UAB Blazers Football

The 2023 UAB Blazers football team, representing the University of Alabama at Birmingham, competed in the American Athletic Conference (AAC). Under first-year head coach Trent Dilfer, the Blazers ended the season with a 4–8 overall record and a 3–5 mark in conference play. They played their home games at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.

UAB Blazers Football Team Introduction

The University of Alabam is represented by the UAB Blazers football team at Birmingham in American football. Competing in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the American Athletic Conference (AAC), the team is coached by Trent Dilfer, who became head coach in November 2022. The Blazers play home games at Protective Stadium, which has a capacity of over 47,000 and has been their home since 2021. The program was briefly terminated after the 2014 season but returned in 2017. Since then, UAB has achieved significant success, including winning its first conference championship and bowl game in 2018.

UAB Blazers Football Team History

The UAB Blazers football team has a rich history. Established in 1991, they played at Legion Field until 2020 before moving to Protective Stadium in 2021. The program was discontinued after the 2014 season but was quickly reinstated and resumed play in 2017. Under new leadership, the team saw success, winning their first conference championship and bowl game in 2018. After Bill Clark, Trent Dilfer became head coach in November 2022. The Blazers compete in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the American Athletic Conference (AAC), continuing to build on their legacy in college football.

UAB Blazers Football Team Coaches

Head Coach Profile

Trent Dilfer, born on March 13, 1972, is the head football coach for the UAB Blazers. A former NFL quarterback, Dilfer played for 14 seasons, most notably leading the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl victory in 2000. He played college football at Fresno State and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1994. After retiring in 2008, Dilfer worked as an NFL analyst for ESPN and led the Elite 11 quarterback camp. He became UAB's head coach in 2023.

UAB Blazers Football Team Stadium

Protective Stadium, located in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, is the home of the UAB Blazers football team. Owned by the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority, the stadium opened in 2021. It has a seating capacity of over 47,000 and replaced Legion Field as the Blazers' home. The first UAB game at Protective Stadium was on October 2, 2021, against Liberty. The stadium hosts the annual Birmingham Bowl and the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) football championships. Additionally, it serves as a hub for the United States Football League (USFL), hosting games for the Birmingham Stallions and New Orleans Breakers.

UAB Blazers Football Team Rivals

Southern Miss:

UAB and Southern Miss have played 18 times since their first game in 2000. Southern Miss won the first nine games, but UAB has won 7 of the last nine, making the overall record 11-7 in favor of Southern Miss. The rivalry has been on hold since Southern Miss left for the Sun Belt Conference in 2022.

Troy:

UAB and Troy have met 12 times, with Troy leading the series 7-5. The rivalry paused after 2014 but is set to resume in 2028.

Memphis:

UAB and Memphis compete in "The Battle of the Bones," where the winner gets a 100-pound bronze rack of ribs. UAB leads the series 10-5, but Memphis won the last game. The rivalry was renewed in 2023 when UAB joined the American Athletic Conference.

The Battle of the Bones

The UAB Blazers and Memphis Tigers play in "The Battle of the Bones," a rivalry game. The winning team gets a 100-pound bronze statue of ribs, celebrating their love for barbecue. UAB has won 10 times, while Memphis won 5 times. Memphis won the last game. The rivalry started again in 2023 when UAB joined the American Athletic Conference.

UAB Blazers Football Team Record and Stats

Conference Championships

The Blazers have won two conference titles.

Division championships

The Blazers joined Conference USA in 1999. 2005, the conference split into two divisions, and UAB played in the East Division until 2014. In 2017, UAB moved to the West Division and won three division titles. After losing three teams in 2021, Conference USA eliminated its divisions.

UAB Blazers Football Team Roster

Offense

Quarterbacks (QB):

Harrison Barker

Trace Campbell

Landry Lyddy

Carter Putt

Jacob Zeno

Running Backs (RB):

Tyjuan Able

Demetrius Battle

Lee Beebe

Jermaine Brown Jr.

Taven Curry

Isaiah Jacobs

Nick LaRocca

Lee Witherspoon

Wide Receivers (WR):

Brandon Buckhaulter

Teddy Davenport

Fred Farrier II

Connor Harby

BJ Hawkins Jr.

Malachi Holt-Bennett

Iverson Hooks

T.J. Jones

Aron Marsch

Joey Merritt

Corri Milliner

Tejhaun Palmer

Calvin Parker

Ryan Peppins

Samario Rudolph

Kameran Shanks

Amare Thomas

Tyler Trawick

Dazalin Worsham

Dylan Wroblewski

Tight Ends (TE):

Mike Crawford

Bryce Damous

Terrell McDonald

Dallas Payne

Joshua Rubin

J.C. Sivley

Clay Smelley

Offensive Line (OL):

Trey Bedosky

Cort Bradley

Mason Chorak

Arturo Escamilla

Zaire Flournoy

Ryan Gunter

Tennyson Hadfield

Jordan Hall

Luke Jones

Adam Lepkowski

Logan Moore

Brennan Moran

Jalen Nettles

Will Parker

Tater Reid

Delano Townsend

Brady Wilson

Antavious Woody

Quez Yates

Defense

Defensive Line (DL):

Jonathan Allen

Matthew Craig

Joker Gill

Jamin Graham

Tyrique Howard

Connor Knight

Fish McWilliams

Miquon Merriweather

Guerlens Milfort

Fred Owens

Kevin Penn

Eamon Smalls

Tyler Thomas

Emmanuel Waller

Elijah Williams

Linebackers (LB):

Jackson Bratton

Tamarious Brown

Reise Collier

Nikia Eason Jr.

Michael Fairbanks II

Brandon Franklin

Charlie Goode

Daniel Harris

Kendall Johnson

Jamarcus Jones

AJ Lee

Desmond Little

Jalen Mayala

Michael Moore

Everett Roussaw Jr.

James Smyre

Will Sorrells

Cornerbacks (CB):

Nasir Bashir

Colby Dempsey

AD Diamond

Jaylyn Ferguson

Ricky Lee III

BJ Mayes

Mac McWilliams

Trey Miles

Austin Mitchell

Safeties (S):

Chris Bracy

AJ Brown

Carl Fauntroy Jr.

Keon Handley Jr.

T'sai McDaniel

Kyle McKinney

Damien Miller

Damon Miller

Jason Riles Jr.

Ike Rowell

Keondre Swoopes

Ray Thornton III

Skyler Trawick

Special Teams

Kickers (K):

Jonah Delange

Jacob Marroquin

Matt Quinn

Punters (P):

Patrick Foley

Caden Long

Long Snappers (LS):

Xander Echols

Caleb Moser

UAB Blazers Football Team Schedule

August 29, 2024

Opponent: Alcorn State

Time: TBA

Venue: Protective Stadium

Tickets: Starting at $35.20

September 7, 2024

Opponent: UL-Monroe

Time: TBA

Venue: JPS Field at James L. Malone Stadium

September 14, 2024

Opponent: Arkansas

Time: TBA

Venue: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium

Tickets: Starting at $29.76

September 28, 2024

Opponent: Navy

Time: TBA

Venue: Protective Stadium

Tickets: Starting at $34.10

October 5, 2024

Opponent: Tulane

Time: TBA

Venue: Protective Stadium

Tickets: Starting at $31.90

October 12, 2024

Opponent: Army

Time: TBA

Venue: Blaik Field at Michie Stadium

Tickets: Starting at $38.00

October 19, 2024

Opponent: South Florida

Time: TBA

Venue: Raymond James Stadium

Tickets: Starting at $11.00

November 2, 2024

Opponent: Tulsa

Time: TBA

Venue: Protective Stadium

Tickets: Starting at $33.00

November 9, 2024

Opponent: UConn

Time: TBA

Venue: Protective Stadium

Tickets: Starting at $34.10

November 16, 2024

Opponent: Memphis

Time: TBA

Venue: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium

Tickets: Starting at $54.00

November 23, 2024

Opponent: Rice

Time: TBA

Venue: Protective Stadium

Tickets: Starting at $34.10

November 30, 2024

Opponent: Charlotte

Time: TBA

Venue: Jerry Richardson Stadium

Tickets: Starting at $41.00