The 2018 UAB Blazers football team represented the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the West Division of Conference USA (C-USA). They were led by third-year head coach Bill Clark and played their home games at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished the season 11–3, 7–1 in C-USA play to be champions of the West Division. They represented the West Division in the C-USA Championship Game where they defeated Middle Tennessee to win their first ever C-USA championship. They were invited to the Boca Raton Bowl where they defeated Northern Illinois to claim their first bowl win in program history.
On November 11, 2018, the Blazers made their first appearance in the Coaches’ Poll at No. 25, marking the first time since 2004 they had been ranked in any of the major three polls.
Table of Contents
Previous season[edit]
The Blazers finished the 2017 season 8–5, 6–2 in C-USA play to finish in a tie for second place in the West Division. They received an invitation to the Bahamas Bowl, where they lost to Ohio.
after-content-x4
The 2017 season marked the return of UAB football after a two-year hiatus following the elimination of the program in December 2014 and its subsequent reinstatement in July 2015.[1]
Preseason[edit]
Award watch lists[edit]
Listed in the order that they were released
Preseason All-CUSA team[edit]
Conference USA released their preseason all-CUSA team on July 16, 2018, with the Blazers having one player selected.[10]
Offense
Spencer Brown – RB
Preseason media poll[edit]
Conference USA released their preseason media poll on July 17, 2018, with the Blazers predicted to finish in third place in the West Division.[11]
West Division
Predicted finish
Team
1
North Texas
2
Louisiana Tech
3
UAB
4
Southern Miss
5
UTSA
T–6
Rice
T–6
UTEP
Schedule[edit]
Date
Time
Opponent
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
7:00 p.m.
Savannah State*
ESPN+
W 52–0
27,124
September 8
6:00 p.m.
at Coastal Carolina*
ESPN+
L 24–47
9,776
September 15
12:00 p.m.
Tulane*
Legion Field
Birmingham, AL
Stadium
W 31–24
21,991
September 29
6:00 p.m.
Charlotte
Legion Field
Birmingham, AL
ESPN3
W 28–7
25,395
October 6
6:00 p.m.
at Louisiana Tech
Stadium
W 28–7
18,983
October 13
12:00 p.m.
at Rice
ESPN+
W 42–0
18,916
October 20
6:30 p.m.
North Texas
Legion Field
Birmingham, AL
beIN
W 29–21
28,014
October 27
6:30 p.m.
at UTEP
ESPN+
W 19–0
10,787
November 3
6:30 p.m.
UTSA
Legion Field
Birmingham, AL
beIN
W 52–3
17,605
November 10
6:30 p.m.
Southern Miss
Legion Field
Birmingham, AL
beIN
W 26–23 OT
25,618
November 17
6:00 p.m.
at Texas A&M*
ESPN2
L 20–41
97,584
November 24
2:00 p.m.
at Middle Tennessee
ESPN3
L 3–27
14,411
December 1
1:30 p.m.
at Middle Tennessee
CBSSN
W 27–25
15,806
6:00 p.m.
vs. Northern Illinois*
ESPN
W 37–13
22,614
[12]
Rankings[edit]
Ranking movements Legend:██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. — = Not ranked. RV = Received votes.
Week
Poll
Pre
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Final
AP
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
—
RV
Coaches
—
—
—
—
—
—
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
25
RV
RV
RV
CFP
Not released
—
—
—
—
—
—
Not released
Game summaries[edit]
Savannah State[edit]
1
2
3
4
Total
Tigers
0
0
0
0
0
Blazers
7
21
10
14
52
At Coastal Carolina[edit]
1
2
3
4
Total
Blazers
14
10
0
0
24
Chanticleers
7
13
7
20
47
Tulane[edit]
1
2
3
4
Total
Green Wave
0
7
14
3
24
Blazers
7
14
3
7
31
Charlotte[edit]
1
2
3
4
Total
49ers
0
0
0
7
7
Blazers
14
7
0
7
28
At Louisiana Tech[edit]
1
2
3
4
Total
Blazers
0
7
7
14
28
Bulldogs
7
0
0
0
7
At Rice[edit]
1
2
3
4
Total
Blazers
14
14
14
0
42
Owls
0
0
0
0
0
North Texas[edit]
1
2
3
4
Total
Mean Green
7
14
0
0
21
Blazers
3
7
9
10
29
At UTEP[edit]
1
2
3
4
Total
Blazers
10
0
2
7
19
Miners
0
0
0
0
0
UTSA[edit]
1
2
3
4
Total
Roadrunners
3
0
0
0
3
Blazers
21
17
7
7
52
Southern Miss[edit]
1
2
3
4
OT
Total
Golden Eagles
7
6
0
7
3
23
Blazers
0
7
13
0
6
26
At Texas A&M[edit]
1
2
3
4
Total
Blazers
7
0
0
13
20
Aggies
14
10
10
7
41
At Middle Tennessee[edit]
1
2
3
4
Total
Blazers
3
0
0
0
3
Blue Raiders
0
13
7
7
27
At Middle Tennessee (C-USA Championship game)[edit]
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