The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Set for Homecoming Showdown with East Carolina on ESPN
10/12/2026 6:45:00 PM | Football
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – With a short week of preparation and a national spotlight awaiting UAB on Thursday night, head coach Alex Mortensen and the Blazers are turning their attention to East Carolina as they prepare for a Homecoming matchup at Protective Stadium.
The Blazers (3-3, 1-1 American) host the Pirates on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 6:30 p.m. CT in a nationally televised American Conference contest on ESPN. The game highlights a full day of Homecoming festivities, including ESPN's SportsCenter on Campus, which will broadcast live outside Protective Stadium from 4-4:30 p.m. CT with hosts Matt Barrie and Chase Daniel.
Mortensen opened Monday's press conference by briefly reflecting on Saturday's loss at Memphis, a game in which UAB produced more than 250 yards of offense in the first half and limited the Tigers to 10 points before struggling on both sides of the ball after halftime.
While disappointed with the result, Mortensen pointed to encouraging signs in the opening half, particularly the Blazers' continued development offensively. However, three turnovers and missed opportunities ultimately proved costly.
Now, with just five days between games, the emphasis shifts to preparation, recovery and putting together a complete performance against another talented conference opponent.
"There's a physiological component," Mortensen said of the short week. "You've got to maintain your physical conditioning and you've got to be in shape, but you also need to minimize fatigue going into the game and deal with any injuries you've got."
That balance extends to the coaching staff, which must prepare the Blazers for a talented East Carolina team while managing a condensed practice schedule.
"There's a tactical or schematic component, too, because in a short amount of time, we still have to get our guys ready to go," Mortensen said. "We've got to get them the best plan we can. We've got to get them familiar with the opponent, know them really well and get them enough reps to understand how to execute those things against them."
East Carolina presents a challenge on both sides of the football, beginning with a defense led by head coach Blake Harrell and defensive coordinator Jordon Hankins.
Harrell has built his reputation on the defensive side of the ball, while Hankins spent the previous several seasons at Memphis, where he helped direct one of the American Conference's top defensive units. Offensively, the Pirates are led by coordinator Jordan Davis, who previously worked at North Texas.
"They've got a really good defense," Mortensen said. "Blake Harrell is their head coach. He's kind of a defensive coach by trade and is known for having very good defenses. And then he's hired Jordon Hankins as their defensive coordinator. Jordan was at Memphis last year, really for a few years, where they had one of the top defenses in our league."
Mortensen also praised the talent East Carolina has assembled, particularly along the defensive front.
"You turn the film on, and I was coming off watching Memphis, who's got good players, and put this film on and go, 'Wow, they've got a good roster,'" Mortensen said. "It's very clear that they've got really good players on defense, especially on their defensive front."
For redshirt freshman safety Jo'Tavion Pierce, who was active throughout Saturday's game at Memphis, the defensive priority is clear: improve on third down and play with greater consistency.
"First half, we definitely came to play ball," Pierce said. "We made a lot of good plays and executed. Second half, we just didn't play really good football. We couldn't stop them on third down. We just didn't execute as players."
Pierce expects another physical challenge Thursday against the Pirates.
"Very physical team, very good staff, good team," Pierce said. "Very good quarterback. Run game is very solid. We just have to do a good job executing, containing the edges and just pounding them."
Offensively, UAB will look to build on the success it found early against Memphis while overcoming the mistakes that stalled drives after halftime.
Redshirt junior offensive lineman Cooper Young could play an important role in that effort after stepping in at center for Adam Lepkowski during Saturday's contest. Young, who previously played at West Virginia, said his preparation and experience have helped him remain comfortable at the position.
"Just fall back on training," Young said. "I think Coach Gordon [Steele] and Coach Matt [McCants] do a great job with us every day for instances like that. They always tell me, if a guy goes down, you've got to be ready. Obviously, nothing was perfect throughout the whole line. We've got to be more consistent."
Young also emphasized the importance of communication when moving from guard to center, a position responsible for directing much of the offensive line's pre-snap organization.
"I feel like at center, you've got to be very vocal," Young said. "You're running all the fronts, all the Mike checks and stuff. At guard, you can kind of ease back and just focus on you. But at center, you've got to worry about all five guys, that we're all on the same page."
Redshirt junior running back Ja'Vin Simpkins, who scored his first touchdown as a Blazer at Memphis, believes UAB has shown it can consistently move the football but must eliminate the mistakes that have prevented the offense from sustaining that success.
"I feel like it was a lot of just mental mistakes that we made, just missed assignments on our end," Simpkins said. "I don't think it was anything that they did that kind of stopped us. It was more of us stopping us, just turnovers and little small mistakes."
Simpkins also highlighted the advantages of UAB's three-man rotation in the backfield, which allows the Blazers to keep fresh legs on the field while presenting opponents with different running styles.
"We all bring something different to the table," Simpkins said. "It's not like you can game plan for one person. You've got to game plan for three different backs. I think that kind of helps our offense excel."
Beyond the matchup itself, Thursday represents one of the biggest stages of the season for UAB Athletics.
The university's Homecoming celebration, themed "Blaze the Seas," includes a noon parade on campus, followed by Blazer Village opening at 2:30 p.m. outside Protective Stadium with live music, inflatables, the Bud Light Beer Garden and additional fan activities. Children 12 and under get in free for the East Carolina game.
The national spotlight grows at 4 p.m. when SportsCenter on Campus makes its first appearance in Birmingham. Barrie and Daniel will broadcast live outside Protective Stadium in advance of the Blazers' nationally televised game on ESPN.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early, wear green and help create an energetic atmosphere surrounding the live broadcast and Thursday night's kickoff.
"It's our Homecoming game, which is really exciting for a lot of people," Mortensen said. "It's a national TV game, so we get a lot of publicity from that standpoint. And then, as I mentioned, SportsCenter on Campus. We just want to encourage everyone again to get out to the game. I think it should be a really exciting environment."
Mortensen also highlighted UAB Athletics' expanded partnership with UAB Medicine, which will feature new branding on the football team's helmets as part of a broader five-year agreement.
"We're really excited to expand our partnership with them," Mortensen said. "Having their brand represented in our program is something we're really proud of. It's an example of the support and the overall momentum we've got behind UAB Athletics."
With the Blazers looking to improve to 2-1 in American Conference play, Mortensen sees Thursday as another opportunity for the program to take a step forward in front of its home crowd.
"We're trying to squeeze every drop out of the 2026 season and the team we've got now," Mortensen said. "But we're also working very hard to build the longevity of the program. We're trying to create a program that's sustainable and improving and growing."
For more information on Thursday's festivities, visit the UAB Homecoming website or the UAB-East Carolina Game Day Guide.
THREE QUESTIONS WITH COACH MORTENSEN
Q: How does the offense change when Adam Lepkowski is unavailable, and what confidence do you have in Cooper Young at center?
Mortensen: "We really like Cooper, who came into the game. Cooper is a really good player, and I think having a week under his belt to take all those one reps is going to really help him.
"But in the middle of the game, that's tough. Adam is a really good player, and he's a great team guy, too. Beyond that, he's kind of like the quarterback of the offensive line. The center's got to make a lot of decisions and has to be a great communicator.
"There's also a comfort level, even with the quarterback taking snaps. We get under center a little bit, too, beyond the shotgun snaps. Those things can definitely disrupt you in the middle of a game."
Q: After the struggles in the second half at Memphis, do you have any concerns about Ryder Burton's confidence or consider making a change at quarterback?
Mortensen: "We've got to get some people to play better around him, too. Now, he's got to take responsibility for areas he needs to do better, particularly the fumble and the interception on third down, which was not a good decision by him.
"One of the best coaches I've ever been around said part of the key to getting your quarterback to play well is to get the 10 people around him to play well first. So we're working. It's a group effort. It's a unit thing.
"We've got a ton of confidence in Ryder Burton. He's got a chance to still have a great year here. We've got a lot of football left. There are zero doubts about Ryder for us or our program, and I'm not worried about his confidence in the least."
Q: UAB hasn't faced East Carolina since before joining the American Conference. How much does that lack of familiarity affect your preparation?
Mortensen: "When you talk about playing an opponent in repeat years, there are so many factors that go into it. There's the coaching part of it. When you play a team like Navy, they've kind of been the same on defense for some time. So there is some carryover and a repeat history where you have some familiarity.
"Sometimes you play teams every year, but they're totally different because the coaching staff changes. And these rosters are getting churned up significantly every year, so it's almost like you're playing a new team.
"You're mixing and matching coaches and players, so I think you really have to start pretty fresh on it."
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KIDS 12 AND UNDER FREE FOR EAST CAROLINA GAME
UAB Athletics has announced that kids ages 12 and under will receive FREE admission to the Blazers' home game against East Carolina on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. CT at Protective Stadium. Fans can redeem the offer online using promo code U12FREE and must purchase at least one reserved ticket through the promotion to receive complimentary youth tickets. The promo code is valid until 2:30 p.m. CT on Oct. 15.
After the online promotion expires, families can still take advantage of the offer at the Protective Stadium box office by purchasing at least one reserved ticket. Fans may also contact the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at (205) 975-8221 for assistance. Individual game tickets can be purchased by clicking here, while group tickets and fan experience packages are available by clicking here.
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