2004 UAB Football Preview

Nigel Eldridge

With a roster laden with an abundance of seniors and juniors, many of whom with starting experience, it¹s no surprise that there¹s plenty of optimism around the UAB Blazers these days as they look ahead to the 2004 football season.

The Blazers return 21 of 25 starters overall (including specialists), including 10 of 11 on the defensive side, from last year¹s 5-7 UAB team that suffered a rash of depth chart-unsettling injuries for the second
consecutive season. But even with several key performers sidelined down the stretch, the Blazers were still only a win away from finding themselves in a postseason bowl game. Coming close again to earning the program’s elusive first-ever bowl berth can only provide incentive for head coach Watson Brown’s team this fall.

Of course, if there¹s a plus side to the injuries UAB has encountered the past two years, it¹s been that many of the Blazers¹ younger players have gained significant playing time earlier than they would have otherwise.

UAB has substantial returning experience at virtually every area of the team except one, albeit an important one, the offensive line. The Blazers lost just four seniors from last season but three of them were starters on the offensive line.

That¹s one reason Brown and his coaching staff signed four junior college offensive linemen in its most recent recruiting class, hoping the new additions can make an early impact with their experience at the JUCO level.

Since UAB became a football-playing member of Conference USA in 1999, the Blazers have the conference¹s third-best record in league play. UAB has consistently been among the conference¹s upper division and there’s plenty of reason to believe the Blazers will contend again this season.

OFFENSE
The UAB offense was dealt a major blow in the seventh game of the 2003 season when quarterback Darrell Hackney (6-2, 235, Jr.), one of C-USA’s top talents at the position, was lost for the season with a thumb injury.

Hackney, who will be a junior in 2004, fell on his thumb in the third quarter of the Blazers¹ October game at TCU with UAB leading the at-the-time, undefeated and nationally-ranked Horned Frogs, 27-24.

A season earlier as a redshirt freshman, Hackney split signal-calling duty for nearly half the season with senior Thomas Cox. By the latter half of the 2002 campaign, Hackney had already emerged as the undisputed starter at quarterback but he battled several nagging injuries.

Despite starting only 14 games and battling injuries in both of his seasons, Hackney has thrown for 3,636 yards and 23 touchdowns in his two-year career.

The Blazers, along with their fans, are anxious to see what a healthy Hackney can do over the course of an entire season.

There’s no question UAB is better off at quarterback than a year ago when Hackney was the lone signal-caller with any experience at all. Curtis Falany (6-2, 205, So.) and Chris Williams (5-11, 195, So.) were pushed into duty and gained valuable experience after Hackney¹s injury last October.

In addition, Brown and his staff went out and signed one of the nation’s most highly-touted junior college quarterbacks from last fall in Chad Wilmott (6-4, 215, Jr.). Wilmott, from Wichita, Kan., earned first-team NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) All-America honors after leading Butler County (Kan.) Community College to the national junior college championship in 2003.

With the addition of Wilmott and the return of Falany and Williams to back up Hackney, depth at the QB position is vastly improved.

The Blazers also return all of their skill position players, including wide receiver Roddy White (6-3, 205, Sr.) who has caught 78 passes for 1,424 yards and 10 TDs the past two seasons. Bradly Chavez (6-0, 195, Sr.) emerged last season as a dependable receiver for UAB, catching 22 passes for a 16.2 average per catch.

Nick Coon (6-2, 180, So.) made a huge splash in his first season with the Blazers and starting with his game-winning 50-yard touchdown catch in the season-opening win at Baylor, he showed he had a knack for the big play. Coon, who started the season¹s last five games, caught only 10 passes during the season, but three of them were for scores and he averaged a staggering 36.2 yards per reception.

Lance Rhodes (5-10, 185, Jr.) saw action last season, his first at UAB after transferring from Arizona State, as both a receiver and on punt returns. Rhodes finished the year with 10 catches for 174 yards and a touchdown. The Blazers are also expecting an increased contribution from Carl Duncan (5-9, 180, Jr.) and Jason Southall (5-9, 175, Sr.) at the receiver position.

One of the Blazers¹ JC signees and early enrollees is wide receiver Reggie Lindsey (5-10, 185, Jr.). Lindsey is expected to make his presence known at receiver and in the punt return game.

The running game also has increased depth from last season. Dan Burks (6-0, 205, So.), who had entered the 2003 fall drills as the apparent starter at running back, had a preseason hamstring problem and then later injured his shoulder. The shoulder injury cut his season short and limited his production in 2003 to just 23 carries for 90 yards.

Burks has some very capable competition in the backfield in Corey White (6-2, 225, So.), Bo Moncur (6-0, 210, So.) and Trey Chaney (5-8, 190, So.).

White saw more playing time as the season progressed, starting the final two contests of the season. He finished with 77 attempts for 332 yards and four touchdowns, rushing for 325 yards over the Blazers¹ last three games, including 138 vs. Tulane and 123 vs. Houston.

Moncur had a great start to last season, rushing for 136 yards in the season-opening win at Baylor. But he also battled a shoulder injury and he finished with 325 yards on 76 carries. It was the walk-on Chaney who started five games at midseason and concluded the season as the team’s leading rusher with 479 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Cedric Hampton (6-3, 275, Jr.) returns at tight end along with Sam Dudley (6-3, 265, Sr.) who was moved to the defensive line late in the 2003 season because the defensive front had become so thin because of injuries.

There¹s no doubt the biggest question mark around the offense centers around the offensive line. The Blazers lost a combined 35 starts from a season ago with the departure of senior trio Larry Coachman, Wilbert Hamilton and Artavious Williams. The only returning starters for UAB are center Matt Batusic (6-3, 295, Jr.) and Andy Galloway (6-5, 310, Sr.), the latter a preseason All-Conference USA selection the past two seasons.

Marcel Binion (6-4, 320, Sr.) and Cornelius Rogers (6-4, 320, So.) are two expected to assume starting roles on the line after getting their feet wet in backup roles last fall. Jamarius Dismuke (6-5, 320, R-Fr.) could make an impact on the line, but he will seeing his first action as a Blazer.

Two newcomers, Adam Truitt (6-4, 290, Fr.) and Tommie Keyes (6-0, 295, Jr.) are also looking to make first-year contributions. Truitt signed with the Blazers in February of 2003 but during the subsequent summer, he was injured practicing for the Alabama North-South All-Star Game. He sat out last fall and enrolled at UAB in January as did Keyes who comes to Birmingham by way of Jones County, Miss., JC).

DEFENSE
A trio of linebackers, all with all-star capabilities, led a UAB defense that returns all but one starter from last season.

Zac Woodfin (6-2, 240, Sr.), Nigel Eldridge (6-2, 235, Sr.) and Gaylon Black (6-1, 230, Sr.) combined for 342 tackles last season with Woodfin (149 stops) and Eldridge (125 tackles) leading the way.

Woodfin, a first-team All-Conference USA selection in 2003, is one of the top linebackers in the country and will enter the new season as the nation’s No. 2 returning tackler. Woodfin was a Butkus Award nominee last fall and has already been tabbed to the preseason Lombardi Award list for 2004.

Eldridge wasn’t far behind his teammate in tackles and also had 4.5 tackles for loss and a sack during the season. Black contributed 68 tackles and four tackles for loss in 2003. Darrius Taylor (6-0, 235, Sr.) and DeMarcus Rodgers (6-1, 235, Sr.) lead the backups at linebacker after registering 60 and 53 tackles, respectively, for the Blazer defense last fall.

Senior nose tackle Shamar Abrams (6-1, 320) is the leading returning tackler among the defensive linemen as he ranked third on the team with 86 stops, including a team-high 10 tackles for loss. Sam Kendrick (6-5, 265, Jr.) is expected to start at one of the defensive end positions while Sam Williamson (6-5, 295, Jr.) is back at tackle after both missed the latter half of last season due to injuries.

Jermaine McElveen (6-5, 245, So.) made quite an impression in his first season at UAB, earning C-USA All-Freshman honors and Freshman All-America honors after recording 63 tackles, including a team-leading six sacks. David Miller (6-3, 265, So.) and Kyle Bissinger (6-3, 255, So.), a converted quarterback, are listed as tbe backups at defensive end entering spring practice.

Ernest Respress (6-5, 300, Jr.), who had 34 tackles, and his brother Clarence Respress (6-5, 305, So.), who signed with the Blazers last December out of Butler County Community College, will add depth to the defensive front this season. The Blazers are also hopeful that Tony Haynes-Dalton (6-4, 285, So.), a transfer from East Tennessee State, will make an early contribution on the line.

Chris Mason, who started 10 of 12 games last season, is the only Blazer defensive starter from 2003 not returning for the coming season. Mason, due to his problems with concussions, will not play this season.

The secondary has a significant amount of experience returning. Bobby Keyes (6-0, 185, Sr.) and Carlos Hendricks (5-10, 190, Sr.) are listed as the starters at cornerback heading into spring drills. Keyes made a great impact in the secondary in his first season at UAB, recording 50 tackles and picking off a pair of passes.

The Blazers are also optimistic that Dio Hill (5-11, 180, Sr.) who was hampered by a foot ailment last season and never played healthy has heeled and will return to his form of two years ago when he was one of the team’s top defensive backs.

Julius Wainwright (6-2, 190, Jr.) enjoyed a solid season at safety for UAB, finishing the 2003 campaign as the team’s No. 4 tackler (78 tackles).

Dominique Cosper (5-11, 190, Jr.) and Justin Whitmore (6-0, 180, Jr.) contributed greatly in 2003, accounting for a combined 100 tackles from the safety position. Whitmore earned C-USA Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors for his performance in the Blazers¹ narrow loss at Georgia in October.

Brown and the Blazers will also welcome back senior strong safety Thurman Pearson (6-1, 190, Sr.) who missed all of the 2003 season with a knee injury. Pearson recorded 99 tackles in 2002 and his return will give the UAB secondary an added boost.

Brandon Register (5-11, 185, So.) saw limited action as a redshirt freshman but did start a pair of early-season games. Jhun Cook (5-10, 190, Jr.), one of the Blazers¹ more athletic players, makes the switch from wide receiver to cornerback and the UAB coaches will have a close eye on his progress in the spring.

SPECIAL TEAMS
UAB also returns all of its specialists from last season, including Groza Award candidate placekicker Nick Hayes (6-1, 180, Sr.). Hayes, an All-America candidate in 2004, has been one of Conference USA¹s top kickers the past two seasons and enters his final year with the Blazers having made 44-of-57 career field goals and 72-of-73 extra points.

Parker Mullins (5-11, 180, So.) performed admirably last fall in his first action at UAB, averaging 41.1 yards in 72 punts. John Newton (5-10, 205, Sr.) is expected to return to his snapper duties after suffering a serious leg injury late in the 2003 season.

The return game appears solid with Jason Southall and Jhun Cook leading the way among the kick returners while the punt return options include Lance Rhodes, Carlos Hendricks, Reggie Lindsey and Southall.

SCHEDULE
The Blazers again will face a formidable schedule in 2004 as schools return to the 11-game slate. The non-conference schedule for UAB includes games against teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (Florida State), Big XII (Baylor) and Southeastern Conference (Mississippi State).

UAB will play home C-USA games against Houston, Memphis, USF and TCU. The Blazers will play league road games at Army, Cincinnati, Southern Miss and Tulane.

The Blazers open the 2004 season on Saturday, Sept. 4 as they play host to Baylor at Legion Field.