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Friday, September 29
UAB blazing after win over LSU

By Eric Crawford
Special to ESPN.com

The Tide is turning in Alabama, and we're not talking about the University of Alabama's recent downturn.

The team on a roll is Alabama-Birmingham, which is perfect in the SEC this season after last Saturday's 13-10 win at LSU, which is something that other school named Alabama can't say.


	UAB's Rhett Gallego (95) kicks the game-winning field goal as the Blazers knocked off LSU.

Junior Rhett Gallego's 32-yard field goal as time expired secured the first win in four tries against the SEC for the Blazers, who made their Division I-A debut last season and have been surprising people ever since. In the heart of SEC country, they haven't just played second fiddle in Alabama, but third, behind the Crimson Tide and Auburn.

But rather than complain about it, Blazers coach Watson Brown has used geography to his advantage and made the most of chances to play the top teams in college football. The upset of LSU was important for its symbolism, even if the Tigers aren't in the top tier of the SEC.

But UAB has had bigger wins. They won at No. 17 East Carolina last season. In the fourth quarter against Nebraska in Lincoln, they trailed just 17-10 and were driving on the Cornhuskers' 11-yard line before a turnover stopped them. They've also played at Tennessee and Auburn.

"Our program needed a win like this to happen," Brown said. "But it happened because we played the people we did over four years of preparing to go to Division I-A. We didn't go to Nebraska and Tennessee and those places for the check. We went there because it improved our image. It enabled us to recruit better kids.

"I noticed something last year. We beat Arkansas State 42-14, but we got more credit from people around the country when we went into the fourth quarter at Auburn trailing 6-0. You've got to show people you're serious."

Now, Brown is making some serious inroads with in-state recruiting, and has made his team an instant factor in Conference USA in just its second season in the league.

"Right in Alabama, we have 60 to 70 kids sign D-I scholarships every year," Brown said. "Alabama and Auburn are signing 25 or 30 of those. In the old days, they signed them all. Now, if they miss on four or five kids and we get them, we make up some ground. If they take a kid and miss on him and we take the second kid and he was the good one, all of a sudden the playing field levels pretty quick."

After a slow start, with an uninspiring win over Division I-AA Chattanooga and a narrow loss at Kansas in a designated conference game, UAB turned in an impressive defensive performance and got just enough offense to win despite having a number of offensive starers injured.

With Louisiana Lafayette visiting on Saturday, the Blazers have a chance to go 3-1 for the first time since they were playing at the Division III level in 1992. UAB has won three straight in the series, all by double figures.

"This game may be one of the most important of the season for us," Brown said. "We've got to avoid a letdown and show that we can keep moving forward. It's the first of four straight home games for us."

Eleven different offensive players have missed games for the Blazers and seven will miss Saturday's game.

Junior running back Jegil Dugger has been a key performer, leading the team in rushing in all three of its games. He's second in C-USA in rushing at 92.3 yards per game. After being benched while Brown was looking to shake up the offense, senior quarterback Daniel Dixon came on in the second quarter and put together a TD drive, then played the rest of the game.

But defense has been the bright spot for UAB. The Blazers picked off passes on each of LSU's last two drives, including an interception that cornerback Chris Brown returned 25 yards to the LSU 17 that set up the winning field goal.

"We've got some confidence, but we're so beaten up on offense that every other unit on the team has had to pick up its game," Brown said. "We're doing some things right, but we have a long way to go."

Around Conference USA

Army
The Black Knights get the week off after losing their fourth straight and using their third different quarterback. Regular starter Chad Jenkins was injured two games ago. Senior Joe Gerena started in his place a week later and played well in a loss. Against Memphis last Saturday, Gerena got hurt in the first quarter and in came junior third-stringer Curtis Zervic, who tied a school record by completing 28 passes in a 26-16 loss. ... Entering the 2000 season, Army quarterbacks had completed 20 or more passes in a game just eight times in school history. They've now done it in back-to-back weeks ... First-year coach Todd Berry says all three quarterbacks should be healthy by next week, but isn't sure yet who the starter will be.

Cincinnati
Coach Rick Minter tore into his team after Saturday's 42-6 loss at Indiana. He said his offense "laid an egg," and, when asked if he thought if his team's confidence was gone, said, "We didn't do anything to deserve any confidence." Part of the problem was an injury to senior QB Deontey Kenner, who suffered a first half abdominal strain that eventually forced him out of the game in the third quarter. His status for Saturday's game at Tulane is uncertain. ... Junior RB Ray Jackson, a transfer from Michigan, ran for 104 yards on 24 carries against Indiana, his second 100-yard rushing game of the season.

East Carolina
The Pirates head into an off week after treading enough water to beat visiting Syracuse 34-17 in rain-soaked Dowdy Ficklen Stadium on Saturday. Junior QB David Garrard threw for 201 yards and 3 TDs in the muck, with all three scores coming from 33 yards or longer. ... Garrard leads C-USA and ranks 12th nationally in passing efficiency. ... The win over Syracuse was East Carolina's first win over the Orangemen in Greensboro.

Houston
With five wide receivers injured, the Cougars simply didn't have enough firepower to combat Texas last Saturday. ... The shutout loss was their first since being blanked in 1997. ... LB Wayne Rogers was a bright spot with 10 tackles, including two for loss and a sack. ... It was the second straight game the Cougars have held an opponent to under 100 yards rushing. They haven't allowed an individual to rush for 100 yards in 13 straight games. ... They'll face old Southwest Conference rival Southern Methodist on Saturday. The teams haven't met since 1995.

Louisville
The Cardinals' 31-0 loss to No. 2 Florida State Saturday was their first shutout loss since 1992 and the first shutout loss for a John L. Smith-coached team. ... Rashad Holman intercepted Chris Weinke twice and ranks second nationally with three interceptions on the season. ... The Louisville defense actually gave up just 17 points, if you throw out an interception returned for a score and a Florida State drive that started at the Louisville 6-yard line. ... Sophomore tight end Ronnie Ghent had a coming-out party, catching seven passes for 123 yards. ... A win Saturday over visiting Connecticut would give the Cardinals their first 3-1 start since 1993.

Memphis
The Tigers are 3-1 for the first time since 1984 after their win at Army. DB Idrees Bashir had the play of the game with a 100-yard interception return for a TD. The pick stopped a potential game-winning drive by Army. ... Bashir also added 10 tackles, including five solo and a pass break up. ... QB Neil Suber made his first start of the season and completed 20 of 31 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. ... Memphis ranks seventh nationally in total defense, allowing just 233.5 yards per game.

Southern Miss
The Golden Eagles closed their season-opening three-game road swing with a 28-6 win at Oklahoma State. They'll host Memphis in their home opener on Saturday, the first of just three C-USA games that they'll play in Hattiesburg this season. ... Southern Miss has won six straight in its series with Memphis, allowing more than one touchdown just once. ... Senior QB Jeff Kelly has thrown a TD pass in eight straight games and passed for a season-high 57 yards against Oklahoma State. ... Southern Miss ranks fourth nationally in scoring defense, allowing 263.3 yards per contest. "I think we're pretty darn good on defense," Eagles coach Jeff Bower said. "After the game, I told our players that I think this football team has done something nobody in the country has done. With three tough non-conference opponents on the road (Tennessee, Alabama, OSU), I don't know that anybody started out any tougher from a scheduling standpoint. I am really happy how we performed."

Tulane
Patrick Ramsey bounced back from a sprained right shoulder to complete 34 of 50 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns in last Saturday's win over SMU. He won C-USA offensive player of the week honors for his effort. ... Tulane hosts Cincinnati in its home opener on Saturday. The Green Wave have won six straight in the series, and all of the wins have been by 14 or more points. ... Senior WR Adrian Burnette caught 7 passes for 82 yards and two TDs, which ties him for sixth place on the school's all-time list for TD receptions with 14.

Eric Crawford covers Conference USA for the (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal

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