The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Football Zeroes In On Saturday's Game At Marshall
10/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 25, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The UAB football team continued preparations for this Saturday’s contest with Conference USA foe Marshall by practicing for around two hours in full pads on the campus practice fields Tuesday.
Saturday’s game is slated for noon ET and will be televised regionally by CSS from Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, W.Va.
UAB (1-6, 1-3 C-USA) is coming off a thrilling 26-24 victory against UCF last Thursday, when freshman kicker Ty Long split the uprights from 40 yards out with 21 seconds remaining at Legion Field.
The Blazers’ offense had its most productive game of the year against the Knights, racking up 501 yards of total offense, which included 327 through the air from quarterback Jonathan Perry. The sophomore signal caller also tossed a pair of touchdowns in the win.
Head coach Neil Callaway and his staff have since changed gears and are now ready to take on a Marshall (3-5, 2-2 C-USA) squad that is coming off a 63-28 loss at now No. 18 Houston.
Tuesday marked the team’s first practice implementing a game strategy for the Thundering Herd since Thursday’s victory over the Knights, but the team did have a light session on Sunday.
“We came out for about 30 minutes (on Sunday) in just helmets to do something football related,” Callaway said. “We didn’t want to go four days without anything football related.”
Callaway touched on the defense that most recently held UCF to under 100 yards rushing.
“The defense has progressed quite a bit,” Callaway said. “If you go back to the first two or three ball games to where we are now, we are not giving up as many yards, but we are still not where we need to be. The defensive front has come along and has been better.”
The UAB defense will have to prepare for a Herd team that utilizes two quarterbacks in Rakeem Cato and A.J. Graham.
“They are a little different, but both are athletic guys,” Callaway said. “(Marshall) does change up when a different quarterback is in there a little bit. Cato started at the beginning of the year and now Graham is starting, and there is somewhat of a difference. The biggest thing is recognizing who is in the game and being aware of what they like to do when they are in there.”
The radio broadcast will air locally in Birmingham on WJOX 94.5 FM with the Blazer IMG Sports Network crew of David Crane (pbp), John Whitcomb (color) and Sam Miller (sidelines) on the call. The pregame show will start 90 minutes before kickoff.
