2018 UAB Blazers football team

Last updated

2018 UAB Blazers football
UAB Blazers wordmark.png
C-USA Champion
C-USA West Division champion
Boca Raton Bowl champion
Conference Conference USA
DivisionWest Division
Record11–3 (7–1 C-USA)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent (2nd season)
Offensive scheme Spread option
Defensive coordinatorDavid Reeves (2nd season)
Base defense 3–3–5
Home stadium Legion Field
Seasons
  2017
2019  
2018 Conference USA football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
Middle Tennessee x  7 1   8 6  
Marshall  6 2   9 4  
FIU  6 2   9 4  
Charlotte  4 4   5 7  
Florida Atlantic  3 5   5 7  
Old Dominion  2 6   4 8  
Western Kentucky  2 6   3 9  
West Division
UAB x$  7 1   11 3  
North Texas  5 3   9 4  
Louisiana Tech  5 3   8 5  
Southern Miss  5 3   6 5  
UTSA  2 6   3 9  
UTEP  1 7   1 11  
Rice  1 7   2 11  
Championship: UAB 27, Middle Tennessee 25
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions

The 2018 UAB Blazers football team represented the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the West Division of Conference USA (C-USA). They were led by third-year head coach Bill Clark and played their home games at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished the season 11–3, 7–1 in C-USA play to be champions of the West Division. They represented the West Division in the C-USA Championship Game where they defeated Middle Tennessee to win their first ever C-USA championship. They were invited to the Boca Raton Bowl where they defeated Northern Illinois to claim their first bowl win in program history.

Contents

On November 11, 2018, the Blazers made their first appearance in the Coaches' Poll at No. 25, marking the first time since 2004 they had been ranked in any of the major three polls.

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

AwardPlayerPositionYear
Rimington Trophy [1] Lee DufourCJR
Maxwell Award [2] Spencer Brown RBSO
Doak Walker Award [3] Spencer BrownRBSO
John Mackey Award [4] Logan ScottTESR
Wuerffel Trophy [5] Craig KanyangararaLBSR
Walter Camp Award [6] Spencer BrownRBSO
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award [7] A.J. ErdelyQBSR
Manning Award [8] A.J. ErdelyQBSR

Preseason All-CUSA team

Conference USA released their preseason all-CUSA team on July 16, 2018, with the Blazers having one player selected. [9]

Preseason media poll

Conference USA released their preseason media poll on July 17, 2018, with the Blazers predicted to finish in third place in the West Division. [10]

West Division
Predicted finishTeam
1North Texas
2Louisiana Tech
3UAB
4Southern Miss
5UTSA
T–6Rice
T–6UTEP

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 307:00 p.m. Savannah State * ESPN+ W 52–027,124
September 86:00 p.m.at Coastal Carolina *ESPN+L 24–479,776
September 1512:00 p.m. Tulane *
  • Legion Field
  • Birmingham, AL
Stadium W 31–2421,991
September 296:00 p.m. Charlotte
  • Legion Field
  • Birmingham, AL
ESPN3 W 28–725,395
October 66:00 p.m.at Louisiana Tech StadiumW 28–718,983
October 1312:00 p.m.at Rice ESPN+W 42–018,916
October 206:30 p.m. North Texas Dagger-14-plain.png
  • Legion Field
  • Birmingham, AL
beIN W 29–2128,014
October 276:30 p.m.at UTEP ESPN+W 19–010,787
November 36:30 p.m. UTSA
  • Legion Field
  • Birmingham, AL
beINW 52–317,605
November 106:30 p.m. Southern Miss
  • Legion Field
  • Birmingham, AL
beINW 26–23 OT25,618
November 176:00 p.m.at Texas A&M * ESPN2 L 20–4197,584
November 242:00 p.m.at Middle Tennessee ESPN3L 3–2714,411
December 11:30 p.m.at Middle Tennessee
CBSSN W 27–2515,806
December 186:00 p.m.vs. Northern Illinois * ESPN W 37–1322,614
  • *Non-conference game
  • Dagger-14-plain.pngHomecoming
  • All times are in Central time

[11]

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP RVRVRVRVRVRV
Coaches RVRVRVRVRV25RVRVRV
CFP Not releasedNot released

Game summaries

Savannah State

1234Total
Tigers00000
Blazers721101452

At Coastal Carolina

1234Total
Blazers14100024
Chanticleers71372047

Tulane

1234Total
Green Wave0714324
Blazers7143731

Charlotte

1234Total
49ers00077
Blazers1470728

At Louisiana Tech

1234Total
Blazers0771428
Bulldogs70007

At Rice

1234Total
Blazers141414042
Owls00000

North Texas

1234Total
Mean Green7140021
Blazers3791029

At UTEP

1234Total
Blazers1002719
Miners00000

UTSA

1234Total
Roadrunners30003
Blazers21177752

Southern Miss

1234OTTotal
Golden Eagles7607323
Blazers07130626

At Texas A&M

1234Total
Blazers7001320
Aggies141010741

At Middle Tennessee

1234Total
Blazers30003
Blue Raiders0137727

At Middle Tennessee (C-USA Championship game)

1234Total
Blazers3210327
Blue Raiders1336325

Vs. Northern Illinois (Boca Raton Bowl)

1234Total
Huskies733013
Blazers101710037

References

  1. "Rimington Trophy Press Release". May 30, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  2. "2018 Maxwell Award Watch List". July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  3. "2018 Doak Walker Award Candidates". July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  4. "2018 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Released" (PDF). July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  5. "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  6. Carbone, Al (July 27, 2018). "Walter Camp Football Foundation Announces 2018 Player of the Year Preseason "Watch List"" . Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  7. "Watch List for 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award ® Presented by A. O. Smith Announced". August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  8. "Manning Award: See which quarterbacks made the preseason watch list for 2018". August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  9. "FB: 2018 Preseason Awards". July 16, 2018.
  10. "FB: Preseason Media Poll". July 17, 2018.
  11. "2018 UAB Football Schedule | Blazers | FBSchedules.com". FB Schedules. Retrieved April 6, 2018.