Spring Opponent Review: UAB
After completing the SEC slate and before what should be a highly-anticipated matchup against FSU, Florida will host UAB on Nov. 18 in The Swamp for its penultimate game of the 2017 regular season.
Of course, the Blazers' football program has been shut down for the past two season but now revived to resume activities, beginning with the 2017 season. Alabama-Birmingham retained head coach Bill Clark and is still a member of Conference USA.
Inside the Gators interviewed AL.com's Drew Champlin to get his take on UAB coming out of spring practices, which concluded April 1. (You can follow Champlin on Twitter @DrewChamplin.)
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What has the culture around the program been like, with it now being reinstated after a two-year hiatus?
Champlin: It’s been one that believes it can come in and win right away. Coach Clark did a lot with a two-win team that he inherited in 2014, and this team isn’t going to roll over for anyone. He wanted to build a roster to compete now, instead of just bringing in 50 freshmen.
After the spring, which positions do you think UAB feels best about on the roster heading into the 2017 season and why? On the flip side, which positions do you see as the Gamecocks' biggest concerns?
Champlin: They feel pretty good about their top two quarterbacks, AJ Erdely and Tyler Johnston. There isn’t much behind them, though. I think they feel good about the offensive and defensive lines after they added some key pieces in the midyear signing class for spring practice. I’m not sure they feel great about the running back spot as no one has really stepped up and claimed it – the best two are a 5-foot-7 former walk-on and a converted linebacker. UAB also needs more production at outside receiver and linebacker, but that could be rectified this fall.
With spring practices in the books, who do you see as UAB's top players on each side of the ball and why?
Champlin: Offensively, I’ll go quarterback AJ Erdely and Collin Lisa. Erdely has shown great leadership since arriving on campus in the spring of 2016. Lisa is a veteran receiver who started his career at UAB and had a productive season at Buffalo. He will be a go-to guy. Defensively, look for Shaq Jones to be an all-conference player. He was UAB’s third-leading tackler in 2014 and elected to stay around for his senior year with UAB. He’s a big JACK linebacker at around 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds.
Which players who entered the spring maybe under the radar really turned heads during practices and in the spring game?
Champlin: Easily the two running backs, James Noble III and Donnie Lee. Noble is about 5-foot-7 and 179 pounds and despite all UAB has tried to add at the running back position, Noble has stepped up as the top guy and he was awarded a scholarship. Lee is about 6-0, 230 and moved over from linebacker after the start of spring practice. UAB wasn’t getting much production at the position but maybe these two can help get it done.
Although there’s only so much one can learn from spring practices, based on how the team looked in the spring game, what can you draw as far as how an opponent like Florida should scout UAB and then game-plan for the Blazers on each side of the ball?
Champlin: Not much given that I haven’t seen UAB play an opponent yet. The quarterback position will be one that will take care of the football and also be a threat to run, and the defense will likely be some form of a 3-4.
What’s your current overall outlook on UAB for this upcoming season, just based off of what you saw and heard this spring?
Champlin: I think they’ll be better than most think, but not sure how much. They will probably have a couple of “wow” wins and lose a game that could be surprising. They’ll compete for bowl eligibility and while I’m not sure they will be that good this year, the future is bright.
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FLORIDA GATORS 2017 SCHEDULE (opponent previews linked):
-- Sept. 2 - Michigan, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
-- Sept. 9 - Northern Colorado
-- Sept. 16 - Tennessee, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
-- Oct. 7 - LSU
-- Oct. 28 - Georgia, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
-- Nov. 11 - at South Carolina
-- Nov. 25 - Florida State
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