11-16-2005, 03:36 PM
Since everybody is in a bad mood regarding football, I'll start today with the "no shows." Remember, this list is only for the I-A era and does not include any games prior to 1996.
NO-SHOWS
These were games people thought UAB would have a legitimate or at least reasonable chance to win, but they were ugly blowouts from the start. I am not including games like the thumpings by Virginia Tech or Florida. Those were not realistic opportunities for UAB to get a big win for the program.
1. Louisiana-Lafayette 34, UAB 0
Sept. 21, 2002
Where have thou gone, Steel Shield? One week after nearly upsetting Pittsburgh at Legion Field, the Blazers went to Cajun land and suffered an embarrassing beatdown against a team they had destroyed in the three most recent meetings. Thomas Cox was ineffective and freshman Darrell Hackney couldn't do much either as he played hurt. UAB let the Cajuns hit a TD pass just before halftime to make it 10-0, and then in a driving rainstorm played like they didn't want to be there in the second half. Ugly, ugly, ugly.
2. USF 45, UAB 20
Nov. 3, 2004
What a harbinger of things to come. Amazingly, UAB was driving in for what might've been a dagger in the Bulls' hearts in this rain-soaked game. USF was in complete disarray, a player had already been sent to the locker room by Coach Jim Leavitt for a meltdown on the sideline and Roddy White was on his way into the end zo ... ooops. Fumble! USF recovers. USF scores. And then they score again, and again, and UAB melts down in one of the most stunning fourth-quarter collapses ever witnessed at Legion Field. It seemed as if the Bulls scored more points than there were people in the stands. Easily the worst single quarter in UAB's football history, and a sad omen for what this team would do over the next 13 games whenever hit with some adversity.
3. Wake Forest 47, UAB 3
Oct. 23, 1999
UAB went to Wake thinking they might have a chance to knock off a bottom-rung ACC team. They were riding high after a thrilling OT win at Cincinnati where Jake Arians kicked a game-winning FG after Rick Minter foolishly took the ball out of his best player's hands -- RB Robert Cooper, who had run wild in the second half after UAB had blown a 21-0 lead -- in the extra session. So, they get to Wake and get blown out the stadium in the first quarter. One of the ugly, ugly beatdowns UAB has ever faced, because Wake was hardly Florida or Virginia Tech.
4. Memphis 38, UAB 14
Oct. 9, 1999
This was UAB's homecoming, and after decent showings vs. Missouri and Va. Tech, and wins over Houston and La-Monroe, this figured to be an opportunity for a major step forward. Instead, the Blazers played horrible and never were in the game. IMO, this was one of the games where you first started hearing some major grumbings about Watson Brown.
5. Louisiana Tech 41, UAB 20
Nov. 13, 1999
Facing La. Tech at Legion Field with a chance to remain bowl eligible, the Blazers put on their black jerseys and then got blacked out by Tim Rattay and his merry band of pass catchers. UAB never came close to slowing down the Bulldogs.
6. South Carlina 42, UAB 10
Sept. 20, 2003
The Blazers went up to Columbia thinking they could at least be competitive with a mediocre Lou Holtz team, but the news that Pat Sullivan had cancer threw them completely off track. They were never in this one as Demetrius Summers ran wild.
7. Houston 56, UAB 28
Nov. 29, 2003
Bowl eligiblity hung in the balance for the winner. Despite and up-and-down season marked by the loss of Darrell Hackney to a broken thumb, the Blazers went to Houston with a chance to steal the Hawaii Bowl berth by knocking off the Cougars. Houston never had beaten UAB and the year earlier had been blown out of Legion Field 51-34. But this time, UAB had no answer for the Cougars' offense, and ended yet another year with a bowl slipping from their grasp on the final weekend of the season.
8. Louisville 38, UAB 17
Oct. 7, 2000
UAB had beaten LSU and had just demolished Louisiana-Lafayette 47-2. This was for the early lead in C-USA, but Dave Ragone and the Cardinals came to Legion Field and dominated from start to finish.
9. Louisiana Tech 54, UAB 23
Oct. 17, 1998
UAB had nearly beaten Tech the two previous years in two of the more thrilling games ever played by the Blazers. But this time, they had no answers for Tim Rattay and Robert Edwards and were out of this one before halftime. This was the game where Watson decided he didn't want to have Tech on the schedule much longer.
10. Vanderbilt 30, UAB 15
Nov. 2, 1996
Don't be fooled by the score. UAB scored on the last play of the game to make it somewhat respectable, but the Blazers never were in this one. It was Watson's return to Vanderbilt, and for whatever reason (maybe it was the earlier respectable showing vs. Auburn) a lot of people actually were picking UAB to upset the Commodores. That probably was neither fair nor realistic. It also was nowhere near accurate as this was a physical domination by the 'Dores.
NO-SHOWS
These were games people thought UAB would have a legitimate or at least reasonable chance to win, but they were ugly blowouts from the start. I am not including games like the thumpings by Virginia Tech or Florida. Those were not realistic opportunities for UAB to get a big win for the program.
1. Louisiana-Lafayette 34, UAB 0
Sept. 21, 2002
Where have thou gone, Steel Shield? One week after nearly upsetting Pittsburgh at Legion Field, the Blazers went to Cajun land and suffered an embarrassing beatdown against a team they had destroyed in the three most recent meetings. Thomas Cox was ineffective and freshman Darrell Hackney couldn't do much either as he played hurt. UAB let the Cajuns hit a TD pass just before halftime to make it 10-0, and then in a driving rainstorm played like they didn't want to be there in the second half. Ugly, ugly, ugly.
2. USF 45, UAB 20
Nov. 3, 2004
What a harbinger of things to come. Amazingly, UAB was driving in for what might've been a dagger in the Bulls' hearts in this rain-soaked game. USF was in complete disarray, a player had already been sent to the locker room by Coach Jim Leavitt for a meltdown on the sideline and Roddy White was on his way into the end zo ... ooops. Fumble! USF recovers. USF scores. And then they score again, and again, and UAB melts down in one of the most stunning fourth-quarter collapses ever witnessed at Legion Field. It seemed as if the Bulls scored more points than there were people in the stands. Easily the worst single quarter in UAB's football history, and a sad omen for what this team would do over the next 13 games whenever hit with some adversity.
3. Wake Forest 47, UAB 3
Oct. 23, 1999
UAB went to Wake thinking they might have a chance to knock off a bottom-rung ACC team. They were riding high after a thrilling OT win at Cincinnati where Jake Arians kicked a game-winning FG after Rick Minter foolishly took the ball out of his best player's hands -- RB Robert Cooper, who had run wild in the second half after UAB had blown a 21-0 lead -- in the extra session. So, they get to Wake and get blown out the stadium in the first quarter. One of the ugly, ugly beatdowns UAB has ever faced, because Wake was hardly Florida or Virginia Tech.
4. Memphis 38, UAB 14
Oct. 9, 1999
This was UAB's homecoming, and after decent showings vs. Missouri and Va. Tech, and wins over Houston and La-Monroe, this figured to be an opportunity for a major step forward. Instead, the Blazers played horrible and never were in the game. IMO, this was one of the games where you first started hearing some major grumbings about Watson Brown.
5. Louisiana Tech 41, UAB 20
Nov. 13, 1999
Facing La. Tech at Legion Field with a chance to remain bowl eligible, the Blazers put on their black jerseys and then got blacked out by Tim Rattay and his merry band of pass catchers. UAB never came close to slowing down the Bulldogs.
6. South Carlina 42, UAB 10
Sept. 20, 2003
The Blazers went up to Columbia thinking they could at least be competitive with a mediocre Lou Holtz team, but the news that Pat Sullivan had cancer threw them completely off track. They were never in this one as Demetrius Summers ran wild.
7. Houston 56, UAB 28
Nov. 29, 2003
Bowl eligiblity hung in the balance for the winner. Despite and up-and-down season marked by the loss of Darrell Hackney to a broken thumb, the Blazers went to Houston with a chance to steal the Hawaii Bowl berth by knocking off the Cougars. Houston never had beaten UAB and the year earlier had been blown out of Legion Field 51-34. But this time, UAB had no answer for the Cougars' offense, and ended yet another year with a bowl slipping from their grasp on the final weekend of the season.
8. Louisville 38, UAB 17
Oct. 7, 2000
UAB had beaten LSU and had just demolished Louisiana-Lafayette 47-2. This was for the early lead in C-USA, but Dave Ragone and the Cardinals came to Legion Field and dominated from start to finish.
9. Louisiana Tech 54, UAB 23
Oct. 17, 1998
UAB had nearly beaten Tech the two previous years in two of the more thrilling games ever played by the Blazers. But this time, they had no answers for Tim Rattay and Robert Edwards and were out of this one before halftime. This was the game where Watson decided he didn't want to have Tech on the schedule much longer.
10. Vanderbilt 30, UAB 15
Nov. 2, 1996
Don't be fooled by the score. UAB scored on the last play of the game to make it somewhat respectable, but the Blazers never were in this one. It was Watson's return to Vanderbilt, and for whatever reason (maybe it was the earlier respectable showing vs. Auburn) a lot of people actually were picking UAB to upset the Commodores. That probably was neither fair nor realistic. It also was nowhere near accurate as this was a physical domination by the 'Dores.