Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Opponent Preview - UAB
7/23/2012 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 23, 2012
The following is the 10th installment of a 12-part series, previewing Marshall's opponents for the upcoming football season.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall plays two of its final three games on the road, starting with a Nov. 10 meeting at UAB.
The Thundering Herd has dominated the Blazers more than any Conference USA team, with a 6-1 lead in the series. Marshall's wins over the last three years have been by an average of 26 points per game, including a 59-14 victory last season in Huntington.
Marshall faces UAB in a season of building for the Blazers. Some would say rebuilding, but that is a term reserved for teams that have had success. UAB is 43-76 in the last 10 years and has not posted a winning record since 2004 (7-5).
Garrick McGee was hired in December as the fourth head coach in program history. He came to UAB after spending the last four seasons at Arkansas, including the past two as the Razorbacks' offensive coordinator. An offensive upgrade is surely needed after the Blazers averaged 20.2 points per game - second-lowest in the conference.
UAB's defense was no better, giving up a school-record 36.8 points per game, the No. 2 points-allowed average in C-USA and one of the worst in the country (No. 110 of 120 FBS programs).
The buzz around the program is that UAB has the players, but they needed leadership. Such leadership will be provided by McGee and returning starting quarterback Jonathan Perry. He started the final six games in 2011 as a sophomore and finished with 2,042 passing yards as he hit 58 percent of his passes.
Perry will likely be handing the ball off to multiple players this season as the Blazers have routinely operated a running back-by-committee approach. Dontavius Jackson will play his one and only season with UAB in 2012 after transferring from Georgia. Greg Franklin, who led the team in rushing last season with 430 yards, also returns. If there is a main back chosen, he will have the chance to be the first 1,000-yard rusher for UAB since 1996.
Offensive Player to Watch
Wide receiver Jackie Williams will be Perry's top target as the junior brought down 58 catches last season, the fourth-highest in UAB single-season history. Williams is one of three starters returning at the position, including Patrick Hearn and Nick Adams.
Defensive Player to Watch
Linebacker Marvin Burdette enters his final season at UAB with a chance to become one of the all-time tackle leaders in Blazer history after recording 92 last season. Burdette has 249 career tackles and already is No. 11 on the UAB all-time list.
Three Questions
How will the Blazers replace their entire starting offensive line? The biggest loss is two-time All-Conference USA performer Matt McCants, who became UAB's first offensive lineman selected in the NFL Draft (sixth round).
The Blazers will surely be underdogs in five of their first six games ... how will they fare in a lighter second half schedule?
How quickly will the players adjust to a new coaching staff, as only three coaches remain from the previous regime?
Quote to Note
"I learned that they have a great attitude and they really committed to doing well. They want to do things well. They want to learn how to play the game at a certain pace, a certain level. I also learned that we got a lot of good players on our team, that we have more good players than people realize."
--UAB Coach Gerrick McGee on his team after the spring practices
2012 Schedule
Sept. 1 Troy
Sept. 15 at South Carolina
Sept. 22 at Ohio State
Sept. 29 Tulsa*
Oct. 6 Southeastern Louisiana
Oct. 13 at Houston*
Oct. 20 East Carolina*
Oct. 27 at Tulane*
Nov. 3 at Southern Miss*
Nov. 10 Marshall*
Nov. 17 Memphis*
Nov. 24 at UCF*
* Conference USA games
