Florida Gators
Georgia
In only previous meeting, Gators rolled up 643 yards vs. UAB; a look this year's Blazers
Wednesday, September 7, 2011 | Football, Women's Tennis, Scott Carter
The No. 18 Gators host UAB on Saturday in the second game of the season and the second meeting between the schools.
The only other meeting came in 2002 in Ron Zook's first game as Florida's head coach. The Gators rolled to a 51-3 victory, amassing 643 yards of total offense with quarterback Rex Grossman leading the charge.
Grossman connected with receiver Taylor Jacobs eight times for 246 yards. Taylor's performance broke Carlos Alvarez's 33-year-old school record for more receiving yards in a game and still stands.
UAB coach Neil Callaway, Mark Richt's former offensive coordinator at Georgia, is entering his fifth season. Having a background deeply rooted in the SEC, Callaway knows what to expect on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
He is trying to relay that message to the Blazers in practice this week. For UAB, Saturday is the season opener. The Blazers were just one of two FBS teams (Nevada the other) not to open the season last week.
“I'm anxious to watch our team compete against one of the best programs in the country and see how well we do,'' Callaway said. “The two things that jumped out at me [against FAU] were their team speed and their defensive line. I think they have a very good defensive line, which can cause problems, and they have tremendous team speed.”
We'll have plenty more coverage of the Gators this week, but right now, here is a quick look at UAB:
--To read UAB's official game notes, click here.
--One player to watch out for is UAB tight end Kennard Backman, who made Callaway a happy coach when he chose football over basketball writes The Birmingham News.
--The Blazers are ready for a game writes Steve Irvine of The Birmingham News.
--UAB's top offensive threat, running back Pat Shed, is suffering from a sports hernia, which has opened the door for Greg Franklin to start at tailback writes the Marietta Daily Journal.
--For a season preview of the Blazers, here is one from the Birmingham News which says to expect Neil Callaway to lead UAB to a bowl game this season.
--The Memphis Commercial Appeal offers its take on UAB entering the season.
