2009 UAB Blazer Recruiting Class

UAB Blazers 2009 Head Coach: Neil Callaway

UAB Blazers

- 2008 UAB Season
- 2008 UAB Preview
- 2007 UAB Season

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 2-10
2008 Record: 4-8

Aug. 30 Tulsa L 45-22
Sept. 6 at Florida Atlantic L 49-24
Sept. 13 at Tennessee L 35-3
Sept. 20 Alabama State W 45-10
Sept. 27 at So Carolina L 26-13
Oct. 2 Memphis L 33-30
Oct. 11 at Houston L 45-20
Oct. 18 Marshall  W 23-21
Oct. 25 OPEN DATE
Nov. 1 at Southern Miss L 70-14
Nov. 8 OPEN DATE
Nov. 15 at Tulane W 41-24
Nov. 22 East Carolina L 17-13
Nov. 29 at UCF W 15-0

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 2-10
2007 Record: 2-10

Sept. 1 at Michigan St L 55-18
Sept. 8 at Florida State L 34-24
Sept. 15 Alcorn State W 22-0
Sept. 29 at Tulsa L 38-30
Oct. 6 at Miss State L 30-13
Oct. 13 Tulane W 26-21
Oct. 20 Houston L 49-10
Oct. 27 at East Carolina L 41-6
Nov. 3 Southern Miss L 37-7
Nov. 10 UCF L 45-31
Nov. 17 at Memphis L 25-9
Nov. 24 at Marshall L 46-39

2009 Recruiting Class

Five Best Prospects

1. Darrion Wilson	DE	6-3	220	Ellisville, MS
2. David Conner	DB	5-9	185	Batesville, MS
3. Rashad Wynes	RB	6-1	215	Warner Robins, GA
4. Reginald  Bryant	RB	5-11	205	Cairo, GA
5. Justin Wells	DT	6-4	285	Highland, KS

Rest Of The Class

Nick Adams	WR	6-2	205	Fort Scott, KS
Hiram Atwater	DB	6-0	200	Garden City, KS
Patrick Bastien	TE	6-3	200	Immokalee, FL
Daniel Borne	RB	5-10	205	Ellisville, MS
Marvin Burdette	LB	5-11	225	Batesville, MS
Amos Draper	DE	6-3	260	Tanner, AL
Joei Fiegler	QB	6-3	200	Milledgeville, GA
Chris Hubbard	OL	6-3	235	Columbus, GA
Kaycee Ike	OL	6-5	235	Lawrenceville, GA
Greg Irvin	LB	5-10	200	Demopolis, AL
Caleb Lester	DB	5-10	170	Atlanta, GA
Andrew Mahan	DE	6-4	215	Plantersville, AL
Elliott McGaskin	DB	6-1	200	Ellisville, MS
Freddie Moore	WR	6-3	190	Decatur, AL
Edward Pruitt	TE	6-3	230	Theodore, AL
Cornelius Richards	DB	6-2	185	Northport, AL
Derek Slaughter	LB	6-2	245	Coffeyville, KS
Danny White	LB	6-2	215	Chatham, VA

Nov. 29
UAB 15 …. UCF 0
Joe Webb moved the UAB offense up and down the field as the Blazers cranked out 384 yards of total offense, but he couldn’t get the team in the end zone. Swayze Waters stepped in to hit field goals from 40, 43, 22, 36 and 28 yards out with one in each quarter and two in the second. UCF sputtered all game long with just 209 yards of offense holding on to the ball for just 18:24.
Player of the game: UAB QB Joe Webb completed 20-of-28 passes for 244 yards, and he ran 22 times for 80 yards
Stat Leaders: UCF - Passing: Joe Weatherford, 12-26, 99 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Brynn Harvey, 15-90. Receiving: Brian Watters, 5-40
UAB - Passing: Joe Webb, 20-28, 244 yds
Rushing: Joe Webb, 22-80. Receiving: Mark Ferrell, 5-82
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Joe Webb might not be up for any honors in Conference USA, but there’s been no more valuable player. He carried this team down a nice backstretch of three wins in the final five games, with one of the losses a close battle to East Carolina. While 4-8 isn’t a nice record, the team showed good fight and decent potential, especially in the way the defense stepped up at times over the second half of the season (the 70-14 loss to Southern Miss aside). Beating UCF in a shutout on the road is a fantastic way to go into the off-season, but it also showed that Webb needs more help around him.

Nov. 22
East Carolina 17 … UAB 13
Helped by a face mask penalty to keep the final scoring drive alive, East Carolina clinched the East title with a two-yard touchdown run from Brandon Simmons with 2:20 to play. ECU turned the ball over five times, but UAB was only able to generate a three-yard Joe Webb touchdown run and two Swayze Waters field goals. The Pirates got a 10-yard Davon Drew touchdown catch in the first quarter, but saw drive after drive stall until late.
Player of the game: East Carolina completed 19-of-25 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions
Stat Leaders: UAB - Passing: Joe Webb, 11-25, 116 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Joe Webb, 15-75, 1 TD. Receiving: Mark Ferrell, 3-39
East Carolina - Passing: Patrick Pinkney, 19-25, 222 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: J.R. Rogers, 10-54. Receiving: Davon Drew, 7-95, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Even after coming up with five takeaways and holding East Carolina to just 295 yards of total offense, UAB still couldn’t come up with enough points to put the game away when it had the chance. Joe Webb did his best, leading the team in rushing, but he didn’t do anything for the passing game with just 116 yards and nothing deep. While the 3-8 record might be lousy, this hasn’t been a horrible season. If the Blazers can come up with a win at UCF, that’ll be three wins in the final five games. That would be a nice step going forward.

Nov. 15
UAB 41 … Tulane 24
Joe Webb ran for three touchdowns including two in the third quarter to help UAB pull away from Tulane in the second half. The Green Wave got three touchdowns from J.T. McDonald, but four turnovers, all interceptions, proved costly. The last pick was taken 36 yards for a score by Matt Taylor to seal the Blazer win. UAB outgained Tulane 272 yards to 98 on the ground.
Player of the game: UAB QB Joe Webb completed 15-of-21 passes for 154 yards, and ran 18 times for 130 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Tulane - Passing: Kevin Moore, 15-30, 235 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Nathan Austin, 8-43. Receiving: Brian King, 3-74
UAB - Passing: Joe Webb, 15-21, 154 yds
Rushing: Joe Webb, 18-130, 3 TD. Receiving: Jeffrey Anderson, 3-43
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... UAB rebounded nicely from the 70-14 blasting from Southern Miss with a good performance from Joe Webb and the offense against Tulane. Even though the overall numbers might not be great, the Blazers have won two of their last three games with East Carolina and UCF to close out. The defense has to keep forcing turnovers and Webb has to keep being Webb. The Blazers are getting help for Webb in the ground game, but he continues to be the one who makes everything go.

Nov. 1
Southern Miss 70 … UAB 14
Southern Miss ran for 463 yards and nine touchdowns and the USM quarterbacks completed 7-of-8 passes for 147 yards and a score on the way to the blowout win. The Golden Eagles capitalized on a few of the six UAB turnovers on the way to 49 first half points highlighted by a 60-yard DeAndre Brown touchdown catch, four of Austin Davis’s five touchdown runs, and two one-yard Tory Harrison scoring runs. UAB only managed 223 yards and got two Joe Webb touchdown passes, but Harrison answered the second Blazer score in the third quarter with a 69-yard scoring run.
Player of the game: Southern Miss QB Austin Davis completed 6-of-7 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown and ran 10 times for 81 yards and five touchdowns
Stat Leaders: UAB - Passing: Joe Webb, 16-23, 127 yds, 2 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Rashaud Slaughter, 12-65. Receiving: Rashaud Slaughter, 4-22, 1 TD
Southern Miss - Passing: Austin Davis, 6-7, 141 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Tony Harrison, 20-137, 3 TD. Receiving: DeAndre Brown, 3-97, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Obviously things aren’t going well when you give up 70 points to a 2-5 team. UAB got run over, around and through by Southern Miss with an unfocused Blazer effort coming off a bye week. The six turnovers didn’t help the cause, and once the wheels started to come off, the offense didn’t do a thing to turn things around. Now there’s another off week to sit around and stew about the loss and change things up for the final three weeks. The goal against Tulane, East Carolina and UCF will be to figure out who to build around for 2009.

Oct. 18
UAB 23 … Marshall 21
Joe Webb ran for 135 yards with a 28-yard touchdown dash to cap off a 93-yard drive to get up just enough to keep Marshall at bay. The Herd tried to mount a comeback attempt, and did it with the defense with a 62-yard fumble return for a score from Mario Harvey. The offense sputtered in the second half, failing to score with a missed field goal and turnovers. In the first half, Mark Cann hit Cody Slate with a 20-yard touchdown pass and Darius Passmore took a pass 71 yards for a score. For UAB, Webb accounted for 352 of the team’s 432 yards of offense.
Player of the game: UAB QB Joe Webb completed 15-of-28 passes for 217 yards and ran 20 times for 135 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Marshall - Passing: Mark Cann, 16-26, 237 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Chubb Small, 15-50. Receiving: Darius Passmore, 6-165, 1 TD
UAB - Passing: Joe Web, 15-28, 217 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Joe Webb, 20-135, 1 TD. Receiving: Mario Wright, 4-60
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... UAB was carried by Joe Webb to a win over Marshall, but it was the defense that came up with a stunning performance against the run. Webb was able to roam free and do big things with his legs as well as his arm, while Rashard Slaughter helped the cause with the ground game. Now the Blazers have to stay hot on the road with three road games in the final four starting with a trip to Southern Miss in a few weeks.

Sept. 9
Houston 45 ... UAB 20
In a tale of two halves, UAB got up 20-3 on two Swayze Waters field goals and a scoring run and a 21-yard touchdown pass from Joe Webb. And then it was all Houston as the Cougar offense cranked out 375 second half yards and 42 unanswered points. Case Keenum threw two touchdown passes, including a 70-yarder to Patrick Edwards, and ran for a one-yard score, while Andre John and Bryce Beall each ran for short scores. The defense got into the act with a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown from Brandon Brinkley.
Player of the game: Houston QB Case Keenum completed 24-of-36 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for a score.
Stat Leaders: Houston - Passing: Case Keenum, 24-36, 360 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Bryce Beall, 12-107, 1 TD. Receiving: Tyrone Carrier, 7-108, 1 TD
UAB - Passing: Joe Webb, 24-40, 234 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Joe Webb, 25-72, 1 TD. Receiving: Frantrell Forrest, 8-84
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... UAB is finding new and even more painful ways to lose. There was the close battle with South Carolina, the last second field goal loss to Memphis, and now, the complete and utter collapse. Once Houston got on a second half roll, finishing with 42 unanswered points, UAB was helpless to stop the run. The offense couldn't move the ball, the defense wasn't even close to generating any pressure, and it was yet another loss. Joe Webb did what he could, once again being a one-man gang, but he was off meaning the offense didn't have a prayer.

Oct. 1
Memphis 33 ... UAB 30
Vinny Zaccario nailed a 25-yard field goal with two seconds to play to give Memphis the tough win in a see-saw battle. Arkelon Hall threw four touchdown passes for the Tigers including strikes to Earnest Williams from 30 and 20 yards out in the first half, but UAB's Joe Webb was better. Webb ran for three scores and threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Mike Jones with 235 passing yards and 93 on the ground. But Hall came through in the end leading the way on a nine-play, 72-yard march to lead to the game-winning field goal.
Player of the game: Memphis QB Arkelon Hall completed 18-of-28 passes for 209 yards and four touchdowns with an interception, and ran ten times for 17 yards.
Stat Leaders: UAB - Passing: Joe Webb, 14-25, 235 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Joe Webb, 18-93, 3 TD. Receiving: Jeffrey Anderson, 2-50
Memphis - Passing: Arkelon Hall, 18-28, 209 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Curtis Steele, 14-101. Receiving: Carlos Singleton, 5-123, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... UAB might have lost to Memphis, and it might be 1-5, but it's playing relatively well and battled hard in the last-second loss to the Tigers. Joe Webb was magnificent both running and passing, but he didn't do it all by himself. Rashaud Slaughter ran well and the receivers did a decent job of making things happen after the catch. The defense continues to struggle, it did next to nothing to stop the Memphis offense cold, and now comes a date with the high-powered Houston attack. Basically, Webb and the offense have to do even more.

Sept. 27
South Carolina 26 … UAB 13
Stephen Garcia ran for a five-yard score and threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Brian Maddox as South Carolina got up 26-6 before UAB finally got into the end zone on a one-yard Joe Webb run in the final seconds. Ryan Succop nailed four field goals for the Gamecocks, while Swayze Waters came up with two 38-yard field goals in the first half for the Blazers. The two teams combined for six turnovers.
Player of the game: South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia completed 13-of-20 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown with an interception, and he ran 18 times for 86 yards and a score.  
Stat Leaders: South Carolina - Passing: Stephen Garcia, 13-20, 131 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Stephen Garcia, 18-86, 1 TD. Receiving: Jason Barnes, 3-46
UAB - Passing: Joe Webb, 17-28, 140 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Joe Webb, 9-22, 1 TD. Receiving: Rashaud Slaughter, 6-39
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The South Carolina defense is fantastic and is going to stuff everyone’s running game. UAB wasn’t able to overcome the Gamecock defensive front as Joe Webb failed to complete anything deep and was picked off twice. Even though it was a blowout, the defense did a decent job of keeping too many USC drives from turning into touchdowns.

Sept. 20
UAB 45 … Alabama State 10
Joe Webb ran for a 41-yard touchdown and threw two scoring passes as UAB rolled for 486 yards and 248 on the ground in the win. ASU tied it at seven on a 39-yard Darius Mathis catch midway through the first quarter, but UAB was never in trouble after that as it went on a 38-point run helped by two Rashaun Slaughter touchdown runs and a 15-yard scoring dash from Justin Brooms.
Player of the game: UAB QB Joe Webb completed 14-of-22 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, and ran 14 times for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: UAB - Passing: Joe Webb, 14-22, 238 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Joe Webb, 14-121, 1 TD. Receiving: Fretrell Forrest, 4-61
Alabama State - Passing: Reid Herchenbach, 25-33, 259 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Joel Raggins, 8-28. Receiving: Darius Mathis, 7-118, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... After a rough start to the year, UAB needed a layup game when everything was working. Alabama State turned out to be just the game, as the UAB defense held ASU to just 17 yards rushing and the offense struck a near-perfect balance with 238 passing yards and 248 on the ground. Joe Webb was fantastic running the ball, but he had help from a slew of different players who had yet to show up this year, like RB Rashaun Slaughter. Next week it’ll be a different story against South Carolina.

Sept. 13
Tennessee 35 ... UAB 3
Tennessee was never threatened taking a 14-0 lead on two Gerald Jones touchdown catches from 20 and 14 yards out. UAB came up with a 47-yard Swayze Waters field goal in the third quarter, but that was it. The Volunteer running game took over from there with Montario Hardesty running for a six-yard score and Lennon Creer scoring from 45 and three yards out. The Vols outgained the Blazers 266 yards to 108 on the ground.
Player of the game: Tennessee S Eric Berry made seven tackles and an interception
Stat Leaders: Tennessee - Passing: Jonathan Crompton, 19-31, 240 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Arian Foster, 12-100. Receiving: Lucas Taylor, 9-132
UAB - Passing: Joe Webb, 19-34, 167 yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Joe Webb, 14-78. Receiving: Frantrell Forrest, 8-83
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Joe Webb needs help. He's the entire UAB offense. Playing against a team like Tennessee might not be a proper indicator, but there has to be a few more options and someone to do more with the running game. Webb did a good job of spreading the ball around, but he threw three interceptions and struggled to keep the chains moving. Defensively, the Blazers didn't do anything to slow the Vols down, but safety Will Dunbar had a strong game.

Sept. 6
Florida Atlantic 49 … UAB 24
In an offensive shootout, Rusty Smith threw three touchdown passes and WR Cortez Gent threw a 33-yarder to Chris Bonner as the Owls got up early and never trailed. UAB mounted a second quarter comeback with Joe Webb connecting with Zach Lankford and Frantrell Forrest for scores, but every time the Blazers came close, FAU had an answer. UAB got within eight midway through the fourth quarter on a 10-yard Justin Brooks run, but Charles Pierre put it away with a 73-yard scoring dash in the final minute.
Player of the game:  Florida Atlantic QB Rusty Smith completed 21-of-34 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Florida Atlantic - Passing: Rusty Smith, 21-34, 325 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Charles Pierre, 13-138, 2 TD  Receiving: Cortez Gant, 8-146, 1 TD
UAB - Passing: Joe Webb, 26-48, 326 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Joe Webb, 18-66. Receiving: Frantrell Forrest, 11-149, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... While it’ll never sit well for a Conference USA team to lose to a Sun Belt team, Florida Atlantic is really good and UAB was able to move the ball without a problem. Joe Webb was special with 392 yards of total offense as he kept the team in the game, but the defense couldn’t come up with a big stop when absolutely needed. Going forward, the defense might need to step up and do more to have any hope of being better in conference play, but Webb could be a talent who wins a game or two by himself.

Aug. 30
Tulsa 45 ... UAB 22
UAB took a 22-21 lead into the locker room helped by a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Frantrell Forrest, who also caught a 32-yard touchdown pass, but it was all Tulsa in the second half as the defense shut down and shut out the Blazer offense, and the Golden Hurricane attack to a nine-yard touchdown run from Tarrion Adams, his second score of the game, along with a 73-yard Charles Clay scoring grab. Tulsa finished with 601 yards of total offense.
Player of the game: Tulsa QB David Johnson completed 20 of 24 passes for 332 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran twice for 48 yards.
Stat Leaders: Tulsa - Passing: David Johnson, 20-24, 332 yds, 3 TDs
Rushing: Tarrion Adams, 12-63. Receiving: AJ Whitmore, 5-63
UAB - Passing: Joe Webb, 17-31, 169 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Joe Webb, 18-136. Receiving: Mario Wright, 3-46
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... As usual, a lack of depth and defensive playmakers did in the Blazers in a 45-22 loss to Tulsa. UAB actually led at halftime, but ran out of gas in the second half and was never a threat in the final 15 minutes. The defeat overshadowed the play of QB Joe Webb, who was dangerous through the air and on the ground, accounting for more than 300 yards. He’s the type of dual-threat who can engineer an upset this season if the rest of the team plays above its ability.