2009 UAB Blazers football team

2009 UAB Blazers football
Conference	Conference USA East Division
2009 record	5–7 (4–4 C-USA)
Head coach	Neil Callaway(3rd year)
Offensive coordinator	Kim Helton(3rd year)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Eric Schumann(3rd year)
Base defense	4-3
Home stadium	Legion Field (Capacity: 71,594)

2009 Conference USA football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
East Carolina x$		7	–	1					9	–	5
UCF		6	–	2					8	–	5
Southern Miss		5	–	3					7	–	6
Marshall		4	–	4					7	–	6
UAB		4	–	4					5	–	7
Memphis		1	–	7					2	–	10
West Division
Houston xy		6	–	2					10	–	4
SMU x		6	–	2					8	–	5
Tulsa		3	–	5					5	–	7
UTEP		3	–	5					4	–	8
Rice		2	–	6					2	–	10
Tulane		1	–	7					3	–	9
Championship: East Carolina 38, #18 Houston 32
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2009 UAB Blazers football team represented the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the college football season of 2009–2010. They played their home games at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama and competed in the East Division of Conference USA. The Blazers finished the season 5–7 and 4–4 in CUSA play.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 5	3:00 PM	Rice		Legion Field • Birmingham, AL	CSS	W 44–24	14,316
September 12	3:00 PM	SMU		Legion Field • Birmingham, AL		L 33–35	18,082
September 19	2:30 PM	at Troy*		Movie Gallery Stadium • Troy, AL (Rivalry)	CSS/WABM	L 14–27	21,182
September 26	6:00 PM	at Texas A&M*		Kyle Field • College Station, TX		L 19–56	74,656
October 1	7:00 PM	Southern Miss		Legion Field • Birmingham, AL (Rivalry)	CBS C	W 30–17	26,871
October 17	6:00 PM	at Ole Miss*		Vaught-Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS	FSN	L 13–48	47,612
October 24	11:00 AM	at Marshall		Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV	CSS	L 7–27	18,878
October 31	3:00 PM	at UTEP		Sun Bowl Stadium • El Paso, TX		W 38–33	23,063
November 7	1:00 PM	Florida Atlantic*		Legion Field • Birmingham, AL		W 56–29	17,283
November 14	12:00 PM	at Memphis		Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN (Battle for the Bones)	CSS	W 31–21	18,031
November 21	2:30 PM	at East Carolina		Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC	MASN	L 21–37	43,056
November 28	12:30 PM	UCF		Legion Field • Birmingham, AL	CBS C	L 27–34	13,381
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Central Time.

Schedule Source:

Game notes

Rice

1 2 3 4 Total Rice 0 3 14 7 24 • UAB 7 20 14 3 44 Location: Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama Game start: 3:07 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:05 Game attendance: 14,316 Game weather: 77°F, Cloudy, humid Referee: Bill Athan Television network: CSS

See also: 2009 Rice Owls football team

To open the 2009 season, UAB quarterback Joe Webb would have a record setting day in leading the Blazers to this 44-24 victory over the Owls. For the game, Webb would set both a school and Conference USA record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game with 194. For the game, Webb would also complete 12 of 15 passes for another 221 yards and a pair of touchdowns in gaining 415 yards of total offense on the afternoon. For his efforts, Webb was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week.

SMU

1 2 3 4 Total • SMU 14 14 0 7 35 UAB 0 7 20 6 33 Location: Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama Game start: 3:00 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:27 Game attendance: 18,082 Game weather: 84°F, Partly sunny, muggy Referee: Claur Gausman

See also: 2009 SMU Mustangs football team

Following an opening week win, the Blazers would fall by a final score of 33-35 to the Mustangs of SMU. After falling behind by a score of 28-7 at the half, the Blazers would rally to within a point of SMU by the end of the third quarter. The Blazers would fall late in the fourth following a failed two-point conversion that would have tied the game at 35 with 00:13 remaining in the game. For the game Webb would rush for 97 yards and a single touchdown in addition to throwing for 226 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Troy

1 2 3 4 Total UAB 0 0 6 8 14 • Troy 3 7 14 3 27 Location: Movie Gallery Stadium, Troy, Alabama Game start: 2:36 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:20 Game attendance: 21,182 Game weather: 84°F, Overcast Referee: Jeff Roberson

See also: 2009 Troy Trojans football team

For the second week in a row, the Blazers would fall, and this time it was by a final score of 14-27 on the road to the Trojans of Troy. For the game, UAB only scored on a pair of Josh Zahn field goals and a single, 17-yard Joe Webb touchdown pass in the fourth.

Texas A&M

1 2 3 4 Total UAB 3 3 6 7 19 • Texas A&M 7 21 14 14 56 Location: Kyle Field, College Station, Texas Game start: 6:05 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:05 Game attendance: 74,656 Game weather: 87°F, Fair Referee: C. Castleberry

See also: 2009 Texas A&M Aggies football team

Traveling to College Station to face the Aggies in the evening, the Blazers would fall by a final score of 56-19. For the game, UAB scored on a pair of Josh Zahn field goals, a 10-yard Joe Webb touchdown run in the third and on a 60-yard David Isabelle run in the fourth.

Southern Miss

1 2 3 4 Total Southern Miss 0 10 0 7 17 • UAB 10 0 7 13 30 Location: Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama Game start: 7:04 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:07 Game attendance: 26,871 Game weather: 72°F, Clear Referee: R.G. Detillier

See also: 2009 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team

Following three consecutive losses in addition to coming off a short week, the Blazers would defeat Southern Miss for the first time in school history on a Thursday night by a final score of 30-17. UAB would open the scoring with a 27 yard Josh Zahn field goal and a 31-yard Joe Webb touchdown run in the first, only to have the Golden Eagles score 10 in the second to tie the game at the half. In the third, Webb would hit Anderson for a 21-yard touchdown in the third to take a 17-10 lead into the fourth. Zahn would hit a pair of field goals (51 & 32 yards) and Hiram Atwater would seal the game late following a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Personnel

Coaching staff

• Neil Callaway – Head Coach
• Kim Helton – Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends
• Eric Schumann – Defensive Coordinator/Safeties
• Corey Barlow – Cornerbacks
• Tim Bowens – Receivers
• Lorenzo Costantini – Defensive Line
• Steve Davenport – Running Backs
• Will Friend – Offensive Line
• Tyson Helton – Quarterbacks/Recruiting Coordinator
• Tyson Summers – Linebackers
• Steve Martin – Strength and Conditioning/Football & Baseball
• Josh Lee – Director of Football Operations