The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
11/2/2026 4:48:00 PM | Football
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UAB football team returns to Protective Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 7, looking to remain unbeaten at home as the Blazers host Charlotte in an American Conference matchup highlighted by the 10th annual Children's Harbor Game.
UAB (4-4, 2-2 American) welcomes Charlotte (1-7, 1-3 American) for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff on ESPN+. The Blazers are a perfect 4-0 at Protective Stadium this season and will look to bounce back from a 30-10 road loss at South Florida.
Head coach Alex Mortensen addressed the loss during Monday's weekly press conference, acknowledging the offense's struggles while emphasizing the importance of execution and eliminating self-inflicted mistakes.
"If we're not going to play well, at a bare minimum, let's not beat ourselves, particularly in a game where our defense is playing really well," Mortensen said. "We had two sack-fumbles where we gave them 14 points, and then we ended up missing two field goals as well."
Despite the result, the Blazers' defense delivered another strong performance under coordinator Todd Grantham, limiting South Florida to 237 total yards, including just 46 passing yards. UAB held the Bulls to one offensive touchdown, but two fumbles returned for touchdowns proved costly.
Mortensen believes the Blazers must improve their control of the line of scrimmage to establish more offensive consistency over the final four games of the regular season.
"We've got to control the line of scrimmage better in both the running game and the passing game, and at a bare minimum, we've got to be able to do one or the other," Mortensen said. "I would say we're playing far more conservatively than I would ever like to play. I would like to be far more aggressive, particularly on early downs."
Quarterback Ryder Burton echoed his head coach's assessment, taking responsibility for his performance and emphasizing the need to make quicker decisions in the passing game.
"I've got to play better football," Burton said. "I've got to have a better understanding of my internal clock and get rid of the ball on time. I can do a better job of that."
Burton also stressed the importance of moving on from unsuccessful plays rather than trying to force something that isn't available.
"I've got to be better at learning when to say when, accepting defeat on a play and moving on to the next one," Burton said. "That's where we can take a real jump as an offense."
Despite the offensive struggles, Mortensen remains confident in his players and pointed to their dramatic comeback victory over East Carolina as evidence of what the group is capable of accomplishing.
"We're not that far removed from one of the best two-minute and overtime performances I've ever been a part of," Mortensen said. "I love the guys we've got, and I'm excited to go to work with them through this next stretch and particularly this week."
That confidence extends to a defensive unit that has continued to establish itself as one of the most improved groups in college football. More importantly, Mortensen and his players emphasized that the team's unity has remained strong, even through difficult performances.
"One positive that's been pretty consistent this season is the character of the team in terms of fighting, playing to the end and our toughness," Mortensen said. "An important part of our program is building and developing the character of a team that plays really hard, plays together and sticks together."
Linebacker Muaaz Byard believes that accountability extends to both sides of the football.
"You don't want to point fingers," Byard said. "You can't look at it as, 'We did our job.' We didn't do enough because we didn't win."
The Blazers now turn their attention to a Charlotte team that has shown significant improvement in recent weeks under second-year head coach Tim Albin. The 49ers earned their first victory of the season with a 38-31 win over Temple on Oct. 17 before taking Tulane to overtime in a 38-31 loss on Oct. 30.
Charlotte quarterback Conner Harrell, a former standout at Thompson High School in Alabaster, has helped spark the 49ers' offensive improvement.
"Coach Tim Albin is in his second year there. He had a great program at Ohio and has had an outstanding coaching career," Mortensen said. "Their team has really improved, particularly in the last couple of weeks. You've seen them get better on offense."
While the Blazers prepare for an important conference matchup, Saturday will also feature one of the most meaningful traditions in UAB football history.
The 10th annual Children's Harbor Game continues a partnership that began in 2016 under former head coach Bill Clark. Since the inaugural game in 2017, UAB players have worn the names of children served by Children's Harbor on the backs of specially designed jerseys.
This year, 99 children will be represented on UAB's gray jerseys, which will be presented to the participating families following the game.
"You're representing children and families who face significant challenges far beyond the scope of football," Mortensen said. "One of the best things is the relationship created between the player and the child and their family."
Mortensen's first game as UAB's interim head coach came in last season's Children's Harbor Game, a memorable 31-24 victory over No. 22 Memphis.
For Burton, who experienced the tradition for the first time a year ago, the week provides a valuable reminder of the opportunities that come with being a college football player.
"This is a game where you step back and realize there's something bigger than football," Burton said. "You have an opportunity to give these kids an experience they may never otherwise have. It puts things into perspective about how lucky we are not only to play here but to play this game in general."
Defensive back Jo'Tavion Pierce, who will participate in his first Children's Harbor Game, reflected on similar experiences working with children with disabilities during his high school years in Montgomery.
"Spending time with the kids — that one moment of love, that one hug or that one minute you spend with a kid — can make their day," Pierce said. "Being part of this organization and partnering with people who do things like that is special."
Byard echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that the opportunity to represent the children and their families is bigger than the result on the scoreboard.
"This game is big because we get to represent something bigger than us," Byard said.
UAB enters Saturday with an 8-1 all-time record in Children's Harbor games, including four consecutive victories. The Blazers will wear their special green/gray/gray uniform combination, and fans are encouraged to wear gray in support of the tradition.
Saturday will also feature Kids Takeover, presented by Regions Bank, with family-friendly activities in Blazer Village, special ticket offers and free admission for Blazer Buddies Kids Club members.
Kickoff between UAB and Charlotte is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+. Fans can also listen on JOX 94.5 FM.
For complete information on Saturday's activities, parking and ticket promotions, visit the UAB-Charlotte Game Day Guide.
THREE QUESTIONS WITH COACH MORTENSEN
Q: You worked for Coach Nick Saban, who was known for his emotional intensity on the sideline. You seem to maintain a more even-keeled demeanor when things aren't going well. How important is that approach to your leadership?
Mortensen: "I confess that's a learned trait, something I've had to work on. Ryder's in here, and Ryder probably spends more time with me than anybody. He knows I have the capacity for volatility.
"I did work for someone who wore his emotions on his sleeve, and I think you've got to bring a certain amount of intensity. The team, to a degree, takes on the personality of its leadership. Most of the guys will tell you that I'm pretty intense and competitive, but I also think poise is really important.
"Even my last boss, Coach Saban, talked about poise a lot with our team. I think back to some games I've been part of that haven't gone well. As an assistant coach, I felt like we had teams at times that didn't have the emotional maturity to handle stress and would unravel.
"If we're going to talk about poise, I've got to try to embody that to some degree. Sometimes there are things going on inside that maybe I'm doing a good job of keeping bottled in.
"We want to keep fighting and playing down after down and try not to press the panic button when things aren't great. We've won some tough games this year, and I think part of that is that we've displayed really good emotional steadiness."
Q: How does a quarterback develop the internal clock necessary to know when to get rid of the football, particularly when facing pressure? Is that something that can be taught?
Mortensen: "It can absolutely be learned and taught, first through experience. Ryder is a pretty freaking good player, but he's also going through his first extended run of starting in college football. With every rep, he's going to get better at that.
"The tricky part about playing quarterback is that it's built on faith and trust. Quarterbacks can't stare at the rush or be overly concerned about it. You've got to trust, to a degree, that we're going to be able to protect for a certain amount of time. Otherwise, you're not going to execute the passing game the way you need to.
"The internal clock is a real thing, and we've talked about it. We use that phrase: At some point, that clock has to go off in your head. I've been part of programs where you instill a clock in seven-on-seven so quarterbacks are aware of the timing.
"Danny Mitchell put together a lot of NFL tape during training camp of some of the best quarterbacks in the history of the game. One of the most noticeable things, and I think Ryder would tell you this, is the processing speed.
"A lot of quarterbacks go through an evolution where part of what makes them good is their self-belief. They've got a little bit of a Superman cape. Sometimes you have to tell them, 'Hey, man, you can take the cape off. You can't save every play.'
"You've got to process fast and be content with taking a shorter throw or throwing the ball away. Even a sack, at worst — we don't want to take sacks — is certainly better than turning the ball over."
Q: Charlotte quarterback Conner Harrell played at Thompson High School in the Birmingham area. Did you have an opportunity to recruit or evaluate him coming out of high school, and what have you seen from Charlotte's offense since he took over?
Mortensen: "I recruited Conner a little bit out of high school and worked him out. I really liked him as a prospect. He had a really good camp. I liked him coming out of high school, and I'm happy to see him getting an opportunity and playing well.
"They're probably like a lot of teams that, with the portal and getting players healthy, are still finding their identity a little bit. Players on their team are developing and getting better, too. I think they look a little different."
