The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Faces Short Week Of Preparation For Memphis
9/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 29, 2008
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB football team is adjusting its schedule this week to prepare for its first Thursday night game of the season.
UAB head coach Neil Callaway addressed that and several other things at his weekly press conference Monday afternoon. Callaway and several players recapped Saturday's loss at South Carolina and previewed the upcoming Memphis game.
Monday is normally an off day for the Blazers, but UAB returns to the practice field today to begin preparations for Thursday's 7 p.m. contest against Conference USA rival Memphis at Legion Field.
"What is critical for us to do is to put it all together," Callaway said. "We've shown we have all the pieces of the puzzle; we just have to put them together. We have to keep improving defensively, get back on track offensively and continue to do well in the kicking game."
In Thursday's game, UAB and Memphis renew the "Battle for the Bones." The tradition began in 2006, playing off the reputation Memphis and Birmingham share for fine barbecue.
The winner of the game takes home a 100-pound bronzed rack of ribs. UAB won the trophy in 2006, but Memphis currently holds it after a 25-9 win last year that snapped a seven-game Blazer winning streak in the series. Overall, UAB owns a 7-3 advantage all-time against the Tigers.
"Memphis is a good rivalry for UAB," Callaway said. "It's only my second year here, and last year we broke the streak. It's something we desperately want to try to get turned back around."
UAB (1-4, 0-1 C-USA) is coming off a 26-13 loss Saturday at South Carolina. Quarterback Joe Webb ran for a touchdown and Swayze Waters kicked two field goals for the Blazers. The UAB defense continued to improve, highlighted by two Brandon Carlisle interceptions and three Bryant Turner sacks.
Memphis (2-3, 0-1 C-USA) enters the contest on a two-game winning streak following a 29-17 win Saturday over Arkansas State.
The game marks the second conference contest for both teams. UAB has played four consecutive non-conference affairs after opening the season with a league game against Tulsa.
Thursday's game will be carried on the Blazers ISP Sports Network. It can be heard locally on WWMM 100.5 FM radio in Birmingham. The contest will also be televised on CBS College Sports.
Prior to the game, in UAB's Blazer Village, teams from Birmingham will square off against teams from Memphis in the "Battle for the Bones" BBQ Competition.
Head Coach Neil Callaway
On the South Carolina game
"Wrapping up South Carolina, everyone who went to the game or saw the game realized our defense has improved and is playing better. They are doing a lot of good things. But we are not where we want to be. From where we started at the beginning of the year until where we are at right now, we've made a lot of improvement.
"Offensively, you have to give credit to South Carolina. Their defense is a very good unit. I think we are regressing a little bit on offense, which concerns me. We've had too many penalties. From an offensive standpoint, the first thing you have to do is stop beating yourselves. With that many penalties and that many turnovers, we are not going to be able to be a good football team. It is a tale of two different units. We started off hot offensively the first couple of games, then cooled off. Now it is starting to go the other way.
"What is critical for us to do is to put it all together. I told the team, we've shown we have all the pieces of the puzzle; we just have to put them together. We have to keep improving defensively, get back on track offensively and continue to do well in the kicking game."
On the Memphis game
"Memphis is a good rivalry for UAB. It's only my second year here, and last year we broke the streak of winning the game. It's something we desperately want to try to get turned back around. I think the `Battle for the Bones' is a good rivalry. I think coach Tommy West has done an outstanding job there...Offensively, they have as good as a group of receivers that we will play against. The quarterback is a junior college transfer that reminds me a lot of Joe Webb.
"I was not as concerned about their running game until this past week. They are improving and doing some good things. We will certainly have our hands full. Defensively, they have changed coordinators. They bring more pressure than they used to. The play more man coverage and press man coverage, which we saw a little bit against Tennessee. All in all, it will be a great challenge for us. We're excited about playing on Thursday night."
On a short week of practice
"I've been thinking about this all summer since we knew we were playing on a Thursday night. Personally, I've never been through one of these. We are going to go today (Monday) and have what we call a typical Wednesday practice, which will be in shells. Tomorrow will be a Thursday practice for us, which means we will be in helmets only. Wednesday will be a Friday for us, which will be a walkthrough. So that's how we are going about it, and hopefully it will pay off for us."
On the improvement of the defense
"I think our defense has been playing fast. The first two or three ball games they played very cautious. Defense is all about swarming to the football. We didn't do that and now we are. Guys are playing faster, more reckless and with a little more confidence now."
On playing a conference game at home
"To me, when you are playing at home against a conference opponent, that steps it up a little more than normal. We need to win a game we are not supposed to. We are not supposed to win this one. It would be a good time to do that."
On Memphis' receiving corps
"That will be a challenge for us. One of them is 6-foot-8, and they have a couple more in the 6-foot-4 range. They are not only tall, but they are good receivers. We will be challenged there. We have to make sure we are hitting the quarterback to get his rhythm off."
On Memphis' running game
"I was feeling good about them being a good passing team. But I didn't feel like they were quite as good running the football until Saturday. After Saturday, it is obvious they have worked hard to improve their running game."
On UAB's improving defense
"It starts with the pass rush. By far, Bryant Turner has been our best and most consistent defensive lineman getting pressure to the quarterback."
On the South Carolina game
"Defensively, I thought we did a pretty good job. We have some things that we can improve upon. I'm not worried about our offense. I know that when it comes down to it, they're going to make plays."
On going against Memphis' tall wide receivers
"We have a receiver on our team that is 6-foot-8 in Cameron Thompson. We go against him every day. But also, we played against Memphis' receivers last year, and we played them pretty well. We just have to make sure that we are doing what we're supposed to do on Thursday."
On looking at this week's game against Memphis as a fresh start
"I think the whole team looks at this game as a new start. Like Coach Callaway said, we still have a chance to win the conference. We're just going to focus on getting the team better, working hard and picking up the intensity."
On trying to bring the "Battle For The Bones" trophy back to Birmingham
"It starts now. It starts today at practice. We can't look back at South Carolina. We can't look back at any other game. We just have to move forward and continue to work hard."
On still being able to attain most of the team's goals this season
"I think we're more focused on doing the little things right at the moment rather than the big things. As long as we do the little things right, the big accomplishments will come."
On the upcoming Memphis game
"I feel like the season is just now beginning. It's like we have a fresh start. Having this conference rivalry game at home is just a plus."
On Coach Callaway acknowledging his good play this season
"It makes me feel like my hard work has paid off, that other people are noticing it as well. It's starting to show on the field. Now I feel like I need to work harder and do more to help us win games."
On the defense performing better as the season goes on
"I really feel like our defense is becoming more focused. We're playing faster because we know what we have to do. We have matured since the first couple of games, and we are going to continue to mature throughout the season."
