The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
10/26/2026 5:46:00 PM | Football
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After an extended break from competition, head coach Alex Mortensen and the UAB football team are turning their attention to South Florida as the Blazers prepare to resume American Conference play Saturday in Tampa.
UAB (4-3, 2-1 American) visits South Florida (5-2, 1-2 American) on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT (noon ET), with the game televised nationally on ESPNU.
The Blazers return to action for the first time in 16 days following a dramatic 30-17 overtime victory over East Carolina on Oct. 15. UAB erased a double-digit halftime deficit and completed the comeback with a Ryder Burton touchdown pass to Rod Robinson II and an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown by Delvon Gulley in overtime.
With the Homecoming victory behind them, Mortensen emphasized Monday that the extended break provided an opportunity to address areas of improvement while preparing for a challenging final stretch of the regular season.
"We had a good bye week," Mortensen said. "There were some positive things in terms of getting players healthy, and then I think maybe more importantly, improving in a lot of areas. Some individual technique and fundamental things, some scheme things, and it allowed us to take a good look at self-scout in a lot of areas, too."
The unusual schedule has kept UAB off the field for two consecutive Saturdays, creating a 17-day gap between games. Rather than allowing that layoff to disrupt the team's rhythm, Mortensen believes it can serve as an opportunity to renew the Blazers' focus and intensity.
"One of the things we really wanted to focus on, and will focus on this week, is resetting our passion and our effort in practice for this final stretch," Mortensen said. "But at the same time, not looking at the totality of the five weeks, but really zeroing in on this week."
That renewed focus will be tested immediately against a South Florida team that has established itself as one of the American Conference's top defensive units under first-year head coach Brian Hartline.
The Bulls enter Saturday's matchup ranked 13th nationally and first in the American in scoring defense, allowing just 15.1 points per game. South Florida also ranks second in the conference in total defense (325.1 yards per game) and passing defense (181.0), while allowing 144.1 rushing yards per contest.
Hartline's staff includes defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge and offensive coordinator Tim Beck, both of whom have helped establish a physical identity on their respective sides of the football.
"They've got a lot of really good players over there," Mortensen said. "They do a really good job schematically."
Mortensen was particularly complimentary of the Bulls' defensive personnel, noting that South Florida presents challenges throughout its lineup.
"They do look the part in terms of what you would expect or would like a defense to look like," Mortensen said. "They've got good size, they've got height, arm length, all those things at a lot of spots, and they've got good athletes.
"It's at all three levels. It's the defensive line, the linebackers and the secondary, and they do a good job coaching them, too. They're sound, and they have a good scheme. It all works together for them."
UAB tight end Scott Isacks, who previously faced South Florida during his time at Florida, echoed his head coach's assessment of the Bulls.
"They're a physical team," Isacks said. "We're going to need to really bring it. It's about us, though. We need to stay together and have a good game plan and a good mindset going into the game."
For UAB, the offensive priority remains establishing greater consistency, particularly at the line of scrimmage.
The Blazers have averaged 339.0 yards and 23.3 points per game through seven contests, but Mortensen believes the offense has considerable room for improvement over the final five weeks of the regular season.
"You've got to start off by controlling the line of scrimmage first and foremost," Mortensen said. "Whether it is run or pass, we've got to control the line of scrimmage, and I think we've made efforts to improve in that.
"There are a lot of technique and discipline things as it pertains to quarterback, receiver and tight end play that are all very correctable. We think there are things that we can clean up and have made strides in cleaning up during the bye that can create more consistent performance on offense."
Mortensen also emphasized the importance of continued development among a young offensive group that entered the season with limited collective playing experience.
"I think traditionally a lot of people would say your most progress is game one to game two, game two to game three," Mortensen said. "That's not our mindset. Our mindset is to step on the gas and see if we can make our most progress here down the stretch."
Defensively, UAB enters the contest with one of the nation's most improved units under coordinator Todd Grantham.
The Blazers lead the FBS in passing defense, allowing just 126.0 yards per game, and rank 31st nationally and first in the American in total defense at 316.6 yards per contest. UAB has held each of its first seven opponents below 200 passing yards while allowing 24.6 points per game.
Mortensen credited the defense for its consistency and the impact it has made on the team's success.
"Our defense playing the way they've played has allowed us to stay in games and to win these games that we've won," Mortensen said. "I think they've played incredibly hard. They've done a really good job taking on the scheme. I think Coach Grantham's done an excellent job along with the whole defensive staff."
Running back Bam McReynolds believes the defense's emergence has also raised expectations throughout the program.
"How the defense performs also pushes us to perform better," McReynolds said. "For a lot of the season, our defense has been producing at a high level, and it makes us want to produce at a higher level."
The Blazers will face a South Florida offense that has also emphasized taking care of the football. The Bulls have yet to throw an interception this season and enter the matchup with one of the conference's better red-zone scoring rates.
Mortensen stressed that limiting turnovers is among the most important factors in determining the outcome of games.
"When you can not turn the ball over, you give yourself a chance," Mortensen said. "There are a lot of statistics that support that. When you look at the things that are causative of trying to win a game, turnover margin is right at the top, and it's been at the top for decades."
Special teams could also play an important role in Saturday's matchup. UAB kicker Jonah Delange has converted 17-of-19 field-goal attempts this season, while punter Oliver Straw is averaging 45.9 yards per punt.
Mortensen praised the specialists' ability to influence field position and provide the offense with scoring opportunities.
"Jonah's ability in the kicking game, especially to execute as a field-goal kicker, and then Oliver flipping the field on punts and everyone involved with the coverage, really helps us in a game where field position matters," Mortensen said.
Saturday will mark the sixth all-time meeting between UAB and South Florida, with the Bulls holding a 3-2 advantage in the series. The Blazers will be looking for their first road victory of the 2026 season.
Despite the challenges of an extended layoff and a talented opponent, Mortensen said the Blazers' attention remains firmly on what they can control.
"We've got a good plan to go out and play the kind of football we want to play and get off to a fast start," Mortensen said.
Saturday's contest will air nationally on ESPNU. Fans can also listen on WJOX 94.5 FM with David Crane (play-by-play), Bryant Turner (analyst) and Landrum Roberts (sideline).
THREE QUESTIONS WITH COACH MORTENSEN
Q: With Adam Lepkowski still unavailable, how much has Cooper Young progressed at center, particularly with the additional preparation time during the bye week?
Mortensen: "We're probably not going to see A-Train just yet. Cooper is making huge strides every day, and a lot of that is just the comfort level of playing that position.
"On the offensive line, they've all got to work together and be on the same page and be synchronized. Getting Coop comfortable playing it, but also the communication components, I think all that has improved exponentially from the first snaps he took against Memphis.
"That's not really about his play or his ability, but just getting the reps and getting the experience. The bye helped a lot, too, because we went into the bye and we worked. He's accumulated a lot more. I think he's in a really good position to play very well here."
Q: CJ Smith is coming off a productive game against East Carolina. How much does that performance help his confidence, and how much more do you believe the receiving corps can contribute down the stretch?
Mortensen: "We really like C.J. a lot and have had high hopes for him. I mentioned that we lost him at points in camp, and I thought he would have had an even faster start without that.
"One of the things we don't want to fall into as we evaluate our receivers is only looking at production, receptions, yards, touchdowns and things of that nature, because sometimes a play just doesn't always dictate you're going to get the ball.
"We're really impressing upon all these guys to play at a high level, to improve and to get better. C.J., but there's a handful of others that I think we have not seen their best football, and that's exciting.
"I think they're all on an arc that gives them an opportunity to really make significant progress down the stretch. Some of that will show in production, and some of it will not. There's a few that we have not even begun to see what they're capable of doing."
Q: With UAB sitting at 2-1 in American Conference play, how do you assess the conference race and the competitive balance across the league this season?
Mortensen: "I think the thing that jumps out to me is we're in a really good league. If you're not prepared to play any week, you can get beat. You've got to be on it.
"We're not caught up in the circumstances around what the league race is, whether the game is on TV or what the implications are for bowl eligibility or the championship.
"What's right in front of us is we've got a game this week, and we've got to go get after it and compete. That's our mindset, and then we'll see where that gets us.
"At the end of the day, some of those things we can't control. We can't control who plays well or who doesn't play well. But we can control our effort, and that's on game day and also our effort as we prepare during the week.
"Do that one week at a time, one day at a time, and see what the results are."
