2018 UAB Blazers football team

The 2018 UAB Blazers football team represented the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the West Division of Conference USA (C-USA). They were led by third-year head coach Bill Clark and played their home games at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished the season 11–3, 7–1 in C-USA play to be champions of the West Division. They represented the West Division in the C-USA Championship Game where they defeated Middle Tennessee to win their first ever C-USA championship. They were invited to the Boca Raton Bowl where they defeated Northern Illinois to claim their first bowl win in program history.

2018 UAB Blazers football
C-USA Champion C-USA West Division champion Boca Raton Bowl champion
C-USA Championship Game, W 27–25 vs. Middle Tennessee
Boca Raton Bowl, W 37–13 vs. Northern Illinois
Conference	Conference USA
	West Division
2018 record	11–3 (7–1 C-USA)
Head coach	Bill Clark (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Bryant Vincent (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	David Reeves (2nd season)
Home stadium	Legion Field (Capacity: 71,594)

2018 Conference USA football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Middle Tennessee x		7	–	1					8	–	6
Marshall		6	–	2					9	–	4
FIU		6	–	2					9	–	4
Charlotte		4	–	4					5	–	7
Florida Atlantic		3	–	5					5	–	7
Old Dominion		2	–	6					4	–	8
Western Kentucky		2	–	6					3	–	9
West Division
UAB x$		7	–	1					11	–	3
North Texas		5	–	3					9	–	4
Louisiana Tech		5	–	3					8	–	5
Southern Miss		5	–	3					6	–	5
UTSA		2	–	6					3	–	9
UTEP		1	–	7					1	–	11
Rice		1	–	7					2	–	11
Championship: UAB 27, Middle Tennessee 25
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions

On November 11, 2018, the Blazers made their first appearance in the Coaches' Poll at No. 25, marking the first time since 2004 they had been ranked in any of the major three polls.

Previous season

The Blazers finished the 2017 season 8–5, 6–2 in C-USA play to finish in a tie for second place in the West Division. They received an invitation to the Bahamas Bowl, where they lost to Ohio.

The 2017 season marked the return of UAB football after a two-year hiatus following the elimination of the program in December 2014 and its subsequent reinstatement in July 2015.[1]

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award	Player	Position	Year
Rimington Trophy[2]	Lee Dufour	C	JR
Maxwell Award[3]	Spencer Brown	RB	SO
Doak Walker Award[4]	Spencer Brown	RB	SO
John Mackey Award[5]	Logan Scott	TE	SR
Wuerffel Trophy[6]	Craig Kanyangarara	LB	SR
Walter Camp Award[7]	Spencer Brown	RB	SO
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award[8]	A.J. Erdely	QB	SR
Manning Award[9]	A.J. Erdely	QB	SR

Preseason All-CUSA team

Conference USA released their preseason all-CUSA team on July 16, 2018, with the Blazers having one player selected.[10]

Offense Spencer Brown – RB

Preseason media poll

Conference USA released their preseason media poll on July 17, 2018, with the Blazers predicted to finish in third place in the West Division.[11]

West Division
Predicted finish	Team
1	North Texas
2	Louisiana Tech
3	UAB
4	Southern Miss
5	UTSA
T–6	Rice
T–6	UTEP

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 30	7:00 p.m.	Savannah State*	Legion Field Birmingham, AL	ESPN+	W 52–0	27,124
September 8	6:00 p.m.	at Coastal Carolina*	Brooks Stadium Conway, SC	ESPN+	L 24–47	9,776
September 15	12:00 p.m.	Tulane*	Legion Field Birmingham, AL	Stadium	W 31–24	21,991
September 29	6:00 p.m.	Charlotte	Legion Field Birmingham, AL	ESPN3	W 28–7	25,395
October 6	6:00 p.m.	at Louisiana Tech	Joe Aillet Stadium Ruston, LA	Stadium	W 28–7	18,983
October 13	12:00 p.m.	at Rice	Rice Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	W 42–0	18,916
October 20	6:30 p.m.	North Texas	Legion Field Birmingham, AL	beIN	W 29–21	28,014
October 27	6:30 p.m.	at UTEP	Sun Bowl El Paso, TX	ESPN+	W 19–0	10,787
November 3	6:30 p.m.	UTSA	Legion Field Birmingham, AL	beIN	W 52–3	17,605
November 10	6:30 p.m.	Southern Miss	Legion Field Birmingham, AL	beIN	W 26–23 ^OT	25,618
November 17	6:00 p.m.	at Texas A&M*	Kyle Field College Station, TX	ESPN2	L 20–41	97,584
November 24	2:00 p.m.	at Middle Tennessee	Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium Murfreesboro, TN	ESPN3	L 3–27	14,411
December 1	1:30 p.m.	at Middle Tennessee	Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium Murfreesboro, TN (C-USA Championship Game)	CBSSN	W 27–25	15,806
December 18	6:00 p.m.	vs. Northern Illinois*	FAU Stadium Boca Raton, FL (Boca Raton Bowl)	ESPN	W 37–13	22,614
*Non-conference game Homecoming All times are in Central time

[12]

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	NR	RV
Coaches	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	25	RV	RV	RV
CFP	Not released									NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Not released

Game summaries

Savannah State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	0	0	0	0
Blazers	7	21	10	14	52

at Coastal Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blazers	14	10	0	0	24
Chanticleers	7	13	7	20	47

Tulane

	1	2	3	4	Total
Green Wave	0	7	14	3	24
Blazers	7	14	3	7	31

Charlotte

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	0	0	0	7	7
Blazers	14	7	0	7	28

at Louisiana Tech

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blazers	0	7	7	14	28
Bulldogs	7	0	0	0	7

at Rice

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blazers	14	14	14	0	42
Owls	0	0	0	0	0

North Texas

	1	2	3	4	Total
Mean Green	7	14	0	0	21
Blazers	3	7	9	10	29

at UTEP

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blazers	10	0	2	7	19
Miners	0	0	0	0	0

UTSA

	1	2	3	4	Total
Roadrunners	3	0	0	0	3
Blazers	21	17	7	7	52

Southern Miss

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Golden Eagles	7	6	0	7	3	23
Blazers	0	7	13	0	6	26

at Texas A&M

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blazers	7	0	0	13	20
Aggies	14	10	10	7	41

at Middle Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blazers	3	0	0	0	3
Blue Raiders	0	13	7	7	27

at Middle Tennessee (C-USA Championship Game)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blazers	3	21	0	3	27
Blue Raiders	13	3	6	3	25

vs. Northern Illinois (Boca Raton Bowl)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	7	3	3	0	13
Blazers	10	17	10	0	37

References

1. "UAB to reinstate football for 2017 season". ESPN.com. July 21, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
2. "Rimington Trophy Press Release". May 30, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
3. "2018 Maxwell Award Watch List". July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
4. "2018 Doak Walker Award Candidates". July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
5. "2018 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Released" (PDF). July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
6. "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
7. Carbone, Al (July 27, 2018). "Walter Camp Football Foundation Announces 2018 Player of the Year Preseason "Watch List"". Retrieved July 30, 2018.
8. "Watch List for 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award ® Presented by A. O. Smith Announced". August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
9. "Manning Award: See which quarterbacks made the preseason watch list for 2018". August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
10. http://conferenceusa.com/news/2018/7/16/football-fb-2018-preseason-awards.aspx
11. http://conferenceusa.com/news/2018/7/17/football-fb-preseason-media-poll.aspx
12. "2018 UAB Football Schedule | Blazers | FBSchedules.com". FB Schedules. Retrieved April 6, 2018.