To be able to take down UAB in their first home game of the season, the Liberty Flames will have to cut down on turnovers and be able to put up points early in the game.

The Blazers will make their first appearance in Williams Stadium at Liberty on September 10th at 6PM. The Flames and Blazers last matchup was in 2021 at UAB and ended in a 36-12 Flames victory.

Last Thursday, in coach Bryant Vicent’s premier head coaching game, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) dominated Alabama A&M to open their season. The final score was 59-0 UAB.

When UAB’s head coach Bill Clark announced he was stepping down from his position for health reasons in late June, UAB quickly announced that they were promoting their offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bryant Vincent to interim head coach. Vincent has been with the Blazers since 2018.

The Blazers were missing a few key players last Thursday, but that didn’t slow them down. Coach Vincent noted in a post-game interview that, “we lost three of our top players in the first quarter and didn’t even blink.” The players who absent or left the game were Dwayne McBride (RB), Kadeem Telfort (LT), and Trea Shropshire (WR).

Shropshire was UAB’s top receiver last season with seven touchdowns and 703 yards. UAB has not yet released an estimate of when Shropshire will be cleared to play again.

The Blazers first quarter of the season was nothing but electric. In just one quarter, UAB put up 28 points with one rushing touchdown, one passing touchdown, a pick six, and a punt return touchdown. This showcases UAB’s ability to play well in all three phases of the game.

The Blazers also stuffed their last opponent’s drives, totaling three interceptions and three sacks on the night. When coupled with UAB’s offensive strikes, the Blazers outgained Alabama A&M 478-235 in total offensive yards. UAB’s rushing and passing yards were evenly split on offense.

The Blazers finished last season 9-4 overall and with a 6-2 conference record. To finish their season, they made it to the 2021 Independence Bowl where they sneaked out a win over the BYU Cougars. UAB’s last bowl appearance before that was in 2019.

Three Players to Watch For

WR #19 – Tejhaun Palmer had big shoes to fill with the loss of Trea Shropshire early in UAB’s last game. At the end of the night, Palmer had 4 receptions for 57 yards. Palmer began starting at wide receiver late last season and will be a crucial part of the Blazer’s offense this Saturday.

RB #22 DeWayne McBride was missing from UAB’s last game due to illness, but he is expected to be back for their game at Liberty. Last season, McBride had 251 carries for 1,810 yards and was named Second Team All-Conference USA.

LB #50 Noah Wilder was a star for the Blazers last season with 93 total tackles and 10.5 tackles for a loss. Thus far in the season, he has only had one solo tackle and eight assists. Wilder is a tough, physical senior who leads the UAB defense.

Upcoming Games

UAB @ Liberty – Sept. 10

UAB vs. Georgia Southern – Sept. 17

UAB @ Rice – Oct. 1