American college football season
2020 UAB Blazers football Conference Conference USA Division West Division Record 6–3 (3–1 C-USA) Head coach Offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent (4th season) Defensive coordinator David Reeves (4th season) Home stadium Legion Field (Capacity: 71,594)Seasons
The 2020 UAB Blazers football team represented the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The Blazers played their final home games at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama , and competed in the West Division of Conference USA (C-USA). They were led by fifth-year head coach Bill Clark .
After compiling a 6–3 record (3–1 in conference play), the team accepted a bid to the Gasparilla Bowl . However, on December 22, the Blazers' bowl opponent, South Carolina , had to withdraw from the bowl due to COVID-19 issues within their program.[ 1] As no replacement team was available, the bowl was subsequently canceled.[ 1]
Previous season
The Blazers finished the 2019 regular season 9–5, 6–2 in CUSA play which they tied for first in the West Division with Louisiana Tech. Due to defeating the Bulldogs in the head-to-head matchup, UAB played against Florida Atlantic in the conference championship game . The Blazers played in the game for the second consecutive year, which they lost in the game for the first time.[ 2] The team was invited to play in the New Orleans Bowl against Appalachian State , where the Blazers took their fifth loss of the season.[ 3]
Preseason
Death of Jamari Smith
On May 28, 2020, it was announced that incoming freshman Jamari Smith, from Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery, Alabama , had drowned while swimming with friends.[ 4]
Award watch lists
Listed in the order that they were released
Award
Player
Position
Year
TBD
The CUSA Media Days will be held virtually for the first time in conference history.[ 5]
Media poll (West Division)
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Louisiana Tech
2
North Texas
3
Rice
4
Southern Miss
5
UAB
6
UTEP
7
UTSA
Media poll (CUSA Championship)
Rank
Team
Votes
TBD
Preseason All-CUSA teams
To be released
Schedule
UAB announced its 2020 football schedule on January 8, 2020.[ 6] The 2020 schedule was originally planned to consist of 6 home and 6 away games in the regular season.
The Blazers had games scheduled against Alabama A&M , New Mexico State , Old Dominion , UTEP , and Middle Tennessee but were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic .[ 7] [ 8] [ 9]
Date Time Opponent Site TV Result Attendance 7:00 p.m. Central Arkansas * ESPN3 W 45–35 12,716
8:00 p.m. at Miami (FL) * ACCN L 14–31 8,153
6:30 p.m. at South Alabama * ESPN W 42–10 5,766
October 3 11:30 a.m. UTSA Legion Field Birmingham, AL Stadium W 21–13 12,547
October 17 12:30 p.m. Western Kentucky Legion Field Birmingham, AL Stadium W 37–14 11,098
7:00 p.m. Louisiana * Legion Field Birmingham, AL CBSSN L 20–24 11,610
October 31 2:30 p.m. at Louisiana Tech Stadium L 34–37 2OT 7,140
December 12 11:00 a.m. at Rice ESPN3 W 21–16 2,000
December 18 6:00 p.m. at Marshall CBSSN W 22–13 8,324
December 26 11:00 a.m. vs. South Carolina* ABC CANCELLED
[ 10]
Rankings
Ranking movementsLegend: — = Not ranked RV = Received votes Week Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Final AP RV RV* RV Coaches — —* — CFP Not released Not released
Game summaries
Central Arkansas
Game One – Central Arkansas Bears (0-1) at No. 24 UAB Blazers (1-0)
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Bears
7
14
0 14 35
#24 Blazers
14
14
3 14 45
at Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama
Date : Thursday, September 3, 2020Game time : 7:00 p.m. CDT Game weather : Clear • Temperature : 84 °F (29 °C) • Wind : SSW 5 mphTV announcers (ESPN3 ) : Curt Bloom (play-by-play), Chad Pilcher (analyst)Pregame line : UAB –21.5 • Odds to win : UAB 93.1% • Game summary : ESPN NCAA
Game information
First quarter
(7:03) UAB – Gerrit Prince 6 yard pass from Tyler Johnston III, Matthew Quinn kick (Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 5:15; UAB 7–0 )
(2:46) UAB – Spencer Brown 5 yard rush, Matthew Quinn kick (Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 3:24; UAB 14–0 )
(0:03) UCA – Cameron Myers 4 yard rush, Hayden Ray kick (Drive: 2 plays, 4 yards, 0:13; UAB 14–7 )
Second quarter
(10:50) UAB – Myron Mitchell 18 yard pass from Bryson Lucero, Matthew Quinn kick (Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 2:03; UAB 21–7 )
(5:31) UAB – Gerrit Prince 10 yard pass from Tyler Johnson III, Matthew Quinn kick (Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 2:56; UAB 28–7 )
(2:33) UCA – Lujuan Winningham 15 yard pass from Breylin Smith, Chandler Caughron kick (Drive: 1 play, 15 yards, 0:05; UAB 28–14 )
(1:21) UCA – Robert Rochell 35 yard fumble return, Chandler Caughron kick (UAB 28–21 )
Third quarter
(3:07) UAB – Matthew Quinn 23 yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 48 yards, 6:51; UAB 31–21 )
Fourth quarter
(12:41) UAB – Lucious Stanley 8 yard rush, Matthew Quinn kick (Drive: 4 plays, 30 yards, 2:10; UAB 38–21 )
(8:12) UAB – Jermaine Brown Jr. 30 yard rush, Matthew Quinn kick (Drive: 4 plays, 43 yards, 2:00; UAB 45–21 )
(5:43) UCA – LuJuan Winningham 8 yard pass from Breylin Smith, Chandler Caughron kick (Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 2:29; UAB 45–28 )
(0:32) UCA – Sam Camargo 6 yard pass from Breylin Smith, Chandler Caughron kick (Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards, 2:40; UAB 45–35 )
Statistics
UCA
UAB
First downs
20
29
Plays–yards
66–293
83–459
Rushes–yards
21–100
49–233
Passing yards
193
226
Passing: comp –att –int
25–46–1
24–34–1
Time of possession
22:55
37:05
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Central Arkansas
Passing
Breylin Smith
25/46, 193 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing
Kierre Crossley
10 carries, 59 yards
Receiving
Lujuan Winningham
6 receptions, 53 yards, 2 TD
UAB
Passing
Tyler Johnston III
17/25, 143 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing
Spencer Brown
24 carries, 127 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Austin Watkins
7 receptions, 72 yards
at Miami
Game information
First quarter
(2:40) UAB – Austin Watkins 16 yard pass from Tyler Johnston III, Matthew Quinn kick (Drive: 2 plays, 17 yards, 0:44; UAB 7–0 )
(1:04) MIA – Cam'Ron Harris 66 yard rush, Jose Borregales kick (Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:36; Tied 7–7 )
Second quarter
(10:04) MIA – D'Eriq King 12 yard rush, Jose Borregales kick (Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:16; Miami 14–7 )
Third quarter
(10:15) MIA – Jose Borregales 25 yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 4:45; Miami 17–7 )
(6:19) UAB – Spencer Brown 6 yard rush, Matthew Quinn kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:56; Miami 17–14 )
(4:02) MIA – Cam'Ron Harris 4 yard rush, Jose Borregales kick (Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 2:17; Miami 24–14 )
(0:00) MIA – Brevin Jordan 4 yard pass from D'Eriq King, Jose Borregales kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:42; Miami 31–14 )
Fourth quarter
No scoring
Statistics
UAB
MIA
First downs
14
25
Plays–yards
61–285
78–495
Rushes–yards
26–80
52–337
Passing yards
205
158
Passing: comp –att –int
19–35–0
18–27–0
Time of possession
29:04
30:56
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
UAB
Passing
Tyler Johnston III
15/23, 150 yards, 1 TD
Rushing
Spencer Brown
16 carries, 74 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Myron Mitchell
8 receptions, 117 yards
Miami
Passing
D'Eriq King
16/24, 144 yards, 1 TD
Rushing
Cam'Ron Harris
17 carries, 134 yards, 2 TD
Receiving
Brevin Jordan
3 receptions, 51 yards, 1 TD
at South Alabama
1
2
3
4
Total
Blazers
14
14
0
14
42
Jaguars
0
10
0
0
10
UTSA
1
2
3
4
Total
Roadrunners
3
3
0
7
13
Blazers
7
7
7
0
21
Western Kentucky
1
2
3
4
Total
Hilltoppers
7
7
0
0
14
Blazers
10
14
10
3
37
Louisiana
1
2
3
4
Total
Ragin' Cajuns
0
10
7
7
24
Blazers
3
10
7
0
20
at Louisiana Tech
1
2
3
4 OT 2OT
Total
Blazers
0
14
17
0 3 0
34
Bulldogs
3
14
0
14 3 3
37
at Middle Tennessee
1
2
3
4
Total
Blazers
0
0
0
0
0
Blue Raiders
0
0
0
0
0
at Rice
1
2
3
4
Total
Blazers
0
0
0
0
0
Owls
0
0
0
0
0
Players drafted into the NFL
References
^ a b "Tampa's Gasparilla Bowl canceled after South Carolina bails" . Tampa Bay Times . Retrieved December 22, 2020 .
^ "UAB vs. Florida Atlantic - Game Summary - December 7, 2019 - ESPN" . ESPN.com . Retrieved December 7, 2019 .
^ "Appalachian State vs. UAB - Game Summary - December 21, 2019 - ESPN" . ESPN.com . Retrieved December 21, 2019 .
^ Scarborough, Alex (May 28, 2020). "UAB incoming freshman Smith drowns at age 18" . ESPN.com . Retrieved May 28, 2020 .
^ "Conference USA to hold virtual football media days due to COVID-19" . ktsm.com . May 5, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020 .
^ "UAB Football Releases Complete 2020 Schedule" . University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Athletics. January 8, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020 .
^ Visser, David (July 21, 2020). "SWAC Suspends Fall Football Season" . FBSchedules.com . Retrieved July 20, 2020 .
^ "ACC Announces Plans for Football and Fall Olympic Sports" . TheACC.com . July 29, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020 .
^ "Old Dominion postponing football and fall sports" . The Virginian Pilot . Retrieved 2020-08-10 .
^ "2020 UAB Football Schedule" . FBSchedules.com . Retrieved March 12, 2020 .
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