The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Week 5 Transcript: UAB Opens Protective Stadium vs. Liberty
9/28/2021 8:24:00 AM | Football
BIRMINGHAM – Winners of two in a row, the UAB football team plays one of its most highly anticipated games in program history this Saturday against Liberty in the first game ever at Protective Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CST on CBS Sports Network.
Ahead of Saturday's game, head coach Bill Clark, along with safety Damon Miller and offensive lineman Colby Ragland addressed the media.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW:
Head Coach Bill Clark:
Opening Statement:
"Just to rewind back to Tulane. Just super proud of our group. We had a really good week of practice last week. Probably like a lot of teams in the country, you look up and you have a few guys banged up here and there. You know being on the road as much as we have we kind of know what that thing looks like. As I tell them all the time. You just got to be better on the road. You got to come together more. You got to have more energy. I think we were super physical against a good team. I know obviously with the two teams they have played. They had a couple of losses, but we knew this was a really good team. We knew they are going to be really good at home. We knew they were not going to quit. So we jumped out to really good lead. A little disappointed giving that one up right before half, but then we came back second half and settled in. And then we had to fight for our lives right there at the end. But once again I think those are the things that will make us better as the season goes on. We had to find a way to win that thing at the end on the road. But just super proud of them. A lot of great effort throughout.
"Now we turn to Liberty who I really thought would probably be undefeated coming off a loss to Syracuse. I know that was a big game for Syracuse after losing to Liberty pretty handedly last year and Liberty had their chances to win the game. They're very well coached. They've got one of the best players in the country at any level who leads them on offense at quarterback. They're just really good all around. They're good in all three phases. We're going to have our work cut out for us. Then we will be talking about the game, that we've been talking about for a long time. It's our first chance to be at our new stadium. I could not be more excited. I hope we've got that thing packed out. I believe we will. The environment is really going to be that great. So just cannot wait to get in there and just get back home around our fans and folks who we've had so much success with at Legion. And now to get to be at our home stadium it's going to be terrific. We're excited and we've got a lot of work to do against a great team and so it should be fun."
On keeping the team focus…
"I think that's something we talk about all the time. It's all about what we do on the field and how we take care of each other and how we prepare. I think all we have to do is cut the film on with Liberty and see how good they are. I know they've heard a lot about them so that should be it. We talk about it all the time. That's the case and lets not let all the stuff that's going on around us take away from what we've got to do to get ready for the game."
On the anticipation for the opening of Protective Stadium…..
"I think for so many reasons. We could be up here all day just talking about all the reasons it's special for our program. You know the history of what's happened to us. To bring the program back and really having the dream of building the stadium for our city. You know for all the people that came together and this is such a great story because so many different groups had to come together to make this stadium happen. It was truly a team effort. A lot people said it would never happen and then to see it where it's at. It has so many other great benefits for our program and the city. It's just really is that special. For all the things we all had to go through to make it happen so I'm really excited."
On the new game day traditions…
"I think just from the walk. We are going to come right there down that plaza which is between all of the restaurants and its right there by the hotel. That's going to be a great Blazer Walk tradition that we start. I think getting our fans in the stadium. I think I've talked a lot about to folks what the songs look like for pregame. You know what can we do. It's going to be a great experience out there. It's going to be food trucks and a lot of fun. You know you got all that stuff, but we've got to get everybody in the stadium for the kickoff and we're going to need them."
Safety Damon Miller:
On adjustments UAB made at halftime…
"We just had to give more effort in the in the second half. In the first half we kind of felt like that we fell of a little bit like towards the second quarter. So we just had to play very hard and read our keys."
On why he thinks they fell off…
"We missed a couple of tackles. I think they scored two drives back-to-back. So we just came in at halftime and said we need to tackle better and play harder because we knew they were not going to give up."
On problems defense will face vs. Liberty QB Malik Willis…
"Well obviously he can run. He can throw too so we're just going to try and keep him in the pocket and contain him and play hard and tackle."
Left Guard Colby Ragland:
On staying focus…
"I think the main thing is just to stay focused on the goal which is to go out there and win a football game. We know this is going to be a historical week for us and the city of Birmingham as well. But at the same time, we know that we have a job to do. If anything it is just kind of anxious to be out there and be back home in front of all our fans, but it makes it easier. So the main thing this week is focusing on the task on hand. Which is we have a great football team coming in here and focusing on them and going out there and putting on and getting a dub."
On witnessing the evolution of UAB football….
"We joke around all the time that maybe one day they will turn it into a movie. I got here in '18, but '17 being ranked 130th out of all the FBS teams in the country and seeing what we did the past couple of years. Three west division championships, two conference championships, and now to add icing on the cake a new stadium. So I think it's crazy when you sit back and think about it but it's something that should happen. We worked for it. We worked our tails off for it. The people of Birmingham and everybody that's been a part of it. We're grateful and we're thankful. We want to go out there and continue to make everybody proud."
On being on the road for a month…
"Being on the road for a month is crazy. We talk with Coach Clark all the time and he preaches about bringing our own energy. It's crazy especially when we are on the road. We have amazing fans that have traveled to almost every game on the road. We are appreciative of them so in a sense we still had our fans so whenever we get down or the ups and downs of the game. We come together and make sure everyone is still up on the sideline or we'll look to our section of the stadium that had our fans there to keep us going. This week is going to be special because it won't be just one section, it will be the whole stadium."
Ahead of Saturday's game, head coach Bill Clark, along with safety Damon Miller and offensive lineman Colby Ragland addressed the media.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW:
- The Blazers' streak of seven straight road games comes to an end this Saturday as UAB opens its brand new state-of-the-art Protective Stadium. Dating back to last season, UAB is 5-2 in those seven road games, which includes winning the 2020 C-USA Championship at Marshall.
- Gerrit Prince is leading all tight ends and ranks fifth nationally in receiving touchdowns with five. He is the team's leading receiver with 13 catches for 269 yards and has back-to-back multi-touchdown games. Prince is now tied for eighth in program history for career receiving touchdowns with 10 total. Quarterback Dylan Hopkins has thrown four of his seven touchdown passes this season to Prince. Hopkins is completing 74 percent of his passes (29-of-39) for 501 yards.
- The Blazers' defense is coming off a game in which they had a season-high four takeaways. Starling Thomas V had two of those takeaways with an interception and a fumble recovery. Damon Miller (INT) and Kyle Harrell (FR) also notched takeaways. The Blazers have had at least one takeaway in three straight games.
Head Coach Bill Clark:
Opening Statement:
"Just to rewind back to Tulane. Just super proud of our group. We had a really good week of practice last week. Probably like a lot of teams in the country, you look up and you have a few guys banged up here and there. You know being on the road as much as we have we kind of know what that thing looks like. As I tell them all the time. You just got to be better on the road. You got to come together more. You got to have more energy. I think we were super physical against a good team. I know obviously with the two teams they have played. They had a couple of losses, but we knew this was a really good team. We knew they are going to be really good at home. We knew they were not going to quit. So we jumped out to really good lead. A little disappointed giving that one up right before half, but then we came back second half and settled in. And then we had to fight for our lives right there at the end. But once again I think those are the things that will make us better as the season goes on. We had to find a way to win that thing at the end on the road. But just super proud of them. A lot of great effort throughout.
"Now we turn to Liberty who I really thought would probably be undefeated coming off a loss to Syracuse. I know that was a big game for Syracuse after losing to Liberty pretty handedly last year and Liberty had their chances to win the game. They're very well coached. They've got one of the best players in the country at any level who leads them on offense at quarterback. They're just really good all around. They're good in all three phases. We're going to have our work cut out for us. Then we will be talking about the game, that we've been talking about for a long time. It's our first chance to be at our new stadium. I could not be more excited. I hope we've got that thing packed out. I believe we will. The environment is really going to be that great. So just cannot wait to get in there and just get back home around our fans and folks who we've had so much success with at Legion. And now to get to be at our home stadium it's going to be terrific. We're excited and we've got a lot of work to do against a great team and so it should be fun."
On keeping the team focus…
"I think that's something we talk about all the time. It's all about what we do on the field and how we take care of each other and how we prepare. I think all we have to do is cut the film on with Liberty and see how good they are. I know they've heard a lot about them so that should be it. We talk about it all the time. That's the case and lets not let all the stuff that's going on around us take away from what we've got to do to get ready for the game."
On the anticipation for the opening of Protective Stadium…..
"I think for so many reasons. We could be up here all day just talking about all the reasons it's special for our program. You know the history of what's happened to us. To bring the program back and really having the dream of building the stadium for our city. You know for all the people that came together and this is such a great story because so many different groups had to come together to make this stadium happen. It was truly a team effort. A lot people said it would never happen and then to see it where it's at. It has so many other great benefits for our program and the city. It's just really is that special. For all the things we all had to go through to make it happen so I'm really excited."
On the new game day traditions…
"I think just from the walk. We are going to come right there down that plaza which is between all of the restaurants and its right there by the hotel. That's going to be a great Blazer Walk tradition that we start. I think getting our fans in the stadium. I think I've talked a lot about to folks what the songs look like for pregame. You know what can we do. It's going to be a great experience out there. It's going to be food trucks and a lot of fun. You know you got all that stuff, but we've got to get everybody in the stadium for the kickoff and we're going to need them."
Safety Damon Miller:
On adjustments UAB made at halftime…
"We just had to give more effort in the in the second half. In the first half we kind of felt like that we fell of a little bit like towards the second quarter. So we just had to play very hard and read our keys."
On why he thinks they fell off…
"We missed a couple of tackles. I think they scored two drives back-to-back. So we just came in at halftime and said we need to tackle better and play harder because we knew they were not going to give up."
On problems defense will face vs. Liberty QB Malik Willis…
"Well obviously he can run. He can throw too so we're just going to try and keep him in the pocket and contain him and play hard and tackle."
Left Guard Colby Ragland:
On staying focus…
"I think the main thing is just to stay focused on the goal which is to go out there and win a football game. We know this is going to be a historical week for us and the city of Birmingham as well. But at the same time, we know that we have a job to do. If anything it is just kind of anxious to be out there and be back home in front of all our fans, but it makes it easier. So the main thing this week is focusing on the task on hand. Which is we have a great football team coming in here and focusing on them and going out there and putting on and getting a dub."
On witnessing the evolution of UAB football….
"We joke around all the time that maybe one day they will turn it into a movie. I got here in '18, but '17 being ranked 130th out of all the FBS teams in the country and seeing what we did the past couple of years. Three west division championships, two conference championships, and now to add icing on the cake a new stadium. So I think it's crazy when you sit back and think about it but it's something that should happen. We worked for it. We worked our tails off for it. The people of Birmingham and everybody that's been a part of it. We're grateful and we're thankful. We want to go out there and continue to make everybody proud."
On being on the road for a month…
"Being on the road for a month is crazy. We talk with Coach Clark all the time and he preaches about bringing our own energy. It's crazy especially when we are on the road. We have amazing fans that have traveled to almost every game on the road. We are appreciative of them so in a sense we still had our fans so whenever we get down or the ups and downs of the game. We come together and make sure everyone is still up on the sideline or we'll look to our section of the stadium that had our fans there to keep us going. This week is going to be special because it won't be just one section, it will be the whole stadium."
Players Mentioned
OLB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
S
/ Football
TE
/ Football
OL
/ Football
CB
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