09-19-2005, 07:54 AM
Worn out, UAB has bye week to get rested, healthy
Monday, September 19, 2005
Steve Irvine
News Staff writer
UAB played the final quarter of Saturday night's win over Jacksonville State like a team in need of rest.
The Blazers scored once in the fourth quarter. Jacksonville State scored three touchdowns and were one wrong bounce on an onside kick from getting a chance to score another with less than a minute remaining in the 35-28 UAB victory.
Lose the fourth quarter to say Tennessee--which the Blazers did not--and most point to fatigue because of the Volunteers' superior depth. Lose the fourth quarter to a Division I-AA team and using fatigue as a factor sounds a bit surprising.
But UAB head coach Watson Brown said afterward that his team desperately needs some rest. And he welcomes next week's bye with open arms.
"I'm not sure we could go next week," Brown said. "We're reallty tired. Maybe I second-guess myself a little bit. Mabe we should have backed off a little during the week, but I think injuries have a lot to do with it."
The list of injured players at key positions. Starting running back Dan Burks has a sore hamstring. Starting defensive tackle Sam Williamson hurt a knee on his first play Saturday and reserve defensive end Tony Haynes-Dalton hurt a hamstring not long afterward. Starting wide receiver Reggie Lindsey spent much of Friday night sick while starting quarterback Darrell Hackney missed one series on Saturday with swelling in a knee. Starting middle linebacker Mataski Smith is hobbled with a sprained ankle.
Injuries add woes
The injuries suffered by Williamson, Haynes-Dalton, and defensive end Jermaine McElveen, who is out with a wrist injury, mess up the revolving door rotation along the defensive front that worked so well in the first two games. The extra work showed in the fourth quarter.
"We don't play defensive linemen very long in games and they had to go more because of all the injuries," Brown said.
Several other players have bumps and bruises not serious enough to show up on an injury report but nagging enough to welcome a little rest.
Fighting injuries after three weeks of the season is a way of life for teams throughout the country. Fighting fatigue after three weeks of an 11-game regular season seems alarming.
"I can't tell you why, I'm just telling you we're a tired team," Brown said.
Then he offered a reason.
"I think we've put a lot on the table in the last three weeks," Brown said. "We've played Tennessee and two teams (from the state) that wanted us in the worst way. So it's been three big emotional games for us."
There are plenty of other emotional stretches now that UAB is ready to begin Conference USA play. The Blazers have home games against Rice and SMU once they resume play. Then they play at Marshall at home against Southern Miss in a six-day period before travelling to Memphis 11 days after taking on the Golden Eagles. The closing stretch of a home game against UCF and trips to UTEP and East Carolina also won't be easy.
That's why UAB needs to take advantage of the opportunity to rest this week.
"The off week plays right into our hand because we have some guys injured," said defensive end Larry McSwain. "It gives us time to get those guys back and get our team back the way we were when we played Tennessee."
sirvine@bhamnews.com
Monday, September 19, 2005
Steve Irvine
News Staff writer
UAB played the final quarter of Saturday night's win over Jacksonville State like a team in need of rest.
The Blazers scored once in the fourth quarter. Jacksonville State scored three touchdowns and were one wrong bounce on an onside kick from getting a chance to score another with less than a minute remaining in the 35-28 UAB victory.
Lose the fourth quarter to say Tennessee--which the Blazers did not--and most point to fatigue because of the Volunteers' superior depth. Lose the fourth quarter to a Division I-AA team and using fatigue as a factor sounds a bit surprising.
But UAB head coach Watson Brown said afterward that his team desperately needs some rest. And he welcomes next week's bye with open arms.
"I'm not sure we could go next week," Brown said. "We're reallty tired. Maybe I second-guess myself a little bit. Mabe we should have backed off a little during the week, but I think injuries have a lot to do with it."
The list of injured players at key positions. Starting running back Dan Burks has a sore hamstring. Starting defensive tackle Sam Williamson hurt a knee on his first play Saturday and reserve defensive end Tony Haynes-Dalton hurt a hamstring not long afterward. Starting wide receiver Reggie Lindsey spent much of Friday night sick while starting quarterback Darrell Hackney missed one series on Saturday with swelling in a knee. Starting middle linebacker Mataski Smith is hobbled with a sprained ankle.
Injuries add woes
The injuries suffered by Williamson, Haynes-Dalton, and defensive end Jermaine McElveen, who is out with a wrist injury, mess up the revolving door rotation along the defensive front that worked so well in the first two games. The extra work showed in the fourth quarter.
"We don't play defensive linemen very long in games and they had to go more because of all the injuries," Brown said.
Several other players have bumps and bruises not serious enough to show up on an injury report but nagging enough to welcome a little rest.
Fighting injuries after three weeks of the season is a way of life for teams throughout the country. Fighting fatigue after three weeks of an 11-game regular season seems alarming.
"I can't tell you why, I'm just telling you we're a tired team," Brown said.
Then he offered a reason.
"I think we've put a lot on the table in the last three weeks," Brown said. "We've played Tennessee and two teams (from the state) that wanted us in the worst way. So it's been three big emotional games for us."
There are plenty of other emotional stretches now that UAB is ready to begin Conference USA play. The Blazers have home games against Rice and SMU once they resume play. Then they play at Marshall at home against Southern Miss in a six-day period before travelling to Memphis 11 days after taking on the Golden Eagles. The closing stretch of a home game against UCF and trips to UTEP and East Carolina also won't be easy.
That's why UAB needs to take advantage of the opportunity to rest this week.
"The off week plays right into our hand because we have some guys injured," said defensive end Larry McSwain. "It gives us time to get those guys back and get our team back the way we were when we played Tennessee."
sirvine@bhamnews.com