The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB to Host North Texas for Senior Day; Salute to Service
11/7/2022 3:34:00 PM | Football
BIRMINGHAM – The UAB football team plays its final home game of the 2022 season this Saturday, Nov. 12, against North Texas on Senior Day and Salute to Service. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Protective Stadium.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW:
COACH VINCENT
Opening Statement:
"Tough loss Saturday night at Protective Stadium against a really good UTSA football team, defending league champions, currently undefeated in the conference. Really proud of this football team's effort, toughness, grit. Never gave in, fought to the very end, from down at halftime, able to take the lead in the third quarter and battle back, to being down 14 with a little over four minutes to go, to have a quick drive to score to the defense getting a big stop. We were able to drive the length of the field with no timeouts with a little over a minute to tie it up and send it into overtime. Had some opportunities there at the end. Couldn't say enough good things about this football team and this staff and their fight. They just to continue to go down to the wire and stick together. Got to turn the page, got a really good North Texas team coming in. A North Texas team that really led UTSA a couple weeks ago the entire game. UTSA drove the length of the field with about a minute and 15 seconds to go and scored with 15 seconds left to win the football game. [North Texas] leads the league in a lot of categories, you know, in Conference USA. An explosive offense, a solid defense, a team that, if the season ended right now, UTSA and North Texas would play in the league championship. So, we've got 21 seniors that mean a lot to this program. It will be their last home game at Protective Stadium. A lot of guys that have done a lot for this program, been a part of a lot of big wins. I can't really say enough about this senior class."
On the resiliency of the team:
"There's just a lot of momentum swings. We got down early, 10-0. We were down 16-10 at halftime, and there is just no quit. This team is a very close team, that has a lot of pride and tradition, a lot of the things that I've continued to say up here week after week. Their resilience, their character, their toughness, their care for each other just has continued to show week in and week out, against a lot of adversity. In adverse moments is when leadership defines itself. In adverse moments, is when you really see the heart and the makeup and the foundation of your football team. This team has come week after week after week and put it on the line for each other. It's been something that I'm extremely proud of, their effort and their togetherness."
On the balance of the North Texas offense:
"They're averaging over 500 yards a game offensively. They're extremely balanced. They're a physical, running football team. They like to protect it up, max protect it up and take their shots and push it down the field, which they've been able to hit a lot this year. I think [Austin Aune], their quarterback, is an older, veteran, mature, athletic quarterback that can run and throw. Their running backs are very physical, they're explosive. They're really good on offense. They can expose you in the run game and the passing game. Defensively, they're going to be based out of a quarter shell, 2 high shell. They're going to bring boundary pressure and field pressure, try to keep it mixed up on you. [Phil Bennett], he's a veteran defensive coordinator that's been in college football for a long time. Got a lot of respect for him and a lot of respect for [Seth Littrell]. They've got a really good football team. They play hard, they're physical, they play good in all three phases, and its going to be a tremendous challenge on senior night."
On the improvement of Jacob Zeno and the receiving corps:
"If you want to start off with Jaco Zeno, just his progression from coming in the first quarter of the Western Kentucky game, being thrown into that game, in that environment on the road to the FAU game, I thought he took huge steps. And then you go to UTSA, probably the best team in our league up to this point. His composure, his leadership, his toughness, his decision making, I was very impressed with his performance under some tough circumstances. I thought he pulled the ball down, extended some drives with his legs. Being down, being able to drive back in that situation, down 14, with a little over four minutes to go, just that drive to go down there and put us down seven. Then to have that two-minute situation, for him to work us down the field and then throw a strike to [Trea Shropshire] in the back of the endzone just speaks highly of his growth and his development, and just him as a player and a competitor. I thought our receivers, you saw multiple receivers step up, make big plays, make clutch plays in the moments to really give us an opportunity to win the game in overtime. I thought our receiving corps did a good job. We were physical on the perimeter blocking, we had great yards after contact, we were physical, even with the ball in our hands. I was very proud of Jacob Zeno and our receiving core."
WIDE RECEIVER TEJHAUN PALMER
On the final drive in regulation:
"We always practice two-minute situations in practice, so we just executed it in the game."
On blocking as a wide receiver:
"I'm not going to lie, with [DeWayne McBride] running the ball, [McBride] and [Jermaine Brown], it's really easy to block. He can make any cut; he makes you look good out there honestly. A lot of props to [McBride] on that. We practice perimeter blocking every day, we just try our best to give our backs a chance."
On battling from behind against UTSA:
"We always prepare to fight no matter what the score is. We don't worry about the scoreboard at all, we just come prepared to play ball."
SAFETY GRAYSON CASH
On his final home game as a Blazer:
"It definitely means a lot. Starting my first season in Legion Field and having that for the first couple of seasons. It means a lot because you know, when the program shut down, what the city was fighting for, this is what they saw. A new stadium, new facilities, and everything. Getting to play in that new stadium for the fans and the city, seeing where this place has come since I've been here is something special."
On North Texas' offense:
"They have a great offense. They move the ball well on just about every team in the conference. Defensively, we faced a lot of good offenses these past couple of weeks. It's not anything too different from what we've seen, but it's another challenge. Like Coach Vincent said, they put up great numbers, they're top in the conference. We know defensively, we've got a big challenge this week."
On his legacy as a Blazer:
"That's a tough question. Really the legacy of our senior class, just everything we've been a part of and helped build here. The championships, the great seasons, even this season I look at as a great season, we just didn't have the ball roll our way a few times. Just the championships and seeing how the city has grown, has been a part of what the football team has done. Really that, just leaving the program in better shape than when we got here."
THREE THINGS TO KNOW:
- Prior to kickoff on Saturday, UAB will honor 21 seniors who will be playing their final game at Protective Stadium. Amongst the 21 seniors, Will Boler, Grayson Cash and Kyle Harrell are finishing their sixth year and are the three remaining players who have been with the program since its return in 2017.
- UAB (4-5, 2-4 C-USA) enters the game looking to end a three-game losing streak, while all five on its losses have come by a combined total of 27 points. North Texas (6-4, 5-1 C-USA) can clinch a spot in the Conference USA title game with a victory. UAB is 5-1 against the Mean Green all-time, and aside from last year's 40-6 victory for UAB in Denton, the three previous games in 2017, 2018 and 2019 have all been decided by one possession.
- DeWayne McBride continues his All-America worthy season as the nation's leading rusher is coming off a performance against UTSA in which he had 19 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns. McBride has rushed for over 100 yards in every game this season (8) and has gone over 100 in 12 of his last 13 games dating back to last season. He is averaging 160.9 rushing yards per game this year and with 1,287 yards and 14 touchdowns, he is 300 yards and three touchdowns away from setting the single season school records in those categories.
COACH VINCENT
Opening Statement:
"Tough loss Saturday night at Protective Stadium against a really good UTSA football team, defending league champions, currently undefeated in the conference. Really proud of this football team's effort, toughness, grit. Never gave in, fought to the very end, from down at halftime, able to take the lead in the third quarter and battle back, to being down 14 with a little over four minutes to go, to have a quick drive to score to the defense getting a big stop. We were able to drive the length of the field with no timeouts with a little over a minute to tie it up and send it into overtime. Had some opportunities there at the end. Couldn't say enough good things about this football team and this staff and their fight. They just to continue to go down to the wire and stick together. Got to turn the page, got a really good North Texas team coming in. A North Texas team that really led UTSA a couple weeks ago the entire game. UTSA drove the length of the field with about a minute and 15 seconds to go and scored with 15 seconds left to win the football game. [North Texas] leads the league in a lot of categories, you know, in Conference USA. An explosive offense, a solid defense, a team that, if the season ended right now, UTSA and North Texas would play in the league championship. So, we've got 21 seniors that mean a lot to this program. It will be their last home game at Protective Stadium. A lot of guys that have done a lot for this program, been a part of a lot of big wins. I can't really say enough about this senior class."
On the resiliency of the team:
"There's just a lot of momentum swings. We got down early, 10-0. We were down 16-10 at halftime, and there is just no quit. This team is a very close team, that has a lot of pride and tradition, a lot of the things that I've continued to say up here week after week. Their resilience, their character, their toughness, their care for each other just has continued to show week in and week out, against a lot of adversity. In adverse moments is when leadership defines itself. In adverse moments, is when you really see the heart and the makeup and the foundation of your football team. This team has come week after week after week and put it on the line for each other. It's been something that I'm extremely proud of, their effort and their togetherness."
On the balance of the North Texas offense:
"They're averaging over 500 yards a game offensively. They're extremely balanced. They're a physical, running football team. They like to protect it up, max protect it up and take their shots and push it down the field, which they've been able to hit a lot this year. I think [Austin Aune], their quarterback, is an older, veteran, mature, athletic quarterback that can run and throw. Their running backs are very physical, they're explosive. They're really good on offense. They can expose you in the run game and the passing game. Defensively, they're going to be based out of a quarter shell, 2 high shell. They're going to bring boundary pressure and field pressure, try to keep it mixed up on you. [Phil Bennett], he's a veteran defensive coordinator that's been in college football for a long time. Got a lot of respect for him and a lot of respect for [Seth Littrell]. They've got a really good football team. They play hard, they're physical, they play good in all three phases, and its going to be a tremendous challenge on senior night."
On the improvement of Jacob Zeno and the receiving corps:
"If you want to start off with Jaco Zeno, just his progression from coming in the first quarter of the Western Kentucky game, being thrown into that game, in that environment on the road to the FAU game, I thought he took huge steps. And then you go to UTSA, probably the best team in our league up to this point. His composure, his leadership, his toughness, his decision making, I was very impressed with his performance under some tough circumstances. I thought he pulled the ball down, extended some drives with his legs. Being down, being able to drive back in that situation, down 14, with a little over four minutes to go, just that drive to go down there and put us down seven. Then to have that two-minute situation, for him to work us down the field and then throw a strike to [Trea Shropshire] in the back of the endzone just speaks highly of his growth and his development, and just him as a player and a competitor. I thought our receivers, you saw multiple receivers step up, make big plays, make clutch plays in the moments to really give us an opportunity to win the game in overtime. I thought our receiving corps did a good job. We were physical on the perimeter blocking, we had great yards after contact, we were physical, even with the ball in our hands. I was very proud of Jacob Zeno and our receiving core."
WIDE RECEIVER TEJHAUN PALMER
On the final drive in regulation:
"We always practice two-minute situations in practice, so we just executed it in the game."
On blocking as a wide receiver:
"I'm not going to lie, with [DeWayne McBride] running the ball, [McBride] and [Jermaine Brown], it's really easy to block. He can make any cut; he makes you look good out there honestly. A lot of props to [McBride] on that. We practice perimeter blocking every day, we just try our best to give our backs a chance."
On battling from behind against UTSA:
"We always prepare to fight no matter what the score is. We don't worry about the scoreboard at all, we just come prepared to play ball."
SAFETY GRAYSON CASH
On his final home game as a Blazer:
"It definitely means a lot. Starting my first season in Legion Field and having that for the first couple of seasons. It means a lot because you know, when the program shut down, what the city was fighting for, this is what they saw. A new stadium, new facilities, and everything. Getting to play in that new stadium for the fans and the city, seeing where this place has come since I've been here is something special."
On North Texas' offense:
"They have a great offense. They move the ball well on just about every team in the conference. Defensively, we faced a lot of good offenses these past couple of weeks. It's not anything too different from what we've seen, but it's another challenge. Like Coach Vincent said, they put up great numbers, they're top in the conference. We know defensively, we've got a big challenge this week."
On his legacy as a Blazer:
"That's a tough question. Really the legacy of our senior class, just everything we've been a part of and helped build here. The championships, the great seasons, even this season I look at as a great season, we just didn't have the ball roll our way a few times. Just the championships and seeing how the city has grown, has been a part of what the football team has done. Really that, just leaving the program in better shape than when we got here."
Players Mentioned
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