Previewing UAB Football Heading Into Fall Camp 2020

BIRMINGHAM – With fall camp set to begin this Wednesday, August 5, here is what fans need to know about the UAB football team heading into the 2020 season.

Despite Conference USA not officially releasing a preseason predicted order of finish (due to Media Days being postponed), expectations are at an all-time high for the two-time defending C-USA West Division champs as UAB looks to three-peat in 2020.

WHAT TO KNOW:

The Blazers return 18 starters to a team that won the second most games in program history a season ago (9).
Since The Return in 2017, UAB has won 28 total games – the most of any team in Conference USA during that span. The Blazers have been bowl eligible every season since 2014, and have played in three-consecutive bowl games. Included in that was UAB winning the 2018 Conference USA Championship and Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl.
UAB has finished top 10 nationally in total defense each of the last two years: ninth in 2018 and eighth in 2019. UAB returns nine total defensive starters and eight all-conference honorees from last year, including C-USA Defensive Player of the Year candidates Kristopher Moll and Jordan Smith.
Like the defense, the Blazers' offense also returns nine starters – led by UAB's career leading rusher Spencer Brown and all-conference wideout Austin Watkins Jr. Brown enters his senior campaign with the luxury of running behind four returning starters on the offensive line. Watkins Jr. looks to surpass his breakout junior campaign in which he had 57 catches for 1,092 yards and six touchdowns.
Brown enters 2020 as the nation's second active career leading rusher, only behind Clemson's Travis Etienne. Brown (3,122 yards) and Etienne (4,038 yards) are the only two players in the country who enter the season with more than 3,000 career rushing yards. Brown leads a UAB running backs room that ranks third nationally in combined rushing yards (4,368).
UAB had seven players land on preseason national award watch lists – the most since the Blazers have returned to action. Those players are: Kristopher Moll (Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy), Jordan Smith (Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy), Spencer Brown (Doak Walker Award), Austin Watkins Jr. (Biletnikoff Award), Brontae Harris (Paycom Jim Thorpe Award), Myron Mitchell (Paul Hornung Award) and Wilson Beaverstock (Wuerffel Trophy).
The Blazers enter their final year at Legion Field riding an 18-game home winning streak. UAB is 18-0 at Legion Field since returning to action in 2017 and owns the nation's fourth longest active home winning streak. UAB will move into Protective Stadium in 2021.
Breaking down the roster, UAB has 28 seniors, 33 juniors, 19 sophomore and 39 freshmen (including redshirts). The Blazers have 69 players on the roster from the state of Alabama.
UAB Director of Athletics Mark Ingram announced last week on the WJOX Roundtable that the Blazers are committed to trying to play a full 12-game schedule and plan to have fans at Legion Field this fall. As of right now, the only game that has been canceled is UAB's home contest against Alabama A&M on Sept. 12. The Department of Athletics is currently looking to fill that 12th game. Continue to check uabsports.com and @UAB_FB on social media for schedule updates in the near future.
The UAB Department of Athletics has also announced mobile ticketing for the 2020 season. Click here to learn more about how mobile ticketing will work this fall.

Season tickets for 2020 are on sale starting as low as $75 with the Family Four Pack. Blazer Boosters members and current season ticket holders will have top priority for Protective Stadium entering 2021. Click here to purchase season tickets.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics

Previewing UAB Football Heading Into Fall Camp 2020

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Players Mentioned

Wilson Beaverstock

Spencer Brown

Brontae Harris

Myron Mitchell

Kristopher Moll

Jordan Smith

Austin Watkins Jr.

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