UAB's interesting achievements
Found this story out of Birmingham to be interesting.
UAB Blazers go out winners in unprecedented season
By Joseph Goodman | jgoodman@al.com
It was the end of an unprecedented season, but the beginning of yet another new tradition for the UAB Blazers.
Winning bowl games.
For the first time in program history, but in just the second season back from the dead, the resurrected, fire-breathing Blazers of Birmingham won a postseason game, defeating Mid-American Conference champion Northern Illinois 37-13 on Tuesday night in the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl.
What a special night for a team that has given us a story unlike anything we’ve seen in college football.
Pinch yourself, Blazers. It really happened. All of it. First there was the “The Return,” and then the Conference USA championship, and now this. The Blazers won 11 games this season. The previous school record was eight, and that mark was set last year.
UAB's Xavier Ubosi caps career with big performance
What’s next? Here’s an idea. Give this team a parade through the streets of Birmingham. Give this city something to celebrate when the Blazers return home.
This team deserves it, and so does a city that fought for this moment.
Will someone please throw these Blazers a party.
For one night this bowl season, UAB had the national college football stage to itself. The Southside Dragons delivered their best performance of the year. The offense has never been better, and the defense fought for everything until the very end.
“I absolutely love the physicality of UAB,” said ESPN color analyst Desmond Howard after one of the season’s defining defensive plays.
UAB was leading by 24 points in the fourth quarter, but NIU was in the red zone and a score seemed imminent with NIU running back Jordan Nettles rushing for the goal line. Nope. Out of nowhere, UAB sophomore linebacker Luke Brasher hammered Nettles as he reached for the score. The ball flew out of the end zone for a touchback.
That was the standard this season for UAB. The Blazers led Conference USA in scoring defense, allowing an average of just 17.3 points per game. UAB had three shutouts, which led the FBS.
NIU rushed for 87 yards, or 84 yards below its season average.
Defensive linemen like Anthony Rush, Quindarius Thagard and Jamell Garcia-Williams set a new gold standard for UAB’s football program. Linebacker Chris Woolbright was relentless all season, and again in the bowl game (nine tackles). Strong safety Mar’Sean Diggs (10 tackles) erased everything.
All those players are seniors. All of those players took a chance on UAB when the program was nothing, just the dream of this half-crazy coach who refused to go away. Why does this defense play with so much passion? Look who’s in charge.
“I’m proud of our seniors who believed in us when we didn’t even have a program,” UAB coach Bill Clark said in his post-game interview with ESPN.
Quarter-by-quarter look at UAB's first bowl win
Clark was in a difficult situation when got the green light to restart the program. He had to build fan support immediately. To do it, he brought in one junior college player after another. He made them believe in year one, and made them champions in year two.
That’s good coaching.
UAB’s defense loses a lot of players next season, but something tells me it’s going to be OK on the Southside.
And the offense? That was a redshirt freshman quarterback out there making Lane Kiffin jealous on FAU’s home field. UAB quarterback Tyler Johnston finished with 373 yards passing and four touchdowns. Starting running back Spencer Brown will be a junior next season.
The offense loses all of its star receivers, but there is talent to build around. And building is what Clark, UAB’s national coach of the year, does best.
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