UAB Blazers at #5/#10 Oklahoma

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1 UAB Blazers at #5/#10 Oklahoma Sept. 2, :00 p.m. CDT TBS Norman, Okla. Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial (82,112) W E E K U A B F O O T B A L L G A M E N O T E S 2006 Schedule Sept. 2 at Oklahoma (TBS) 6:00 p.m. Sept. 9 *EAST CAROLINA 6:00 p.m. Sept. 16 at Georgia 1:00 p.m. Sept. 23 MISSISSIPPI STATE 6:00 p.m. Sept. 30 TROY (HC) 6:00 p.m. Oct. 7 *MEMPHIS 6:00 p.m. Oct. 14 *at Rice (CSTV) 5:00 p.m. Oct. 21 *MARSHALL 6:00 p.m. Oct. 31 *at SMU (ESPN2) 6:30 p.m. Nov. 10 *UTEP (ESPN2) 7:00 p.m. Nov. 18 *at Southern Miss (CSTV) 7:00 p.m. Nov. 25 *at UCF 1:00 p.m. * Conference USA Game HC - Homecoming All starting times are LOCAL UAB Quick Facts Location... Birmingham, Ala. Founded Nickname... Blazers Colors... Forest Green & Old Gold Enrollment... 16,572 President... Dr. Carol Z. Garrison Interim AD... Richard Margison Conference... Conference USA Stadium... Legion Field (72,000) Head Coach... Watson Brown Career Record (22nd year) Record at UAB (12th year) 2005 Record C-USA Record (5th, C-USA East) Radio Blazers ISP Sports Network Cory Provus, play-by-play Kevin Drake, color analyst Jake Arians, sideline Television TBS (live) Ron Thulin, play-by-play Charles Davis, color analyst Craig Sager, sideline UAB Opens 2006 Season At Nationally-Ranked Oklahoma UAB opens its 2006 season its 11th year of Division I-A football this Saturday, Sept. 2 when the Blazers travel to Norman, Okla. to take on the No. 5-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. The game will be televised nationally by TBS. This is the second consecutive season in which UAB has opened its season against a top-five ranked opponent. Last year, the Blazers began the 2005 campaign with a road game at No. 3-ranked Tennessee, falling in a tight contest to the Volunteers, Watson Brown, entering his 12th year at the helm of the UAB program, returns to Norman where he was the Sooners offensive coordinator from This will be the first meeting between UAB and Oklahoma. UAB In Season Openers UAB is 5-10 in season openers since it started its football program in 1991 competing at the Division III level. As a Division I-A member, the Blazers are 4-6 in season-opening games. Two of those four victories have come against Big 12 competition as UAB defeated Baylor (24-19) at Waco in 2003 and the Bears again (56-14) a season later in Birmingham. UAB s game at Oklahoma Saturday will mark the fifth time in the past 10 years that the Blazers have opened a season at a Big 12 opponent. UAB also opened at Kansas in 1997, Nebraska in 1998, Missouri in 1999 and Baylor in UAB Vs. Big 12 UAB is currently 2-6 against Big 12 Conference competition with both wins coming against Baylor (24-19 at Waco in 2003 and in Birmingham in 2004). The Blazers have also played Kansas (0-4), Nebraska (0-1) and Missouri (0-1). Sept. 24, 1994 Kansas 72, *UAB 0 at Lawrence, Kan. Aug. 28, 1997 Kansas 24, UAB 0 at Lawrence, Kan. Sept. 26, 1998 Kansas 39, UAB 37 (4 OTs) at Birmingham, Ala. Sept. 5, 1998 Nebraska 38, UAB 7 at Lincoln, Neb. Sept. 16, 2000 Kansas 23, UAB 20 at Lawrence, Kan. Sept. 4, 1999 Missouri 31, UAB 28 at Columbia, Mo. Aug. 30, 2003 UAB 24, Baylor 19 at Waco, Texas Sept. 4, 2004 UAB 56, Baylor 14 at Birmingham, Ala. Series History Saturday s meeting is the first between UAB and Oklahoma. Television Exposure The contest at Oklahoma will be televised nationally by TBS, marking the first time UAB has appeared on the national cable network based in Atlanta. The Blazers are also slated to appear on national television four other times in 2006 (Oct. 14 at Rice on CSTV, Oct. 31 at SMU on ESPN2, Nov. 10 vs. UTEP on ESPN2 and Nov. 18 at Southern Miss on Nov Norm Reilly, Associate AD for Media Relations Bartow Arena - West Tower, th Street South, Birmingham, AL (office) (fax) nreilly@uab.edu

2 G A M E 1 U A B A T O K L A H O M A S E P T. 2, UAB COACH WATSON BROWN Watson Brown is in his 12th season at UAB (1995- ) and his 22nd overall as a head coach. Brown is at UAB and overall. Brown has been the primary architect of the Blazers rise from a partialscholarship I-AA program to a full-fledged NCAA Division I-A team with membership in a major football league, Conference USA. The Cookeville, Tenn., native is a 1973 graduate of Vanderbilt, where he was an outstanding quarterback for the Commodores ( ). The 2006 season is Brown s 34th season in the football coaching profession. His previous stops as a head coach include Austin Peay State ( ), Cincinnati (1983), Rice ( ), and Vanderbilt ( ). Brown Year-by-Year Student-Athlete, Vanderbilt 1973 Graduate Asst Coach, Vanderbilt QB Coach, East Carolina Off. Coord., Jacksonville State 1978 Quarterback Coach, Texas Tech 1979 Head Coach, Austin Peay (7-4) 1980 Head Coach, Austin Peay (7-4-) Off. Coordinator, Vanderbilt 1983 Head Coach, Cincinnati (4-6-1) 1984 Head Coach, Rice (1-10) 1985 Head Coach, Rice (3-8) 1986 Head Coach, Vanderbilt (1-10) 1987 Head Coach, Vanderbilt (4-7) 1988 Head Coach, Vanderbilt (3-8) 1989 Head Coach, Vanderbilt (1-10) 1990 Head Coach, Vanderbilt (1-10) Off. Coord., Mississippi State Off. Coord., Oklahoma 1995 Head Coach, UAB (5-6) 1996 Head Coach, UAB (5-6) 1997 Head Coach, UAB (5-6) 1998 Head Coach, UAB (4-7) 1999 Head Coach, UAB (5-6) 2000 Head Coach, UAB (7-4) 2001 Head Coach, UAB (6-5) 2002 Head Coach, UAB (5-7) 2003 Head Coach, UAB (5-7) 2004 Head Coach, UAB (7-5) 2005 Head Coach, UAB (5-6) 2006 Head Coach, UAB (0-0) Overall , (now in 22nd season) At UAB , (now in 12th season) The Coaches Watson Brown (Vanderbilt, 73) is now beginning his 12th season as head coach of the Blazers. He is overall in his 22nd season as a collegiate head coach. Brown became head coach at UAB in 1995 and coached the Blazers one season as a Division I-AA member before making the jump to I-A status. He has also been a head coach at Vanderbilt ( ), Ruce ( ), Cincinnati (1983) and Austin Peay ( ). He spent two season as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma ( ) prior to becoming head coach at UAB. Bob Stoops (Iowa, 83) is in his eighth season with the Sooners. He guided OU to a 13-0 and the national championship in his second season in He has coached the Sooners to three Big 12 Conference titles (2000, 2002 and 2004). He was assistant head coach/defensive coordinator at Florida ( ) prior to assuming the head coaching position at Oklahoma. He is 4-3 in bowl games. Notes On This Week s Opponent Oklahoma is ranked No. 5 nationally in the 2006 preseason USA Today Top 25 coaches poll and No. 10 in the Associated Press preseason top 25. Oklahoma is beginning its 112th season of football competition. The Sooners have won seven national championships, the most recent coming in OU has captured 39 conference titles. Oklahoma ranks No. 7 among programs in bowl appearances with 39 and is third in bowl victories (24). OU has appeared in a bowl every season (7) since Bob Stoops became head coach in Some 141 All-Americans and four Heisman Trophy winners have come from the Oklahoma program. QB Jason White (2003) is the most recent OU Heisman winner. Blazers Face Challenging Schedule In 2006 UAB faces perhaps its most challenging schedule in program history this fall, starting with Saturday s date at fifth-ranked Oklahoma. On the third week of the season Sept. 16th the Blazers will travel to Athens, Ga. to face the 14th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Sandwiched in between the contest with the nationally-ranked Sooners and Bulldogs in a Conference USA opener at home vs. East Carolina. The Blazers also play non-conference games this season vs. Mississippi State and Troy, both at home and both coming before the end of Setember. UAB s C-USA schedule is a flip-flop of the 2005 league slate. It will include home games against Memphis, UTEP, Marshall and East Carolina with road contests at SMU, Rice, Southern Miss and UCF. Blazers Tabbed To Finish 5th In Conference USA East Division Unlike last season when the Blazers were picked to finish among the contenders in the Conference USA race, the expectations are not as high for UAB in 2006 and that s just fine with the Blazers. UAB was picked to finish fifth in the C-USA East Division, according to a summer vote of the league s coaches. UCF, which was picked last a season ago and won the East Division title, was selected to repeat as C-USA division champ. Tulsa was tabbed to win the West Division. Conference USA Preseason Prediction (Coaches Vote) EAST DIVISION Team... Pts. WEST DIVISION Team... Pts. 1. UCF Tulsa Southern Miss UTEP Memphis Houston Marshall SMU UAB Tulane East Carolina Rice... 17

3 G A M E 1 U A B A T O K L A H O M A S E P T. 2, Conference USA Coaches Teleconference (beginning Aug. 28) Teleconference Schedule 1:00 p.m. CDT Players of the Week/Notes 1:05 p.m. CDT Skip Holtz, East Carolina 1:12 p.m. CDT Mark Snyder, Marshall 1:19 p.m. CDT George O'Leary, UCF 1:26 p.m. CDT Jeff Bower, Southern Miss 1:33 p.m. CDT Art Briles, Houston 1:40 p.m. CDT Todd Graham, Rice 1:47 p.m. CDT Phil Bennett, SMU 1:54 p.m. CDT Chris Scelfo, Tulane 2:01 p.m. CDT Watson Brown, UAB 2:08 p.m. CDT Steve Kragthorpe, Tulsa 2:15 p.m. CDT Mike Price, UTEP 2:22 p.m. CDT Tommy West, Memphis The call-in number is (913) A playback of the teleconference is available beginning at 5:00 p.m. CDT each Monday by dialing with a replay passcode of The play will run until the following week s teleconference. Conference USA Weekly Satellite Feed (beginning Sept. 6) 3:00:00 p.m. CDT... East Carolina 3:02:30 p.m. CDT... Houston 3:05:00 p.m. CDT... Marshall 3:07:30 p.m. CDT... Memphis 3:10:00 p.m. CDT... Rice 3:12:30 p.m. CDT... SMU 3:15:00 p.m. CDT... Southern Miss 3:17:30 p.m. CDT... Tulane 3:20:00 p.m. CDT... Tulsa 3:22:30 p.m. CDT... UAB 3:25:00 p.m. CDT... UCF 3:27:30 p.m. CDT... UTEP Satellite Information KU Band GALAXY 11 Transponder 15 Downlink Frequency: (H) Additional questions, please contact Gregg Juhlin of TeamWorks Media at , ext UAB Athletics Website Information on UAB football and Blazer Athletics can be found on the official UAB Athletics Web Site. Fans can listen to UAB football and basketball games through the site as well. UAB GAME WEEK SCHEDULE & MEDIA SERVICES Sunday: The team usually has a meeting and short workout in the afternoon/early evening. Monday: Coach Brown will be available for interviews at his weekly media luncheon, held at the Green & Gold Room (in Bartow Arena) between 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. CST (quotes will be posted on the UAB Athletics website later in the afternoon). The Monday media luncheon is held only during weeks in which the Blazers have an upcoming game. Coach Brown will participate in the weekly Conference USA Coaches Teleconference, from 1:00-2:30 p.m. CST (Coach Brown s time is usually from approximately 2:01-2:08 p.m. CST). The call-in number is (the call is replayed several times during the week; call (402/ replay passcode is ). UAB typically does not practice on Monday. Call the UAB media relations office to confirm practice times. Tuesday: Practice from 3:00 p.m. to approximately 5:00 p.m. CST. Wednesday: Previous weeks game highlights and interviews from all C- USA schools available on the C-USA Weekly Satellite Feed beginning at 3:00 p.m. CST (KU Band, Galaxy 11, Transponder 15). Practice from 3:00 p.m. to approximately 5:00 p.m. CST. Coach Brown will participate in his weekly radio call-in show, Blazers All Access, on WYDE FM in Birmingham and on WIQR-AM 1410 in Montgomery from 6:00-7:00 p.m. CST. Thursday: Practice from 3:00 p.m. to approximately 5:00 p.m. CST. Friday: Travel and practice schedule TBA (check with the UAB media relations office for updates). Saturday: Coach Brown will address the media approximately 15 minutes following the conclusion of the game; the UAB locker room and training room are closed to the media at all times; requested players will be made available following the game, time permitting. Interviews: Contact Associate AD for Media Relations Norm Reilly ( ) or another member of the athletic media relations staff to request coach or player interviews. The best time for interviews is at the conclusion of practice (approximately 5:00 p.m. CST, Tuesday-Wednesday, and 6:30 p.m. CST Sunday); Under normal circumstances, UAB does not practice on Monday. Interviews at other times (e.g. prior to practice) will be arranged by the media relations staff. Media are reminded to notify the media relations staff at least 24 hours in advance of their plans to attend practice and of specific interview requests. UAB Athletic Media Relations Staff (205) Fax - (205) Associate AD Norm Reilly (nreilly@uab.edu) Associate Director Aaron Jordan (jordana@uab.edu) Assistant Director Michelle Cunningham (mcunning@uab.edu) Assistant Director Mark Vellek (markvellek@hotmail.com) Mailing: Bartow Arena - West Tower rd Avenue South Birmingham, AL Shipping: Bartow Arena - West Tower th Street South Birmingham, AL 35294

4 G A M E 1 U A B A T O K L A H O M A S E P T. 2, Road Was Sweeter Than Home In 2005 UAB achieved better results away from home last season than the Blazers did in their games at Legion Field. UAB finished with a 5-6 overall record, but three of those wins came away from home. UAB was 3-3 on the road but finished their 2005 home schedule with a 2-3 mark Home Games (2-3) Sept. 17 Jacksonville State W, Oct. 1 Rice W, Oct. 8 SMU L, Oct. 21 Southern Miss L, Nov. 12 UCF L, Away Games (3-3) Sept. 3 at Tennessee L, Sept. 10 at Troy W, 27-7 Oct. 15 at Marshall L, Nov. 1 at Memphis W, Nov. 19 at UTEP W, Nov. 26 at East Carolina L, Christophel Back As Defensive Coordinator UAB will have a new defensive coordinator when the 2006 season begins, but he s far from being totally new. Rick Christophel takes over the coordinator duties on the defensive side, but Christophel also served in that role during the 2001 season when the Blazers ranked first nationally in rushing yards allowed per game and fifth in total defense. One of the Blazers most versatile coaches, Christophel came to UAB with Watson Brown in Jan., 1995, from Mississippi State, where he was the wide receivers coach four seasons ( ). Plenty Of Blazers With Starting Experience A quick glance at UAB s personnel for the 2006 season may show that there are six returning starters on offense and six back on defense. However, a closer examination indicates that there are actually 13 other Blazers on the roster (9 on defense and 4 on offense) who have started at least one game in their career. McSwain A Popular Blazer Senior defensive end Larry McSwain has had plenty of preseason acclaim coming his way. A senior from Mobile, McSwain is highly-regarded by college football observers. He has already been tabbed the Preseason Defensive Playerof-the-Year in C- USA by the league s head coaches. In addition, he has been named to the Preseason Watch List for the following 2006 awards: Lombardi Award, Lott Trophy, Nagurski Award and Ted Hendricks Award. A two-year starter, McSwain totaled 53 tackles in 2005 and four sacks and five tackles for loss. Two seasons ago in his first campaign at UAB, he burst on the scene and had 56 tackles and an impressive 13 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. He is a two-time, first-team all-conference performer. UAB In The 2005 NCAA Statistics Here are the final NCAA rankings for UAB for the 2005 season both in the team categories as well as individually. Team Rankings Rushing Offense: 64th, Passing Offense: 14th, Total Offense: 21st, Scoring Offense: 52nd, 27.9 Passing Efficiency: 16th, Rushing Defense: 59th, Pass Efficiency Defense: 71st, Pass Defense: 70th, Total Defense: 56th, Scoring Defense: 49th, 24.0 Interceptions: 15th, 16 Net Punting: 113th, 29.9 Punt Returns: 104th, 5.9 Kickoff Returns: 61st, 20.3 Turnover Margin: 20th,.8 Individual Rankings Passing Efficiency: Darrell Hackney, 22nd, Total Offense: Darrell Hackney, 11th, Receiving Yards Per Game: Reggie Lindsey, 26th, Receptions Per Game: Reggie Lindsey, T-62nd, 4.82 All-Purpose Yards Per Game: Reggie Lindsey, 54th, Kickoff Returns: Norris Drinkard, T-59th, Scoring: Parker Mullins, 61st, 7.18 Field Goals: Parker Mullins, 36th, 1.27 Running Game Has Depth And Experience The Blazers certainly appear solid in the running game heading into the 2006 campaign. UAB has four seniors returning in the backfield, including Corey White and Dan Burks, both of whom have seen significant starting duty during their careers. White, Burks, and fellow seniors Marculus Elliott and Trey Chaney have combined for 4,464 yards and 32 touchdowns during their careers. Burks has accounted for 1,845 yards and nine TDs while White has 1,553 and 19 scores. Elliott was stellar late in the 2005 season as he averaged 97 yards over the final three games of the season. Chaney has been a dependable back for the Blazers throughout his career when thrust into action. Last year s game at Troy, a 27-7 UAB victory, was no exception as he ran 15 times for 77 yards. Career Numbers of UAB s Senior Running Backs Name Att. Yards TD Avg. Best Game Dan Burks 378 1, yds. vs. Memphis, 2004 Corey White 313 1, yds. vs. Memphis, 2005 Trey Chaney yds. vs. Cincinnati, 2003 Marculus Elliott yds. vs. UCF, 2005 Blazers Look To Return To C-USA Elite Prior to last season, UAB had recorded three runner-up finishes in the Conference USA standings in the previous six seasons. The most recent second-place effort came in 2004 when UAB finished with a record of 5-3. The Blazers other second-place seasons were in 1999 their inaugural as a football-playing member and in 2001.

5 G A M E 1 U A B A T O K L A H O M A S E P T. 2, C-USA STANDINGS East Division C-USA Overall East Carolina Southern Miss Marshall Memphis UAB UCF West Division C-USA Overall Houston Rice SMU Tulane Tulsa UTEP UPCOMING GAMES Thursday, August 31 Stephen F. Austin at Tulsa UTEP at San Diego State Saturday, September 2 UAB at Oklahoma East Carolina at Navy Houston at Rice Marshall at West Virginia SMU at Texas Tech Southern Miss at Florida Villanova at UCF Sunday, September 3 Memphis at Ole Miss Three Blazers On Preseason All-Conference USA Team; McSwain Named Preseason Defensive Player-of-the-Year UAB had four players named this summer to the preseason All-Conference USA first-team as selected by the league s 12 head coaches. Senior defensive end Larry McSwain was one of the three Blazers tabbed and also was selected as the conference s preseason defensive player-of-the-year. Joining McSwain on the all-league team were senior linebacker Orlandus King and senior offensive tackle Julius Wilson. McSwain has been a first-team choice each of the past two seasons. Wilson was tabbed to the third team in 2005 Preseason Conference USA Honors Offensive Player-of-the-Year: Kevin Kolb, QB, Houston Defensive Player-of-the-Year: Larry McSwain, UAB Special Teams Player-of-the-Year: Darren McCaleb, USM UAB One Of Two Schools With Four Rushers Who Have Eclipsed 100 Yards In A Game UAB is one of only two schools nationally that has four running backs on its roster who has rushed for more than 100 yards in a single game during their careers. Dan Burks, Corey White, Marculus Elliott and Trey Chaney are the Blazer foursome who all have tallied a contest during their career in in which they have eclipsed the century mark. School (Number of rushers with 100-yard game) UAB (4) Dan Burks, Corey White, Marculus Elliott, Trey Chaney Louisiana-Lafayette (4) Arkansas (3) Auburn (3) Boston College (3) California (3) Clemson (3) Duke (3) Illinois (3) Ohio (3) Texas A&M (3) TCU (3) West Virginia (3) Offense Will Have Different Look Minus Hackney Those who have followed UAB football the past few seasons can hardly imagine a Blazer offense without quarterback Darrell Hackney at the controls. But that s what will be the case in 2006 as the Blazers break in a new starting quarterback for the first time in five seasons. To say that the Blazers will miss Hackney and his vast talents would be an understatement. The Atlanta native re-wrote the UAB record book, etched his name prominently in Conference USA annals and also made his mark nationally in amassing huge numbers during his four-year collegiate career. Hackney was a three-time Davey O Brien Award Candidate and was also tabbed to the Watch List for the 2005 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, presented annually to the nation s top senior quarterback, as well as the Maxwell Award which is given each season to college football s outstanding player. He finished his Blazer career with 9,886 yards and 71 touchdown passes. As a senior in 2005, Hackney concluded the season with 3,180 yards and 22 touchdowns. His career-best performance for passing yards came in 2002 when he threw for 424 against East Carolina. His second-best total was 417 vs. Hawai i in the 2004 Sheraton Hawai i Bowl. He tossed a personal-best five TD passes in a 2004 win over TCU. Narrow Defeats Not Characteristic Of UAB In UAB s recent history as a Division I-A member, winning the close games has been synonymous with Blazer football. But that changed drastically in 2005 and the difference in close outcomes played a large role in a season that began with high expectations but ended with disappointment. Close games, no doubt, were a nemesis to the Blazers during the 2005 season. After compiling a record of over the previous five seasons in games decided by eight points or less, UAB was only 1-5 in those contests last season. King Makes Impact In First Season Linebacker Orlandus King certainly made an impact in his his first season at UAB. King was the team leader and also ranked among Conference USA leaders in tackles with 73. He also registered three sacks and had six tackles for loss. He tied for the team lead in interceptions with two. He has been tabbed a preseason first-team All-Conference USA choice by the league s coaches.

6 G A M E 1 U A B A T O K L A H O M A S E P T. 2, Offensive Line Has Experience UAB will enter the 2006 season with significant experience on its offensive line. The Blazers return four of five starters up front, losing only center Matt Batusic a first-team all-conference performer who was a senior in UAB returns tackles Cornelius Rogers and Julius Wilson, both seniors. Quinton Harris, who started last season at right guard, is presently listed No. 2 at that position behind another senior, Alan Leon. Tommie Keys has assumed the starting duties at left tackle. Probably the biggest question on the line is at center where redshirt freshman Jake Seitz takes over for Batusic, a three-year starter. The versatile Adam Truitt, who has seen considerable action in his first two seasons as a backup center and at guard, is presently listed as the backup at right tackle behind Wilson. White Was Leader Of Rushing Game UAB used several different running backs during the course of the 2005 season and was able to register successful results for much of the year. Corey White was the team leader in rushing yards with 632 and also paced the Blazers with seven touchdowns. Dan Burks, who battled injury during the campaign, finished the season with 321 yards and four touchdowns. Marculus Elliott also turned in his most productive work of his career as he finished with 295 yards and an impressive 6.0 yards per carry average. Elliott ran for more than 100 yards in two of the final three games of the season and averaged 97.3 yards in that stretch. Meanwhile, Trey Chaney added to the total with 156 yards on the ground. Eyes Will Be On Quarterback Position With Darrell Hackney now departed, eyes will certainly be checking out the quarterback position for the Blazers. Head coach Watson Brown enters the season with a different plan in 2006 than he s utilized in past seasons with Hackney. He has indicated his plans to use more than one signal-caller, depending on the feel he has in a game. Senior Chris Williams is expected to be the starter when the Blazers open the season Saturday at Oklahoma. Williams, a 5-11, 205-pound senior from New Orleans, has seen limited action at UAB with the majority of his play coming as a redshirt freshman in He connected on 37-of-90 passes for 607 yards and three touchdowns in After no action in 2004, he was 3-for-3 last season for 33 yards and a touchdown. For his career, Williams has played in 10 games, hitting 40- of-93 for 640 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions. Junior Sam Hunt, a transfer from Middle Tennessee, is also expected to see plenty of action. Hunt has played at the Division I-A level, seeing action in six games at MTSU in Also, don t discount redshirt freshman Joseph Webb whom the Blazers has loads of potential. Conference USA Had New Look In 2005 Out with the old and in with the new. That certainly was the case with Conference USA in Previous football members Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida, TCU and Army departed while the conference welcomed in new members Marshall, Rice, SMU, Tulsa, UCF and UTEP. Last season, and again in 2006, UAB will play against four foes who were first-time opponents last fall: Marshall, Rice, SMU and UTEP. Blazer Connections To Oklahoma and Big 12 UAB head coachwatson Brown spent two seasons at Oklahoma as the Sooners offensive coordinator ( ). OU running backs coach Cale Gundy was on the UAB staff from He coached quarterbacks in his first season before taking over the running backs his final two years in Birmingham. Watson Brown s brother, Mack, is the head coach at Texas. Blazers cornerbacks coach Shawn Raney is a native of Erick, Okla. He played and graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State in Alva. Big Stage Nothing New For Chris Williams Even though UAB quarterback Chris Williams will enter the 2006 season without an abundance of experience, he does have experience playing on a big stage. He was thrust into a starting QB spot in 2003 at midseason when Darrell Hackney went down with a season-ending thumb injury. Williams first assignment a week after the injury to Hackney was a start at nationally-ranked Georgia in front of 90,000-plus. And Williams nearly engineered the Blazers to an upset victory as UAB fell narrowly in Athens that day (Oct. 25, 2003) by a score. Williams was 12-of-21 on the day through the air for 97 yards. Mullins Connected On 14-Of-18 FGs In 2005 UAB placekicker Parker Mullins was successful on 14 of his 18 field goal attempts last season, including 11 of his last 13. Mullins, who did double-duty for the Blazers as he also held down the duties as UAB s regular punter, connected on 3-of-3 field goals in his final game of the season at East Carolina. Mullins also was a perfect 37-of-37 on extra points during the 2005 campaign. As the Blazers enter the 2006 season, Mullins is expected to handle the shorter field goal duties with sophomore Swayze Waters kicking the longer-range field goals. Last season, Waters was used exclusively as the Blazers kickoff man. Here is a breakdown of Mullins three-pointers last season and the distances of the kicks: FGM-FGA Pct LG Blk Drinkard Is UAB s Most Experienced Receiver Senior Norris Drinkard is UAB s most experienced receiver going into the 2006 season. Drinkard, who started more than half of the Blazers games last season, had 41 receptions for 390 yards (9.5 per catch) and two touchdowns last fall. For his career, he has 64 receptions for 655 yards. and four TDs. Drinkard also was the Blazers primary kick returner in 2005 as he registered 15 returns for 336 yards (22.4 yards per return average). Drinkard, a Dothan native, has also been an effective rusher during his career with 201 yards over the past two seasons. UAB s top two receivers in 2005 Reggie Lindsey (53 catches, 978 yds., 11 TDs) and Jhun Cook (42 catches, 653 yds., 2 TDs) were seniors last season.

7 G A M E 1 U A B A T O K L A H O M A S E P T. 2, O f f e n s e UAB Depth Chart Def e n s e X WR 14 - Willie Edwards (6-3, 215, Jr.) 83 - Courtney Smith (6-4, 210, Fr.) DE 44 - Larry McSwain (6-1, 255, Sr.) 7 - Kyle Bissinger (6-3, 255, Sr.) LT LG C RG RT TE 70 - Cornelius Rogers (6-4, 320, Sr.) 74 - Patrick Swoopes (6-4, 310, R-Fr.) 64 - Tommie Keys (6-1, 320, Sr.) 79 - JaMarius Dismuke (6-5, 320, Jr.) 53 - Jake Seitz (6-2, 300, R-Fr.) 65 - Daniel Turner (6-2, 295, Jr.) 73 - Alan Leon (6-4, 320, Sr.) 69 - Quinton Harris (6-4, 330, Sr.) 78 - Julius Wilson (6-5, 310, Sr.) 61 - Adam Truitt (6-3, 310, Jr.) 85 - LaDarrius Stanley (6-3, 310, Sr.) 84 - Zach Lankford (6-4, 245, R-Fr.) DT NT DE SLB MLB 92 - Brandon Jeffries (6-5, 255, So.) 99 - Jerrickus Speights (6-5, 255, Jr.) OR 96 - Tony Haynes-Dalton (6-4, 280, Sr.) 54 - Clarence Respress (6-1, 300, Sr.) 88 - Jason Hamlin (6-3, 285, Sr.) 98 - Jermaine McElveen (6-5, 250, Sr.) 46 - David Miller (6-3, 265, Sr.) 52 - Jeffery Williams (6-0, 230, Jr.) 55 - Marcus Mark (6-2, 230, Sr.) 9 - Stanley Lykes (6-3, 210, Jr.) 41 - Mastaki Smith (5-11, 230, Sr.) 57 - Kris Guyton (6-3, 230, So.) 45 - B.J. Steed (6-3, 225, R-Fr.) QB RB H 10 - Chris Williams (5-11, 205, Sr.) 3 - Sam Hunt (6-3, 215, Jr.) 5 - Joseph Webb (6-3, 210, R-Fr.) 30 - Corey White (6-2, 235, Sr.) 34 - Dan Burks (6-1, 218, Sr.) 28 - Marculus Elliott (5-9, 195, Sr.) 35 - David Sigler (6-3, 250, Jr.) 84 - Zach Lankford (6-4, 245, R-Fr.) Z WR 1 - Norris Drinkard (6-0, 195, Sr.) 15 - Sylvester Mencer (5-11, 185, So.) W WR 8 - Steven Brown (6-1, 180, So.) 12 - Adam Bobo (5-11, 190, So.) WLB CB SS 11 - Orlandus King (6-3, 215, Sr.) 51 - Joe Henderson (6-2, 210, So.) 13 - Will Evans (5-9, 175, Sr.) 31 - Zach Britten (5-10, 180, Jr.) 23 - Chris Felder (5-10, 185, Sr.) 19 - Carl Johnson (6-1, 190, Jr.) FS 2 - Brandon Register (5-11, 190, Sr.) 18 - Will Dunbar (6-1, 195, Jr.) CB N-Back 21 - Kevin Sanders (5-11, 185, So.) 6 - Carnell Williams (6-1, 205, Jr.) 32 - Durrell Fuqua (5-11, 185, Jr.) 43 - Matt Taylor (5-11, 185, So.) PK P Long SN 86 - Parker Mullins (5-11, 185, Sr.) 94 - Swayze Waters (6-0, 170, So.) 86 - Parker Mullins (5-11, 185, Sr.) 94 - Swayze Waters (6-0, 170, So.) 66 - Chris Barrett (6-0, 235, Jr.) 62 - Jeff Hamby (6-1, 205, So.) Special Teams PR 25 - Norris Drinkard (6-0, 195, Sr.) 21 - Kevin Sanders (5-11, 185, So.) 24 - Rashad Slaughter (5-9, 185, Fr.) KR 1 - Norris Drinkard (6-0, 195, Sr.) 28 - Marculus Elliott (5-9, 195, Sr.) 15 - Sylvester Mencer (5-11, 185, So.) 24 - Rashad Slaughter (5-9, 185, Fr.) HLD 8 - Steven Brown (6-1, 185, So.) 86 - Parker Mullins (5-11, 185, Sr.)