The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Football Game 7 Opponent Preview: Homecoming vs. Old Dominion
7/8/2019 3:44:00 PM | Football
BIRMINGHAM – UAB will take on its final East Divisional foe of the season for Homecoming, playing host to Old Dominion on Oct. 19 at Legion Field. Kickoff time is yet to be determined, but gameday coverage will be provided on ESPN+.
The matchup between the Blazers and the Monarchs will be the first meeting of the two sides, but they share a common theme. UAB and Old Dominion both returned to the gridiron after the football programs had been disbanded.
Old Dominion came back from a 68 year hiatus, returning to competition at the FCS level in 2009 before moving up to the FBS level as an independent school in 2014 and becoming a full member of Conference USA in 2015.
The Monarchs have gone 38-35 and 19-21 in conference play since moving to the FBS, all under the tutelage of head coach Bobby Wilder, who took over the program at its startup in 2007. Most notably under Wilder's guidance, Old Dominion went 10-3 and 7-1 in conference play on the way to a Bahamas Bowl victory over Eastern Michigan in 2016. As recently as last season, the Monarchs placed a bid for upset of the year by knocking off No. 13 Virginia Tech by two touchdowns after a 28-point fourth quarter.
Following The Return, UAB has come back better than ever, going 19-8 and 14-3 in conference play on the way to last year's Conference USA Championship and a Boca Raton Bowl victory. The Blazers have been dominant at home specifically, going 12-0 at Legion Field since returning to competition.
All-Time Series: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
Current Streak: N/A
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
Homecoming games since The Return have boded well for UAB as both games have come down to the wire, but gone in the Blazers' favor. Last season, North Texas jumped out to a 21-10 lead at the break, but UAB stormed back in the second half and locked down defensively with 19 unanswered points to take the 29-21 win.
Homecoming from the season before against Louisiana Tech was neck-and-neck throughout the game and came down to the final play. The Blazers got off to a quick 13-0 start in the first quarter, but the Bulldogs evened the score by the fourth quarter at 16 all. A near four minute touchdown drive put UAB up 23-16, but Louisiana Tech came back with a long pass for six with just over three minutes to go. The Bulldogs missed the extra point though, leaving UAB up by one to set up the nail-biting finish. Louisiana Tech took possession with just over two minutes remaining and drove to the UAB 12 yard line with three seconds to go.
But in one of the most iconic plays in UAB football history, 6-foot-7 Stacy Keely blocked Louisiana Tech's potential game-winning field goal to preserve the 23-22 victory as time expired and sent Legion Field into a frenzy.
A unique Homecoming tradition for UAB since The Return has been sporting alternate grey and lime uniforms in honor of Children's Harbor. The Blazers will represent the program by having the names of patients from nearby Children's Harbor on their backs. The uniforms have made national headlines each of the last two years as the games also ended in dramatic fashion.
TICKETS:
Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here or by calling the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at 205-975-UAB1. Fans can also request more information on ticket options for the upcoming season here. Discounted group tickets and fan experiences are available for a minimum purchase of 20 tickets to any home football game. To purchase group tickets for the 2019 season, please contact Chris Curtis at (205) 934-3172 or ccurtis2@uab.edu.
The matchup between the Blazers and the Monarchs will be the first meeting of the two sides, but they share a common theme. UAB and Old Dominion both returned to the gridiron after the football programs had been disbanded.
Old Dominion came back from a 68 year hiatus, returning to competition at the FCS level in 2009 before moving up to the FBS level as an independent school in 2014 and becoming a full member of Conference USA in 2015.
The Monarchs have gone 38-35 and 19-21 in conference play since moving to the FBS, all under the tutelage of head coach Bobby Wilder, who took over the program at its startup in 2007. Most notably under Wilder's guidance, Old Dominion went 10-3 and 7-1 in conference play on the way to a Bahamas Bowl victory over Eastern Michigan in 2016. As recently as last season, the Monarchs placed a bid for upset of the year by knocking off No. 13 Virginia Tech by two touchdowns after a 28-point fourth quarter.
Following The Return, UAB has come back better than ever, going 19-8 and 14-3 in conference play on the way to last year's Conference USA Championship and a Boca Raton Bowl victory. The Blazers have been dominant at home specifically, going 12-0 at Legion Field since returning to competition.
All-Time Series: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
Current Streak: N/A
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
Homecoming games since The Return have boded well for UAB as both games have come down to the wire, but gone in the Blazers' favor. Last season, North Texas jumped out to a 21-10 lead at the break, but UAB stormed back in the second half and locked down defensively with 19 unanswered points to take the 29-21 win.
Homecoming from the season before against Louisiana Tech was neck-and-neck throughout the game and came down to the final play. The Blazers got off to a quick 13-0 start in the first quarter, but the Bulldogs evened the score by the fourth quarter at 16 all. A near four minute touchdown drive put UAB up 23-16, but Louisiana Tech came back with a long pass for six with just over three minutes to go. The Bulldogs missed the extra point though, leaving UAB up by one to set up the nail-biting finish. Louisiana Tech took possession with just over two minutes remaining and drove to the UAB 12 yard line with three seconds to go.
But in one of the most iconic plays in UAB football history, 6-foot-7 Stacy Keely blocked Louisiana Tech's potential game-winning field goal to preserve the 23-22 victory as time expired and sent Legion Field into a frenzy.
A unique Homecoming tradition for UAB since The Return has been sporting alternate grey and lime uniforms in honor of Children's Harbor. The Blazers will represent the program by having the names of patients from nearby Children's Harbor on their backs. The uniforms have made national headlines each of the last two years as the games also ended in dramatic fashion.
TICKETS:
Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here or by calling the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at 205-975-UAB1. Fans can also request more information on ticket options for the upcoming season here. Discounted group tickets and fan experiences are available for a minimum purchase of 20 tickets to any home football game. To purchase group tickets for the 2019 season, please contact Chris Curtis at (205) 934-3172 or ccurtis2@uab.edu.
Players Mentioned
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