The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Head To Memphis In Battle For The Bones
11/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 11, 2011
Gameday Central | Gametracker | Listen Live | Game Notes
UAB will be on the road Saturday as the Blazers travel to Memphis, Tenn. to take on the Conference USA foe Tigers in the annual "Battle for the Bones." Gametime is set for Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium at 3:15 p.m. CT. The contest will be televised regionally by CSS.
The Blazers (1-8, 1-5 C-USA) are coming off a 56-13 loss to No. 14-ranked Houston last Saturday at Legion Field. UAB trailed 21-10 at halftime, but the Cougars outscored the Blazers by a 35-3 margin after intermission. QB Case Keenum finished with 407 passing yards for Houston as he became the NCAA's FBS record holder for career passing yards in the game.
UAB QB Jonathan Perry finished with 149 passing yards while RB Greg Franklin ran for 54 yards to lead the Blazers' ground game.
Memphis (2-7, 1-4 C-USA) had an open date last weekend after falling at UCF, 41-0, Oct. 29 in its most recent contest. The Tigers were out-gained by the Knights in total yardage, 505-134. Memphis' wins this season have come over Austin Peay and Tulane.
UAB at Memphis
Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011
3:15 p.m.
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Memphis, Tenn.
TV: CSS - Mike Morgan (pbp), Chuck Oliver (color) and Craig Ackerman (sidelines) have the call.
RADIO: Blazer IMG Sports Network - David Crane (pbp), John Whitcomb (color) and Sam Miller (sidelines) have the call. The game can also be heard on WUHT 107.7 FM in Birmingham.
FIRST AND 10
-- UAB returned 16 starters on offense (7) and defense (9) from last season's team that finished 4-8. The Blazers had a pair of performers -- offensive tackle Matt McCants and defensive tackle Elliott Henigan -- named to the 2011 preseason All-Conference USA team by the league's coaches.
-- UAB has a young football program compared to most of its opposition. The Blazers are in their 21st season of football (and 16th at the Division I-A or FBS level) as they played their first intercollegiate season in 1991 at the NCAA Division III level. UAB moved to Division I-AA two seasons later in 1993 and remained at that level three years before making the transition to Division I-A beginning in 1996.
-- Safety Jamie Bender's 35-yard interception return for a touchdown at East Carolina was the Blazers' first defensive score since Marquis Coleman returned a pick 99 yards at UTEP on Oct. 31, 2009. UAB scored defensive touchdowns in back-to-back games after T.J. Ballou returned an interception 52 yards for a score in the Blazers' 24-23 loss Oct. 1 at Troy.
-- Senior Nick Adams' 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown vs. Tulane Sept. 17 was the Blazers' first kickoff return for a score since the 2008 season, a span of 37 games.
-- WR Jackie Williams, who caught a career-best 10 passes for 82 yards against UCF three weeks ago, has had at least one reception in all 21 games of his collegiate career. He has a team-high 49 grabs for 467 yards in nine games this season. WR Patrick Hearn has caught a pass in 19 of the past 20 games for the Blazers.
-- UAB has one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country with 163 career starts among six offensive linemen. Senior Terence Edge leads the way with 41 career starts. Fellow senior Matt McCants has 39 career starts for the Blazers.
SERIES HISTORY: 14TH MEETING BETWEEN UAB AND MEMPHIS
UAB and Memphis will be meeting for the 14th time when they play Saturday. The Blazers have played the Tigers more than any other opponent in their history.
UAB holds a 9-4 advantage in the series that began in 1997. The Blazers are 4-2 against the Tigers at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Since 1997, the teams have met in every season other than the 1998 campaign.
After Memphis won the first two meetings, the Blazers ran off a streak of seven consecutive wins over the Tigers. Memphis won the matchups in 2007 and 2008, but UAB has come back to win the last two, including a 31-15 victory in 2010.
2010 - UAB won 31-15 at B'ham
2009 - UAB won 31-21 at Memphis
2008 - UM won 33-30 at B'ham
2007 - UM won 25-9 at Memphis
2006 - UAB won 35-29 at B'ham
2005 - UAB won 37-20 at Memphis
2004 - UAB won 35-28 at B'ham
2003 - UAB won 24-10 at Memphis
2002 - UAB won 31-17 at B'ham
2001 - UAB won 17-14 at Memphis
2000 - UAB won 13-9 at B'ham
1999 - UM won 38-14 at B'ham
1998 - UM won 28-7 at Memphis
OFFENSIVE LINE ONE OF NATION'S MOST EXPERIENCED
UAB returned one of the nation's most experienced offensive lines this season as the Blazers have six players who have now combined for 163 career starts. Coming into the season, UAB's 118 total among offensive line starts ranked third nationally among all schools. Seniors Terence Edge and Matt McCants lead the way with 41 and 39 career starting assignments, respectively. Here is a complete list of career starts by the Blazers' returning offensive linemen, as well as a national ranking of schools with the most career starts among their returning O-linemen heading into the 2011 season.
IRVIN AND BALLOU TIED FOR NO. 2 IN NCAA IN FUMBLE RECOVERIES
Junior linebacker Greg Irvin recovered all four fumbles for UAB at ECU, breaking the previous individual school record of two in a single game. They were the first fumble recoveries of Irvin's career. Irvin was the NCAA leader in 2011 with his four fumble recoveries until two weeks ago. He is now second in the rankings, tied with teammate T.J. Ballou who recorded his fourth fumble recovery vs. Houston.
FOUR BLAZER COACHES FORMER MEMBERS OF MEMPHIS STAFF
UAB has four assistant coaches on its staff who spent time as members of the football staff at Memphis. Tommy West, the Blazers' defensive coordinator, was the Tigers' head coach from 2001-09 and served as defensive coordinator at UM in 2000. Tyson Helton, who has been on Neil Callaway's staff at UAB as quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator since 2007, was the tight ends and special teams coach at Memphis from 2004-06.
UAB offensive line coach Rick Mallory was at Memphis as the O-line coach from 2000-09 while John Wozniak, the Blazers' running backs coach, served as the Tigers' special teams coach in 2009.
WILLIAMS ALREADY HAS SURPASSED 2010 RECEPTION TOTAL
Sophomore WR Jackie Williams led all Conference USA freshmen in receptions in 2010 with 30 en route to earning a spot on the Conference USA All-Freshman Team. Through nine games this season, Williams already has eclipsed that total as he enters this week's game vs. Memphis with 49 catches for 467 yards. His 49 receptions already rank as the fifth-best single-season total in UAB history.
WILLIAMS EXTENDS RECEPTION STREAK TO 21 GAMES
UAB sophomore wide receiver Jackie Williams has posted 41 catches in his last seven games (East Carolina, Troy, Mississippi State, Tulsa, UCF, Marshall and Houston) combined to extend his reception streak to 21 consecutive games. He has caught at least one pass in every game he has played with the Blazers, going back to the start of the 2010 season.
Williams' streak is the fourth-longest in UAB history. Roddy White (2002-05) and Derrick Ingram (1991-94) each had 35-game streaks, while Cedrick Buchannon had a 23-game streak from 1993-95.
He has 49 catches in 2011 to tie for the fifth-highest in a season at UAB.
FRESHMAN KICKER Ty Long HAS CONNECTED ON 12-OF-15
UAB freshman placekicker Ty Long has connected on 12 of his first 15 field goal attempts this season. Long, from Roswell, Ga., made his first five attempts before missing a 43-yarder at Troy Oct. 1. His longest kick of the season thus far is a 49-yarder last month at Tulsa.
BURDETTE ONE OF C-USA'S BEST LINEBACKERS
UAB linebacker Marvin Burdette emerged as one of the best at his position in Conference USA during the 2010 season. Burdette finished with 114 tackles last fall, the fifth-highest total in Blazer history and the most by a UAB linebacker since 2003 when Zac Woodfin recorded 149 stops and Nigel Eldridge had 128. Burdette finished the 2010 campaign with 77 solo hits. He completed the year ranked No. 5 in the league with 9.5 tackles per contest.
Burdette was especially around the ball down the stretch as he registered 65 stops in the final five games and averaged 13 per contest in that period. He has 68 tackles in nine games in 2011 and 226 in his career.
BENDER RANKS NO. 24 IN NATION IN TACKLES
Senior safety Jamie Bender is now ranked No. 24 nationally with a 9.78 average. The Blazers' leader has 88 tackles on the season and has recorded double-digit stops in five of UAB's nine games.
Bender was named the Conference USA Defensive Player-of-the-Week following his performance against East Carolina Sept. 24.
REAVES SEES MOST EXTENSIVE ACTION
Freshman running back Darrin Reaves saw his most extensive action of the season and ran for a career-high 83 yards on a career-best 15 carries vs. UCF on Oct. 20. His 83 yards were the most by a UAB rusher this season.
PERRY FINISHES WITH BEST GAME
QB Jonathan Perry made his third, fourth and fifth career starts the past three weeks in place of an injured Bryan Ellis. Three weeks ago vs. UCF, Perry completed his first eight passes and 11 of first 12 before finishing the night with career-highs in completions (31), attempts (42), yards (327) and touchdowns (two).
