The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
NOTEBOOK: Blazers Balancing Offense With What Defense Gives Them
9/8/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Steve Irvine
uabsports.com
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The UAB offensive coaching staff won't enter Saturday's game against Alabama A&M - or any other game - will a firm hold on what the run-pass ratio will be in the game. Sure, they have a plan, but they aren't afraid to change that plan.
"To me that's what balance is, we do what we need to do when we need to do it or whatever you're going to give me," UAB head coach Bill Clark said during Monday's media luncheon. "If you're going to take the run game away with all the guys in the box, we've got to be able to throw it. If you're going to be soft and back off and be safer then we got to be able to run the ball."
He used last Saturday's 47-34 loss at Mississippi State as an example. Running the ball straight at the Bulldogs and eating up chunks of yardage would have been really nice. It worked well in the opening week trouncing of Troy. But Clark and the offensive staff knew that probably wasn't going to happen.
"You get enough 6-6, 250 pounds guys up in the box and you're blitzing them and you're corner blitzing and all those things, it's going to be hard to run. They're going to get some big plays. We've got to be able to take advantage of that."
That's exactly what the Blazers did - to the tune of 435 yards passing with touchdowns of 88, 81 and 75 yards.
This week's challenge is different. Alabama A&M is not nearly as physical as Mississippi State. Alabama A&M does have a pair of big defensive tackles 6-foot-6, 250-pound Anthony Lanier and 6-foot-3, 325-pound Areka Jackson, but this week's Bulldogs are much smaller than the Bulldogs that UAB faced last week.
So what it the offensive plan?
"I think we go in with the mindset that we need to be able to do both," Clark said. "We've got to be able to run the ball and we have to take our shots when we're there."
*The Alabama A&M coaching staff includes former UAB coaches Reggie Johnson and Matt Sanders. Johnson, the Blazers' defensive coordinator for all of 2012 and part of 2013, is serving as the Bulldogs' defensive coordinator and linebacker coach. Sanders was on UAB's staff last season, working with the special teams and secondary. He is the recruiting coordinator and secondary coach for the Bulldogs.
*UAB's starting offensive line of center Brian O'Leary, guards Cameron Blankenship and Roscoe Byrd and tackles Victor Salako and Hayden Naumann took almost all of the snaps during Saturday's visit to Mississippi State. The only offensive line substitute was guard Kalepi Falou.
*Wide receivers Collin Lisa and Quincy Perdue are the lone true freshman to see action for the Blazers thus far. Both were targeted for the first time on Saturdays and the results were memorable but considerably different.
Lisa attempted to make a twisting catch on a pass thrown just behind him on the sideline early in the second quarter. He got his hands on the ball before being blasted by Mississippi State's Zach Jackson. The first time a pass came in Perdue's direction, he grabbed it behind the Bulldogs' secondary and finished off a 75-yard touchdown play with 49 seconds left in the game.
*UAB kicker Ty Long is seven field goals shy of tying Nick Hayes' school record of 57 career field goals. Long and Swayze Waters are currently tied for second place.
Long is 4-of-4 on field goals this season and also made all 10 of his extra point attempts.
*Sacks aren't the only indication of a good pass rush. UAB has five sacks in two games but has been applying good pressure on most passing plays.
"The more pressure we can get with the front four guys, the better we are," Clark said. "In a game like last week, sometimes we have to blitz and make things happen. We like to dictate to the offense when we can. Minus the first drive, we played excellent through the end of the first half. We let down a little bit in the third quarter because we probably got a little tired, and came back at the end and played well. That is going to be a constant state of getting better. But the pass rush has been pretty good so far."
Defensive end Diaheem Watkins leads UAB with two sacks with defensive tackle Chris Walton and linebackers Tevin Crews and Kalen Jackson recording one sack each.
