The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Returns Home to Host Rice on Saturday at Legion Field
9/30/2019 1:40:00 PM | Football
BIRMINGHAM - The UAB football team looks to bounce back after its first loss of the season when the Blazers return to Legion Field to host Rice on Saturday night, Oct. 5, at 6 p.m.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW:
HEAD COACH BILL CLARK:
Opening Statement:
"Going back over the last game, it was a tough road loss for us in conference. Anytime you go in conference play, it's going to be a big deal. For us, we knew. It wasn't from a lack of preparation. It wasn't from guys wanting to play their best. I thought we were well-prepared. I thought our energy was good. It was just a hard-fought game against a good team. Give them credit. They came off an open date and did a good job preparing. They had the backup quarterback come in and do a really good job. Just like we did the week before, I thought they got better. It was a tough loss and now we move on to Rice. Coach Bloomgren, I've known for a long time. I think he's really got them heading in the right direction. You might say, 'Well, they're 0-5.' Look at who they have played. Three Power 5 teams and they played them very well. The Texas game was probably the one that got a little out of hand. With Louisiana Tech, by every stretch, they should have won that game. Give Louisiana Tech credit for finding a way to win in overtime. They're getting remarkably better from last year. We are going to get all we want this week. It's good to be back home, obviously."
On quarterback play against WKU:
"Everything he's done up to this point has been great. That's one of those things where you come back and hindsight is 20/20. With the screen pass, he would love to throw over his head. We would love for him to. He forced one early and the one right before half, we were trying to make a play. The last one, he throws into double coverage. I know he wants that one back. Like every player we have, we have to get better. Knowing him like I do, I think he'll get those tings corrected. I hate it for him, and of course, we haven't turned the ball over, which is the No. 1 stat in football. That's where it all starts and we talk about it all the time. Nobody hates it more than he does and I think he'll get it corrected."
On motivation against a winless opponent:
"I do think from hearing from the guys yesterday, they are smart enough to understand. If you look at who they have played, and I say it's tough just because it's human nature. It's human nature for fans, for players, for everybody. I'm hoping with this Louisiana Tech game, all we have to do is turn on the film. We'll watch them play and lead this whole game. We have a lot of respect for Louisiana Tech as well, so hopefully, that will do it. That's how we're going to start today. If we don't, we'll be in trouble."
On rebounding from a loss:
"There's nothing automatic. History is written. We are writing the history now. There is no history that is already written. What that team did before, this is a new team. We didn't lose the second game of the year, even though history told us that that had been a problem for us. For us, what do you learn from a loss. That feeling you get after a loss when you wake up today, wake up Sunday, it's a feeling of misery. Those are things you use in preparation for the next team. I think they saw what it looks like when you become a Super Bowl. Every win in conference is a big deal, but you saw how those guys (WKU) acted after the game. It's a big deal to beat us right now. The bullseye is on our chest. That means we have to do more, prepare better, whatever those things are. We just have to continue to do better."
On Spencer Brown becoming UAB's all-time rushing leader:
"Records are those things, especially when you finish, that you can look back and be proud of. You look back, and it's a culmination of these guys that have worked so hard. It's preparation from coaches, the offensive line, tight ends and of course Spencer. That's something to be proud of and it's also kind of a cool note that goes with The Return. All this has kind of happened together. He's got more in front of him."
On the run game:
"Our running game is kind of running back-quarterback centric. We do other things, but we are a one-back offense. Our other runs are really throws. They may be quick throws or screens, but there are other ways we get the ball out, and we get it out pretty quick. When you're a one-back team, that's kind of what it looks like."
On playing games as the defending champion:
"I think we saw it the other night. We were unbeaten going in with them needing a win at home. There are no games that aren't important. There's not a return trip, there's not a conference tournament. These games are historical. Those are the things when we talk about football. You can go back five or 10 years and you remember these singular games. The champ is the one that you hear about. Once again, we are all human. They're sick of hearing about us. We are going to be the one to prove. Those are the things, as athletes that we are all looking for. How does the other coach feel after having two losses? What is he telling his players? How are they reacting? What does it mean to have heard UAB over and over? Those are the things that get them ready to play. We expect that and we should be the same, and much more ready, also."
Outside Linebacker Fitz Mofor
On defensive play against WKU:
"It's frustrating on our part because we feel like we can do more. We were able to stop them in the run and hold them a little passing. But you always feel like you could stop them more or get a score defensively. No matter the case, if you come out with a loss, it's always going to be frustrating."
On playing as defending Conference USA champions:
"You could tell after the game how excited they were. They deserved to be because they played a heck of a game Saturday night. We understand that each and every week is sort of like a championship game for the other team. We are getting adjusted to it and we have adjusted to it for the most part this season. We just need to make a couple more corrections."
Offensive Lineman Colby Ragland
On the upcoming game against Rice:
"It's easy to get caught up in their record, but if you look at the film and see who they're playing, you see how close the games have been. You have to say, 'They only lost this game by this amount of points.' At the end of the day, we can't worry about them, we have to worry about us and what we can do to get better from last week to this week. We have to just continue to get better every day."
On playing as the defending Conference USA champions:
"It's different because ewe went from being the hunter to the hunted. We like that, but we understand that Coach Clark and the rest of the coaching staff have prepared us for that. They tell is that all the time. It's different when you have the bullseye on you back. We understand that. We don't take anybody lightly. We just worry about us. No matter what they do, we worry about ourselves and what we can do."
THREE THINGS TO KNOW:
- UAB ranks 12th nationally in total defense, yielding just 266.3 yards per game. The Blazers also rank 15th nationally in scoring defense at 15.5 points per game and have yet to allow a team to score more than 20 points this season.
- After becoming UAB's career leading rusher last week at WKU (2,818 yards and counting), junior running back Spencer Brown can break another milestone against Rice. Brown needs one more 100-yard rushing game to become UAB's career leader in that category. With 12 100-yard games, he and Joe Webb (2006-09) and currently tied at the top. Brown will also be looking for his first 100-yard game of the season.
- Rice enters the game with a record of 0-5, but its opponents are a combined 19-3 overall (No. 11 Texas 3-1, No. 22 Wake Forest 5-0, rv Baylor 4-0, Army 3-1, Louisiana Tech 4-1). Three of those five games have been decided by one possession, including last week's 23-20 overtime loss to Louisiana Tech.
HEAD COACH BILL CLARK:
Opening Statement:
"Going back over the last game, it was a tough road loss for us in conference. Anytime you go in conference play, it's going to be a big deal. For us, we knew. It wasn't from a lack of preparation. It wasn't from guys wanting to play their best. I thought we were well-prepared. I thought our energy was good. It was just a hard-fought game against a good team. Give them credit. They came off an open date and did a good job preparing. They had the backup quarterback come in and do a really good job. Just like we did the week before, I thought they got better. It was a tough loss and now we move on to Rice. Coach Bloomgren, I've known for a long time. I think he's really got them heading in the right direction. You might say, 'Well, they're 0-5.' Look at who they have played. Three Power 5 teams and they played them very well. The Texas game was probably the one that got a little out of hand. With Louisiana Tech, by every stretch, they should have won that game. Give Louisiana Tech credit for finding a way to win in overtime. They're getting remarkably better from last year. We are going to get all we want this week. It's good to be back home, obviously."
On quarterback play against WKU:
"Everything he's done up to this point has been great. That's one of those things where you come back and hindsight is 20/20. With the screen pass, he would love to throw over his head. We would love for him to. He forced one early and the one right before half, we were trying to make a play. The last one, he throws into double coverage. I know he wants that one back. Like every player we have, we have to get better. Knowing him like I do, I think he'll get those tings corrected. I hate it for him, and of course, we haven't turned the ball over, which is the No. 1 stat in football. That's where it all starts and we talk about it all the time. Nobody hates it more than he does and I think he'll get it corrected."
On motivation against a winless opponent:
"I do think from hearing from the guys yesterday, they are smart enough to understand. If you look at who they have played, and I say it's tough just because it's human nature. It's human nature for fans, for players, for everybody. I'm hoping with this Louisiana Tech game, all we have to do is turn on the film. We'll watch them play and lead this whole game. We have a lot of respect for Louisiana Tech as well, so hopefully, that will do it. That's how we're going to start today. If we don't, we'll be in trouble."
On rebounding from a loss:
"There's nothing automatic. History is written. We are writing the history now. There is no history that is already written. What that team did before, this is a new team. We didn't lose the second game of the year, even though history told us that that had been a problem for us. For us, what do you learn from a loss. That feeling you get after a loss when you wake up today, wake up Sunday, it's a feeling of misery. Those are things you use in preparation for the next team. I think they saw what it looks like when you become a Super Bowl. Every win in conference is a big deal, but you saw how those guys (WKU) acted after the game. It's a big deal to beat us right now. The bullseye is on our chest. That means we have to do more, prepare better, whatever those things are. We just have to continue to do better."
On Spencer Brown becoming UAB's all-time rushing leader:
"Records are those things, especially when you finish, that you can look back and be proud of. You look back, and it's a culmination of these guys that have worked so hard. It's preparation from coaches, the offensive line, tight ends and of course Spencer. That's something to be proud of and it's also kind of a cool note that goes with The Return. All this has kind of happened together. He's got more in front of him."
On the run game:
"Our running game is kind of running back-quarterback centric. We do other things, but we are a one-back offense. Our other runs are really throws. They may be quick throws or screens, but there are other ways we get the ball out, and we get it out pretty quick. When you're a one-back team, that's kind of what it looks like."
On playing games as the defending champion:
"I think we saw it the other night. We were unbeaten going in with them needing a win at home. There are no games that aren't important. There's not a return trip, there's not a conference tournament. These games are historical. Those are the things when we talk about football. You can go back five or 10 years and you remember these singular games. The champ is the one that you hear about. Once again, we are all human. They're sick of hearing about us. We are going to be the one to prove. Those are the things, as athletes that we are all looking for. How does the other coach feel after having two losses? What is he telling his players? How are they reacting? What does it mean to have heard UAB over and over? Those are the things that get them ready to play. We expect that and we should be the same, and much more ready, also."
Outside Linebacker Fitz Mofor
On defensive play against WKU:
"It's frustrating on our part because we feel like we can do more. We were able to stop them in the run and hold them a little passing. But you always feel like you could stop them more or get a score defensively. No matter the case, if you come out with a loss, it's always going to be frustrating."
On playing as defending Conference USA champions:
"You could tell after the game how excited they were. They deserved to be because they played a heck of a game Saturday night. We understand that each and every week is sort of like a championship game for the other team. We are getting adjusted to it and we have adjusted to it for the most part this season. We just need to make a couple more corrections."
Offensive Lineman Colby Ragland
On the upcoming game against Rice:
"It's easy to get caught up in their record, but if you look at the film and see who they're playing, you see how close the games have been. You have to say, 'They only lost this game by this amount of points.' At the end of the day, we can't worry about them, we have to worry about us and what we can do to get better from last week to this week. We have to just continue to get better every day."
On playing as the defending Conference USA champions:
"It's different because ewe went from being the hunter to the hunted. We like that, but we understand that Coach Clark and the rest of the coaching staff have prepared us for that. They tell is that all the time. It's different when you have the bullseye on you back. We understand that. We don't take anybody lightly. We just worry about us. No matter what they do, we worry about ourselves and what we can do."
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
OL
/ FootballUAB Baseball | The Quick Cut: at Alabama
Thursday, April 23
UAB Beach Volleyball | The Quick Cut: Blazer Beach Bash
Saturday, April 18
UAB Softball | The Quick Cut: Memphis Series
Thursday, April 09
UAB vs ECU Post Game Press Conference
Sunday, March 08
