
Wade Koehl, LB, Houston (team-high 115 tackles, 4 sacks)
Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, Marshall 95 att., 462 yards, 3 TDs)
Curtis Keyes, SS, Marshall (team-high 108 tackles, 5.5 TFLs)
Wesley Smith, FS, Memphis (89 tackles, 3 TFLs, 4 PBUs)
Joel Armstrong, QB, Rice (started final five games of 2004 season; 608 rush yards, 5 TD)
Ryan Kennedy, TE, SMU (HM All-WAC; 21 rec., 254 yards)
Alvin Nnabuife, DB/LB, SMU (team-high 80 tackles, 53-yards INT for TD)
Dustin Almond, QB, Southern Miss (138-of-269, 1,848 yards, 12 TD)
John Eubanks, DB/KR, Southern Miss (47 tackles, 9 PBU's, 3 INT; 29.4 KOR avg., 1 TD)
Lester Ricard, QB, Tulane (143-of-221, 1,881 yards, 21 TD)
Anthony Cannon, LB, Tulane (107 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 FF)
Garrett Mills, TE, Tulsa (51 rec, 560 yards, 2 TDs; at least one catch in 27 straight games)
Darrell Hackney, QB, UAB (197-of-358, 3,070 yards, 26 TD)
Larry McSwain, DE, UAB (C-USA-best 13 sacks, 56 tackles)
Brandon Marshall, WR, UCF (returns to WR; led team in tackles as a DB in 2004)
Paul Carrington, DE, UCF (30 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 4 sacks)
Jayson Boyd, WR, UTEP (42 rec., 560 yards, 5 TD)
Thomas Howard, LB, UTEP (62 tackles, 14 TFLs, 8 sacks)
