UAB BLAZERS FOOTBALL 2011 Game Notes Game 5: Mississippi State 2011 UAB Schedule Mississippi State (2-3, 0-3 SEC) at UAB (0-4, 0-2 C-USA) Overall: 0-4 C-USA: 0-2 Sept. 10 at Florida (FS South) L, 39-0 Legion Field (72,000) • Birmingham, Ala. Sept. 17 TULANE* L, 49-10 Sept. 24 at East Carolina* (WITN) L, 28-23 Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011 • 11:00 a.m. CT • SportSouth Oct. 1 at Troy (SportSouth) L, 24-23 Oct. 8 MISS. STATE (FSN) 11:00 a.m. Oct. 15 at Tulsa* (CBSSN) 7:00 p.m. THIS WEEK Oct. 20 UCF* (CSS) 7:00 p.m. UAB (0-4, 0-2 C-USA) will be back in action Saturday as the Blazers return home to play host to Oct. 29 at Marshall* (CSS) 11:00 a.m. Southeastern Conference foe Mississippi State (2-3, 0-3 SEC). The Blazers are coming off a tough Nov. 5 HOUSTON* (CBSSN) (HC) 6:00 p.m. 24-23 loss at Troy last Saturday as the Trojans rallied with 10 points in the final 5:18 to claim the vic- Nov. 12 at Memphis* (CSS) 3:15 p.m. tory. UAB had taken a 23-14 lead with 5:22 remaining in the game when CB T.J. Ballou returned a Troy Nov. 17 SOUTHERN MISS* (CBSSN) 7:00 p.m. interception 52 yards for a touchdown. Nov. 26 at Florida Atlantic 3:00 p.m. MSU played a conference game for the third time this season Saturday as the Bulldogs dropped a 24- Times listed are CT * Conference USA game 10 decision at Georgia. State has posted wins over Memphis and Louisiana Tech thus far. Mississippi 2011 Mississippi State Schedule State brings a balanced offensive attack to Legion Field as the Bulldogs are averaging 185.2 yards on the ground and 199.2 through the air in the first five games. Overall: 2-3 SEC: 0-3 Sept. 1 at Memphis (FSN) W, 59-14 FIRST AND 10 Sept. 10 at Auburn* (SEC Network) L, 41-34 UAB returns 16 starters on offense (7) and defense (9) from last season’s team that finished 4-8. Sept. 15 LSU* (ESPN) L, 19-6 -- Sept. 24 Louisiana Tech (ESPNU) W, 26-20 (OT) The Blazers had a pair of performers — offensive tackle Matt McCants and defensive tackle Elliott Oct. 1 at Georgia* (FSN) L, 24-10 Henigan — named to the 2011 preseason All-Conference USA team by the league’s coaches. In addi- Oct. 8 at UAB (FSN) 11:00 a.m. tion, UAB returns quarterback Bryan Ellis, who passed for 2,940 yards and 25 touchdowns in only nine Oct. 15 South Carolina* TBA starts during the 2010 campaign. Oct. 29 at Kentucky* TBA Nov. 5 UT-Martin (HC) TBA -- UAB has a young football program compared to most of its opposition. The Blazers are in their Nov. 12 Alabama* TBA 21st season of football (and 16th at the Division I-A or FBS level) as they played their first intercollegiate Nov. 19 at Arkansas* (@Little Rock) TBA season in 1991 at the NCAA Division III level. UAB moved to Division I-AA two seasons later in 1993 Nov. 26 Ole Miss* TBA and remained at that level three years before making the transition to Division I-A beginning in 1996. Times listed are CT * SEC game -- Safety Jamie Bender’s 35-yard interception return for a touchdown at East Carolina was the Blaz- Broadcast Information ers’ first defensive score since Marquis Coleman returned a pick 99 yards at UTEP on Oct. 31, 2009. TV: SportSouth - Ron Thulin (pbp), JC Pearson (col- UAB has now scored defensive touchdowns in back-to-back games after T.J. Ballou returned an inter- or) and Jeremy Bloom (sidelines) ception 52 yards for a score in the Blazers’ 24-23 loss Saturday at Troy. RADIO: Blazer IMG Sports Network - David Crane -- Senior Nick Adams’ 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown vs. Tulane Sept. 17 was the Blazers’ (pbp), John Whitcomb (color) and Sam Miller (side- first kickoff return for a score since the 2008 season, a span of 37 games. lines) have the call. The broadcast can be heard on WUHT-FM 107.7 in Birmingham. -- In the Sept. 10th season opener at Florida, there were 19 UAB players who saw first-time action in a Blazer uniform, including seven true freshmen. The seven true freshmen were: TE Kennard Backman, RB Bashr Coles, DL Mickey Jackson, PK Ty Long, DE Tyler Peppers, RB Darrin Reaves and DE Media Relations Diaheem Watkins. Norm Reilly - Associate AD (Football Contact) (205) 934-0722 / [email protected] -- QB Bryan Ellis moved into the No. 4 spot on UAB’s career list for passing yards with his performance Aaron Jordan - Associate Director at Florida in the season opener. Ellis now has 3,417 career passing yards and has reached that number (205) 934-7920 / [email protected] in only 12 starts. Daniel Dixon, who had been fourth on the Blazer all-time list, totaled 3,085 during his Tyson Mathews - Assistant Director (Secondary FB career from 1997-2000. contact) (205) 996-2576 / [email protected] Ben Warnick - Assistant Director (205) 934-0725 / [email protected] -- The Blazers have registered their two most productive offensive seasons in school history the past Lauren Rupert - Media Relations Assistant two years. UAB posted a school-record total of 5,111 yards in 2009 and followed that up with 5,074 (205) 934-0724 / [email protected] yards a season ago. www.uabsports.com -- WR Jackie Williams, who caught a career-best eight passes for 89 yards against East Carolina, has The Official Website of UAB Athletics had at least one reception in all 16 games of his collegiate career. He has a team-high 23 grabs for 215 yards in four games this season. facebook.com/UAB.Blazers twitter.com/UABathletics -- UAB has one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country with 138 career starts among six www.youtube.com/UABathletics offensive linemen. Senior Terence Edge leads the way with 36 career starts. 2011 Game Notes Game 5: Mississippi State • Oct. 8, 2011 UAB Coaching Staff UAB GAME WEEK SCHEDULE Neil Callaway ...........................................Head Coach MEDIA SERVICES Kim Helton ..............Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Sunday: The team generally has meetings and a short workout in the late afternoon/early evening. Media Tommy West .......Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers must call the media relations office to confirm times if planning to attend the early portion of the workout. Corey Barlow .......................................... Cornerbacks Monday: Coach Callaway will be available for interviews at his weekly media luncheon, held in the Green Tim Bowens ........................................Wide Receivers & Gold Room (in Bartow Arena) between 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. CT (quotes and audio from press con- Lorenzo Costantini ...............................Defensive Line ference will be posted on the UAB Athletics website later in the afternoon). Several Blazer players will Tyson Helton .... Quarterbacks/Recruiting Coordinator also be in attendance at the Monday luncheon and available to media. The Monday media luncheon is held only during weeks in which the Blazers have an upcoming game. Coach Callaway will participate Rick Mallory ..........................................Offensive Line in the weekly Conference USA Coaches’ Teleconference, from 1:00-2:30 p.m. CT (Coach Callaway’s Tyson Summers .. Safeties/Co-Special Teams Coord. time is scheduled from approximately 2:01-2:08 p.m. CT). The call-in number is 719-785-9449 (the call is John Wozniak ............RBs/ Co-Special Teams Coord. replayed several times during the week; call 719-457-0820 - replay passcode is 7112407. UAB typically will not practice on Monday. Call the UAB media relations office to confirm practice times. Steve Martin ...................... Strength and Conditioning Josh Lee ...................................Director of Operations Tuesday: Practice from 8:00 a.m. to approximately 10:00 a.m. CT. Open to the media, beginning with “Flex” period until Period 1. Coach Callaway and players will be available to the media following practice. Call Us UAB! Wednesday: Practice from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 10:30 a.m. CT. Open to the media, beginning with Please note that there are only two correct versions “Flex” period until Period 1. Coach Callaway will be available to the media following practice. This is of our name, the acronym “UAB,” or the full “Uni- the last day for player interview availability of game weeks. Coach Callaway will participate in his weekly versity of Alabama at Birmingham.” In addition, the radio call-in show, “Blazer Sportsline,” on WJOX 94.5 FM in Birmingham. The weekly show runs from Associated Press sports stylebook now uses UAB 7:00-8:00 p.m. CDT and is held at the Hoover location of Baumhower’s Restaurant. on first reference, not Alabama-Birmingham. Thursday: Practice from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 10:15 a.m. CST. Open to the media, beginning with We are not: “Flex” period until Period 1. No player interviews. Alabama-Birmingham, Ala.-Birmingham, or U.A.B. Friday: Travel and practice schedule TBA (check with the UAB media relations office for updates). For road games, the Blazers will have a light workout in Birmingham before departure but not travel to the The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) road stadium upon arrival at their destination. has been an autonomous member of the Univer- sity of Alabama system since 1969, and has had an Saturday: Coach Callaway will address the media approximately 15 minutes following the conclusion of intercollegiate athletic program since 1977. UAB is the game; the UAB locker room and training room are closed to the media at all times; requested players sometimes confused with the University of Alabama will be made available following the game, time permitting.