The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Open Bye Week Practice Tuesday On Campus
10/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 6, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB football team returned to the practice field Tuesday morning, working out for two hours on campus.
Coming off a 30-17 win last Thursday over Southern Miss, the Blazers have an open date this coming weekend. UAB will have gone 15 days without a game when it takes on Ole Miss on Oct. 17.
The rain that hit Birmingham over the weekend made for sloppy field conditions at Tuesday's practice, but the Blazers worked out for the first time this week in helmets and shoulder pads.
"It was a pretty good day for the first day back," UAB head coach Neil Callaway said. "Obviously, the fields were wet and messy. We were not as sharp as we'd like to be, but I thought the effort was good."
In addition to beginning preparations for the Ole Miss trip, Callaway said the Blazers would use this week to clean up some areas as the team ramps up the intensity level.
"Today was kind of a light day," Callaway said. "Tomorrow will be a heavy fundamental day with a lot of contact. It will be a hard practice. We have to go back fundamentally and make sure we're doing the things we need to do. We just have to stay focused and make sure we get ready for Ole Miss."
Through five games this season, UAB owns a 2-3 record, including a 2-1 mark in conference play with league wins over Rice and Southern Miss. The Blazers are currently second in the Conference USA East Division standings.
The Oct. 17 UAB-Ole Miss game has been picked up by Fox Sports South with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
