The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Hold Productive Practice Wednesday
8/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 19, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB's defense had a strong showing Wednesday during the Blazers' second early morning practice of the fall semester. Head Coach Neil Callaway liked what he saw from his defensive squad during the nearly two-hour practice as the Blazers went 22 periods in full pads.
"I thought it was a good morning overall," Callaway said. "Defensively I thought they did a lot better, and offensively they did some good things too. The biggest disappointment I think is that we were sloppy with the ball. [During the 11 on 11 drills] we probably had five or six fumbles after the tackle, so that's a concern. But other than the offense being sloppy with the ball, I thought it was a good morning."
Callaway attributed the defense's success to pressuring the quarterback and making big tackles.
"It was very competitive on both sides other than the turnovers," Callaway said. "Defensively they had some pressure on the quarterback [in situational work] and they did a good job."
One defensive player that has caught Coach Callaway's eye with the potential to be a standout is sophomore Elliott Henigan.
"The rest of [the defense] could be pretty good, but I think Henigan is a guy that really could be something special if he goes to work," Callaway said. "He's got a lot of good things ahead if he continues to work."
Callaway's defensive squad is currently two players deep at each position, which prompts strong competition between the players and is sufficient for game day. However, in the long-term, Callaway hopes to increase the defensive depth to three-deep.
"We have some other guys that are walking on to give us three-deep, but currently we are two-deep and that's it," Callaway said. "When you get ready to play a game, you want to be two-deep so we are fine there, but in the big picture you would like to be three deep. So we are still a little shorthanded, but I think they did well overall."
The Blazers return to the UAB practice field Thursday morning to continue preparations for their 2009 season opener. UAB kicks off against C-USA opponent Rice on Sept. 5 at 3 p.m. CT at Legion Field.
