UAB Football Preview

Willie Quinnie

For the past several seasons, the UAB football team has relied heavily on a defense that has ranked among the nation?s best. Replacing some of those talented performers this fall will be a key for the Blazers to post their third consecutive winning seaosn.

Gone from a defensive unit which was the nation?s best last season at stopping the run are nine starters, including NFL first round draft choice Bryan Thomas and second round pick Eddie Freeman. In addition, six other Blazers ? five of them on the defensive side ? signed free agent contracts and will be looking to make NFL clubs in August.

On the flip side, the UAB offense returns eight starters to a group which averaged 24 points, has its best group of skill players in the program?s history as well as an experienced offensive line.
But don?t think that the Blazers are going to get away from their emphasis on a strong defense.

?To be very honest, I don?t want a change,? said head coach Watson Brown, entering his eighth season at UAB. ?I?m always a guy who wants to play to his defense and have a great kicking game. I?ve been places where we have had the best offense in the world and didn?t win any games. I?ve never been anywhere where we?ve had great defenses and didn?t win games.?

Over the past several seasons, the Blazers have emerged as one of Conference USA?s most solid programs, ranking fourth in the league in league victories in the past three seasons. UAB finished second in both 1999 and 2001. Brown feels staying in the upper echelon is vital to the Blazers? continued progress.

?We?ve had back-to-back winning seasons and bowl-eligible seasons,? he said. ?I think it would hurt UAB more to have a 2-9 year or something like that than it would somebody like UCLA. We can?t afford that. We?ve got to stay in that upper group. I think one more of those winning seasons, and we will get one of those bowl spots. This team really should have been playing in bowls the past two years.?

Despite the heavy losses of key personnel on defense, Brown thinks his defense will be considerably better than people think. ?We lost some great players, there?s no doubt,? he said. ?I think that six of those guys may make it on an NFL roster. If you have that many make it in the league, or even get close, it tells you what you?ve lost. There will be some drop-off, but I don?t think it?s going to be as much as everybody thinks.?

UAB?s defense led the nation in rush defense (57.3 yards per game) and was fifth in total defense (265.9) overall in 2001. The Blazers have not allowed an opposing running back to rush for 100 yards the past two seasons.

Of course, two of the primary reasons were Thomas and Freeman. Thomas, the first Blazer player to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft (No. 22 overall pick by New York Jets), terrorized opposing quarterbacks for three seasons as he finished his UAB career with 37 sacks Freeman, a choice of the Kansas City Chiefs, was also was a steady force for the Blazers as he totalled 32 tackles for loss.
While Thomas and Freeman were the leaders of the defense, UAB will miss several others who were instrumental in the unit?s success. The trio of linebackers which included Rod Taylor and Nick Stewart, along with safety Avery Warner, were the team?s top three tacklers, combining for 286 stops.

The lone starters returning on defense are cornerbacks Chris Brown (6-2, 190, Sr.), who has been moved to free safety, and Dio Hill (5-11, 185, Jr.). Brown had 51 tackles last season and a pair of interceptions. Hill tied for the team lead in interceptions with three.

Brown is especially excited about his defense?s speed. ?This bunch can really run,? Brown said. ?The past couple of years we have been known for our size up front. This one may not be quite as big, but they possess a lot more speed.?

The leader among that group is senior defensive end James Malone (6-3, 285, Sr.). He played in all 11 games last year recording 26 tackles and was dominant in the spring. The other key player is Hassan McKeithen (6-2, 265, Sr.); a fifth-year senior who had 25 tackles with three sacks.
Marvin Nickson (6-5, 270, Sr.) is a talented lineman who was moved to tackle late in the spring and showed he can be a great talent. Nickson played in 10 games last year after transferring from East Mississippi Community College and had two sacks and three more tackles for losses. Veteran backup Shamar Abrams (6-2, 330, So.) will take over the nose guard position. He played nine games last year.

The secondary looks to be the strength of the defense. ?The play in the secondary was a big plus for us in the spring,? said Brown. ?I think we are going to have a better cover secondary than we did last year. We just may not be as physical this year in the secondary. We had some hitters last year.?

Carlos Hendricks (5-10, 185, So.), who started some last season, will start at the right cornerback opposite Hill. Jason Southall (5-11, 170, So.), the third-leading receiver on the team last year with 14 catches for 193 yards, was moved back to his original defensive position this spring and proved to be more than capable at cornerback.

Sentell Winston (6-2, 197, Sr.) has been a great special teams player and backup. He and Derrick Bush (6-4, 215, Sr.), a starter two years ago before being redshirted this past season, will man the weak safety position. Thurman Pearson (6-1, 185, Jr.) is expected to be the strong safety. He had 12 tackles in six games last season.

Linebacker is the area where the Blazers will be the youngest. The Blazers must replace last year?s leading tackler Taylor (110 tackles), and Stewart (92 stops).

Zach Woodfin (6-2, 235, So.) stood out on special teams as a freshman last year and will battle with another sophomore Nigel Eldridge (6-2, 230, So.) for the middle linebacker spot. Sophomore Gaylon Black (6-1, 215, So.) and former walk-on Darrius Taylor (6-0, 230, Jr.), are the top two at the other linebacker spot. Taylor is the leading tackler among the returning linebackers with 19 stops. Most of those came as the top tackler on special teams.

?I think our front six on defense are going to be good there,? Brown said, ?but we?ve got to prove that. And how close can we get to last year?s team defensively because we just relied really for two years on our defense because we?ve been so good. How we play the run in the front six would be my biggest concern right now defensively. If we can handle that, I think that we?ll play the pass better.?

Brown feels the UAB offense will be more versatile than at any time since his tenure began in 1995. In addition, talent at the skill positions should provide the Blazers with more weapons than in the past. Still, Brown?s offense will feature a younger group of players.
?Most of our returning guys are on offense, but in a lot of ways, we?re still younger on offense than we are on defense which is amazing,? Brown said. ?It you how young we really were on offense a year ago. We?re still a lot more freshman and sophomore-oriented on offense whereas we?re still junior and senior oriented on defense.

?I?m very excited about our skill people,? said Brown. ?I think we?ve got a chance to be more multiple than we have been on offense. This is the best we have been as far as our skill people. We have two big backs and we need to be able to run the ball at people. I think with the receivers we?ve got, we will be able to throw and catch.?

Senior quarterback Thomas Cox (6-2, 190) took over the starting job midway through the season when the graduated Jeff Aaron went down with an ankle injury. Cox went 4-1 as a starter. The Blazers are 6-1 when Cox has started games over the past three years. Cox passed for 727 yards last season. He is also the team?s leading returning rusher and Conference USA?s best rushing quarterback, gaining 445 yards last season with five touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Darrell Hackney (6-2, 230), expected to be the backup signal-caller, has size and ability but lacks experience.

?We?ve got a great situation at quarterback,? Brown said. ?Thomas has a lot of experience and has won as a starter. His skills match what we do on offense well. Darrell has a lot of talent and can really run and throw the ball. He can learn from Thomas and gain experience for the future, and be ready this year if we need him.?

Cox will be behind an offensive line that returns four starters, led by center Kirk Tuck (6-2, 300, Sr.), a three-year starter. Other returning starters are guards Andy Galloway (6-5, 310, So.), a preseason All-Conference USA selection, Larry Coachman (6-1, 340, Jr.) and tackle Artavious Williams (6-5, 240, Jr.). Brad Spencer (6-5, 305, Sr.) has seen some action as a starter and will man the other tackle position along with Wilbert Hamilton (6-4, 295, Jr.).

?The line is why I think this will be one of our better offenses,? Brown said. ?This is the most experience and depth on the offensive line we have had here. Every player on the two-deep has been here. There are two redshirt freshmen (center Matt Batusic [6-2, 275, Fr.] and guard Anthony Larry [6-3, 290, Fr.]) who are very talented have spent a year in the system, and everyone else has experience.?

Cox has experienced receivers at which to throw. Senior Willie Quinnie (6-2, 180) has the speed to be a big play man and will be an all-conference candidate. He led the team in receptions with 36 for 460 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore Sherrod White (6-2, 190) caught 14 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns in nine games. He also possesses great speed. The best pass catcher may be Chico Cleveland (6-2, 210, So.), who played tight end last year and has been moved to an inside receiver position. He had 10 catches for 140 yards last season. Others with experience are T.J. Simmons (6-3, 205, Sr.) and Kenny Borders (6-3, 190, Sr.).

?This is an exciting bunch. We have a lot of guys to whom we can spread the ball around. We?re probably better and deeper here than we have been,? said Brown.

The Blazers lost their top rusher last year, Jegil Dugger (218 att., 839 yds.), to graduation. Because of that, Brown is planning to go to more of a two-back set with a pair of big backs leading the way. Theron Dudley (6-1, 230, So.) is the tailback. He rushed for 164 yards on 40 attempts, 4.1 yards per carry. Kendal Gibson (5-11, 240, So.) is the fullback. He was a short-yardage specialist last year. He gained just 80 yards on 34 attempts, but scored six touchdowns, tying Dugger for best on the team.

?We can do a lot of things with this backfield,? said Brown. ?We may line up with Kendal in the backfield and split Theron out. I think with these two guys back there it gives us a more balanced offense and the ability to pound at people a little more.

?We?re not real deep in the backfield, but we?ve got two bonafide kids who we are excited about,? Brown said. ?Both of them are big guys and we could be a little different in our running game style than we?ve been. We?re capable now of running right at you a little more.?

Sam Dudley (6-3, 265, So.), who came on strong last year, will start at tight end. Brown likes all three of his tight ends despite their inexperience. Cedric Hampton (6-4, 270, So.) and Lynorse Garrett (6-5, 215, So.) back up Dudley. All three can block and catch the ball.

The kicking game returns placekicker Nick Hayes (6-1, 180, So.) and punter Ross Stewart (6-0, 180, Sr.). In addition, snappers Mark Pettus (6-2, 225, Jr.) and John Newton (5-10, 210, So.) both return.

Hayes was an impressive 10-of-15 on field goals, including a 50-yarder, and a perfect 17-of-17 on point after attempts. His range and accuracy are what make Hayes a candidate for all-conference honors.

Stewart was among the conference leaders in punting last year, averaging 42.5 yards per kick. He nailed 13 inside the opponent?s 20-yard line.
Quinnie, Jason Southall and Sherrod White give the Blazers a good stable of return men who can break long returns. Quinnie averaged 12.1 yards per punt return last year and was chosen the ?02 preseason All-Conference USA punt return specialist. Southall averaged 25.4 yards per kickoff return and White averaged 21 yards a return.