PROSPECTUS 2018 & 2019 C-USA WEST DIVISION CHAMPIONS | 2018 C-USA CHAMPIONS Contact: Ted Feeley - Associate AD for Communications | 205-704-4147 | [email protected]
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2020 UAB FOOTBALL PROSPECTUS 2018 & 2019 C-USA WEST DIVISION CHAMPIONS | 2018 C-USA CHAMPIONS Contact: Ted Feeley - Associate AD for Communications | 205-704-4147 | [email protected] 2019 UAB SCHEDULE (9-5, 6-2 C-USA) UAB 2019 SEASON SNAP SHOT Aug. 29 Alabama State (ESPN+) W, 24-19 Record: 9-5 Sept. 7 at Akron (CBSSN) W, 31-20 C-USA: 6-2 Sept. 21 South Alabama (NFL Network) W, 35-3 Postseason: C-USA Championship Sept. 28 at WKU* (ESPN+) L, 13-20 L, 6-49 at FAU Oct. 5 Rice* (ESPN+) W, 35-20 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Oct. 12 at UTSA* (ESPN+) W, 33-14 L, 17-30 vs. No. 20 Appalachian State Oct. 19 Old Dominion* (ESPN+)(HC) W, 38-14 Nov. 2 at Tennessee (ESPNU) L, 7-30 UAB AIMS FOR THIRD STRAIGHT C-USA WEST DIVISION TITLE: Nov. 9 at Southern Miss* (NFL Network) L, 2-37 With 18 returning starters entering 2020, the UAB football team looks to win its third straight Nov. 16 UTEP* (ESPN3) W, 37-10 C-USA West Division title and its second overall C-USA Championship in the last three years. Nov. 23 Louisiana Tech* (ESPN+) W, 20-14 Since returning to action in 2017, the Blazers have compiled the most wins (28) of any team in Nov. 30 at North Texas* (Stadium) W, 26-21 Conference USA, and have been dominant against divisional opponents, going 16-2 vs. the West in Dec. 7 at Florida Atlantic^ (CBSSN) L, 6-49 that time frame. The nine wins last year were the second most in program history (11 in 2018). Dec. 21 vs. No. 20 Appalachian State# (ESPN) L, 17-13 Home Games in Bold *C-USA Game | ^ C-USA Championship BLAZER DEFENSE LOOKS FOR THIRD STRAIGHT TOP 10 FINISH: HC = Homecoming | # R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl UAB returns nine starters on a unit that fi nished 8th nationally in total defense a year ago. The Blazers have ranked top 10 nationally in total defense each of the last two years, and are led in 2020 UAB SCHEDULE 2020 by a pair of C-USA Defensive Player of the Year candidates in senior linebacker Kristopher Sept. 3 New Mexico State Birmingham, Ala. Moll and junior edge rusher Jordan Smith. These two combined for 33.5 TFL and 19.0 sacks last Sept. 12 Alabama A&M Birmingham, Ala. year. Moll was a First Team All-C-USA selection, while Smith was Second Team All-Conference USA. Sept. 17 at Miami Miami Gardens, Fla. Sept. 26 at South Alabama Mobile, Ala. Oct. 3 UTSA* Birmingham, Ala. WATKINS JR. JOINS UAB ELITE COMPANY: Oct. 10 at Rice* Houston, Texas Wide receiver Austin Watkins Jr. became the third player in program history to have over 1,000 Oct. 17 WKU* Birmingham, Ala. receiving yards in a season, joining Derrick Ingram and Roddy White. Watkins Jr. fi nished his junior Oct. 31 at Louisiana Tech* Ruston, La. campaign with 57 catches for 1,092 yards and six touchdowns. He had three 100-yard receiving Nov. 7 at Old Dominion* Norfolk, Va. games, including a career-high 167 yards at UTSA, and a standout performance in the R+L Carriers Nov. 14 North Texas* Birmingham, Ala. New Orleans Bowl with 10 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown vs. No. 20 Appalachian State. Nov. 21 at UTEP* El Paso, Texas Nov. 28 Southern Miss* Birmingham, Ala. BROWN BECOMES UAB’S ALL-TIME LEADING RUSHER: Dec. 5 C-USA Championship TBA Despite an injury plagued junior campaign in which he rushed for 566 yards and fi ve touchdowns, Home Games in Bold | *C-USA Game Spencer Brown became UAB’s career leading rusher and enters his senior season with 3,122. He BY THE NUMBERS is the only player in program history to have over 3,000 career rushing yards. Brown also has 31 career rushing touchdowns and needs fi ve more to be the program leader in that category as well. Brown enters his senior season as the nation’s second active career leading rusher, only behind 28 18 8 3 Travis Etienne of Clemson. UAB’s 28 wins since UAB is 18-0 at home UAB fi nished 8th Austin Watkins Jr. 2017 are the most since 2017 and has nationally in total became the 3rd player of any team in the nation’s 4th defense; 2nd straight at UAB to have 1,000 CLOSING OUT LEGION FIELD WITH HOME STREAK ON THE LINE: Conference USA. longest active streak. year Top 10 nationally. rec. yards in a season. Since UAB returned to action in 2017, the Blazers are a perfect 18-0 at Legion Field and own the 2019 STATISTICAL LEADERS nation’s fourth longest active home winning streak. This will be the fi nal season at Historic Legion Field as the Blazers will move into Protective Stadium for the start of the 2021 season. UAB’s fi nal Passing: six home games include New Mexico State, Alabama A&M, UTSA, WKU, North Texas and Southern Tyler Johnston III: 147-249-15, 2,250 yards, 17 TD Miss. Dylan Hopkins: 44-85-5, 563 yards, 3 TD Rushing: Spencer Brown: 150 att., 566 yards, 5 TD STAY CONNECTED Jermaine Brown Jr.: 86 att., 446 yards, 2 TD Receiving: Austin Watkins Jr.: 57 catches, 1,092 yards, 6 TD Myron Mitchell: 34 catches, 554 yards, 4 TD Defense: @UAB_FB @UAB_FB UAB Athletics UAB Athletics uabsports.com Kristopher Moll: 104 tkl, 16.0 TFL, 9.0 sacks, 4 FF, 1 INT, 1 FR For additional gameday information, visit www.blazergameday.com, follow @BlazerGameday Noah Wilder: 85 tkl, 10.5 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR on Twitter and Instagram, and like Blazer Gameday on Facebook UABSPORTS.COM 1 @UAB_FB In Clark’s first season as head coach of the Blazers in 2014, he turned around a BILL CLARK program that was 2-10 the year before into a team that finished 6-6 and earned bowl eligibility for the first time since 2004. J.J. Nelson was also named the school’s HEAD COACH first Walter Camp First Team All-American. FIFTH SEASON AT UAB Prior to UAB, Clark was the head coach at Jacksonville State in 2013 and led the JACKSONVILLE STATE ‘90 Bill Clark is a native of Anniston, Alabama. He graduated from Jacksonville State Gamecocks to an 11-4 record, their most victories since the 1992 campaign when University in 1990 with a degree in physical education and began his football OVERALL RECORD: 45-23 JSU won the NCAA Division II National Championship. That number set an Ohio coaching career that year. His head coaching record at UAB is 34-19 and he is 43-23 Valley Conference record and was also the most wins by a first-year head coach. AT UAB: 34-19 as a Division I head coach. Jacksonville State earned an at-large berth in the FCS Playoffs and captured two Clark has guided the Blazers to unprecedented success in four years as head coach, victories -- including a second-round win over No. 6 McNeese State to reach the including winning the program’s first ever Conference USA Championship in 2018 quarterfinals. The wins were the Gamecocks’ first-ever in the NCAA Division I and claiming back-to-back C-USA West Division titles in 2018 and 2019. » THE CLARK FILE playoffs. Born: June 28, 1968 Not only has Clark led the program to new heights, but it has all been crafted JSU concluded the 2013 season ranked No. 10 in the final FCS poll. The Gamecocks, through the most unique situation in recent college football history. Following who ranked sixth in the nation in FCS attendance, set 49 school records in 2013 Wife: Jennifer his first year at UAB in 2014, Clark stayed as head coach through the program’s Children: Katie and Jacob and broke 13 OVC marks, as well as three NCAA records. JSU had two players earn shutdown and two year hiatus. All-America honors and nine selected for All-Ohio Valley Conference accolades. Education: Jacksonville State, 1990 Hometown: Anniston, Ala. In 2015 and 2016, Clark reconstructed a team from scratch, and when UAB returned Clark became Jacksonville State’s head coach after five outstanding seasons at to FBS competition in 2017 after two years away, he guided the Blazers to an 8-5 South Alabama as the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator. » 2018 AWARDS AND ACCOLADES overall record and the team’s first bowl appearance since 2004. • Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year (FWAA) Clark’s defense at USA finished second in the Sun Belt Conference in total defense Clark was named the CBS Sports National Coach of the Year, as well as the in 2012 as the Jaguars completed their first full season of competition in the • CBS Sports National Coach of the Year Conference USA Coach of the Year. He was also presented the Thomas Brookshier • Sporting News National Coach of the Year league. South Alabama posted the best record of any Division I FCS Independent in Spirit Award by the Maxwell Football Club. 2011 after winning the first 17 games in the program’s history in 2009 and 2010. • Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year Finalist The eight wins in 2017 established a new school record, until that mark was During the 2010 season, South Alabama allowed only 13 points and 254.6 yards • George Munger Coach of the Year Semifinalist shattered just a year later. per game en route to a 10-0 record.