The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Get Ready For Explosive Houston
10/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 20, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- The UAB football team will be looking for its second consecutive Conference USA victory Saturday when the Houston Cougars visit Legion Field (6:00 p.m. CDT kickoff).
Gaining a second league win won't be an easy chore for the Blazers (2-4, 1-1 C-USA) as Houston enters the game with one of C-USA's most explosive offenses. The Cougars average 35.7 points per game to rank third in Conference USA behind Tulsa and UTEP. Houston has been especially effective of late in the fourth quarter, outscoring their last two opponents (Alabama and Rice) by a 35-0 score in the final period.
"I think the University of Houston is an outstanding football team, particularly offensively," said UAB head coach Neil Callaway, who spent four seasons (1993-96) at UH as offensive coordinator under current Blazers' offensive coordinator Kim Helton. "They have more (offensive) speed than anybody I've seen in a while.
"Their receiving corps and running backs can fly. We are going to have to work awfully hard to guard against them. They do a good job offensively, mixing things up with the run and the pass. They're not like Tulsa, but there are some similarities. There's not as much formation, but they have the ability to go at a fast pace offense, which defensively we have to be ready to combat that. The thing that scares me most is their speed offensively."
The Cougars (3-3, 2-1 C-USA) have many weapons but the two on offense who jump out are senior running back Anthony Alridge and senior wide receiver Donnie Avery.
Alridge is presently third in C-USA in rushing with his average of 124.7 yards per contest. Avery is the league leader by far in receiving yards per game with 147.3. Last Saturday vs. Rice, Avery had 346 yards in receptions.
Despite the 2-4 record, the Blazers have been in virtually every ballgame this season. Callaway says the reason is simple. "The No. 1 reason is our kicking game," said Callaway. "We've done a pretty good job with the turnover margin and the play of our special teams. I think that was the big difference in the game Saturday night against Tulane. I think our special teams play has really benefited us this year."
Radio coverage of the game can be heard on the Blazers' ISP Sports Network flagship station WUHT 107.7 FM. The broadcast can also be heard on affiliates WIQR 1410 AM in Montgomery, WTRB 98.3 FM in Talladega and WACT 1420 AM in Tuscaloosa.
