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This is the second season in the Trent Dilfer era at UAB, and the Blazers look to shake things up in the American Athletic Conference. Returning starter at quarterback Jacob Zeno hopes to lead the Blazers' offense back to a bowl game.
Week 1: Alcorn State Braves
The Blazers start the season on a Thursday night at home in the friendly confines of Protective Stadium. The Blazers and the Braves have only met once, with UAB winning the game 22-0 in 2007.
The Blazers have the better team and should win this game convincingly. This will be an excellent way for them to get the rust off in live action. Zeno will shine, and the defense will make plays to entertain the Blazer crowd.
Record 1-0
Week 2: Louisiana Monroe Warhawks
ULM and UAB have met only twice, with both teams getting a victory. The Blazers have the most recent win, knocking off ULM 47-0. The proximity of the teams makes it hard to believe they have only played twice.
The Warhawks should give the Blazers more competition than Alcorn State, but the Blazers have the talent and the offense to pull away and win the game easily. These two first games will be good for Dilfer and the Blazers to clean up anything lingering from fall camp before the next game against a Southeastern Conference foe.
Record: 2-0
Week 3: Arkansas Razorbacks
This will be just the second meeting between the Razorbacks and Blazers. Arkansas prevailed 45-17 in the original clash back in 2014. The Blazers will find themselves an underdog against a talented SEC foe.
The quarterback matchup will be fun, featuring Zeno and new Arkansas QB Taylen Green. Both quarterbacks possess big-time arms and the ability to escape from collapsing pockets. With talent on the offensive side, the Blazers push Arkansas and knock off the Hogs for a marquee victory in the Dilfer era.
Record: 3-0
Week 4: Bye
Coming off the high of beating an SEC team, the Blazers take the first bye to rest and prepare for a demanding conference schedule. Implement new schemes on both sides of the ball, expand on what is working and fix what is not.
Record: 3-0
Week 5: Navy Midshipmen
Navy's 31-6 win last season is the only prior contest between these two teams. It was a close game until Navy scored 21 unanswered points to pull away from the Balzers. The defense kept UAB in the game, but after a 12-minute 20-play drive, Navy just ground them down.
This service academy is always a tricky opponent due to the precision with which it runs the option offense, an offense teams don't see very often anymore. But Zeno plays well and doesn't turn the ball over, and the defense gets timely stops to keep those long clock-killing drives to a minimum. The Blazers start the AAC season with a victory.
Record: 4-0
Week 6: Tulane Green Wave
The Green Wave and the Blazers have met 12 times, with Tulane winning last year's game in the AAC opener 35-23. It was a close game down the stretch, but the Blazers could not make the plays to beat a good Tulane squad.
The Green Wave is the favorite to win the game, and just like last year, the game is close. Down the stretch, Tulane makes just enough plays to squeak out a victory on the road, giving the Blazers their first loss of the season.
Record: 4-1
Week 7: Army Black Knights
The Blazers and the Black Knights have only met five times before this year and have not played since 2004, when UAB won 20-14, giving the Blazers a record of 5-0 over Army.
Seeing an option team for the second time in three weeks, the defense is prepared to endure, and UAB and its skill players make the most of some Army turnovers. Zeno continues to put up big numbers, and the scoring is spread around the entire offense. UAB gets a tough win on the road.
Record: 5-1
Week 8: South Florida Bulls
The Blazers and Bulls will play in their fourth meeting ever. UAB holds a 2-1 lead in the series, including last year's 56-35 victory over the Bulls at Protective Stadium. Zeno threw four touchdowns, and running back Jermaine Brown Jr added four rushing touchdowns.
South Florida coach Alex Golesh is one of the up-and-coming coaches in college football. With quarterback Byrum Brown, this could be a high-scoring game like last year. Winning on the road is tough, and while the Blazers won at Arkansas, they will fall short in a back-and-forth contest in Tampa, Fla.
Record: 5-2
Week 9: Bye
After a tough road loss, the Blazers welcome a bye week. It's time to heal and regroup for the season's final push. Dilfer has the team in position to clinch a bowl berth. Like the first one, this bye comes at a good time for the Blazers.
Record: 5-2
Week 10: Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Tulsa has won every matchup in this four-game series, most recently a 49-42 triumph in 2012.
Former Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson is the head coach for Tulsa and will bring an up-tempo but run-savvy offense to Protective Stadium.
The Tulsa defense gave up an average of 444.7 yards per game last year, and it will not get better on this trip to UAB. Behind an offense that will rack up points and yards, the Blazers will clinch a bowl berth, the first for Dilfer. The defense is coming into a groove as Michael Moore leads the way from his linebacker position.
Record: 6-2
Week 11: UConn Huskies
The Huskies and the Blazers have never met in football. Jim Mora and the Huskies are looking to better their 3-9 season from a year ago. Led by former Oklahoma and Wisconsin quarterback Nick Evers, the Huskies offense looks to turn it up a bit this year.
Both teams should be bowl-eligible here and feeling good after down seasons last year. The Blazers' experience at quarterback seals this one, as the Blazers now have seven wins on the season. Zeno is trying to break the records he set last year; the offense is humming.
Record: 7-2
Week 12: Memphis Tigers
The Blazers and the Tigers will meet for the 17th time. The Tigers have won the last two games, including last year's 45-21 victory. Seth Hennigan returns to lead the top-scoring offense in the AAC last year.
The Tigers are looking to make a run at a playoff spot and are the standard this year in the AAC. This has the makings of another high-scoring shootout. Memphis will make the plays to secure the victory and move closer to the playoff spot.
Record: 7-3
Week 13: Rice Owls
This meeting will make it an even dozen for the Blazers and the Owls. UAB holds a 6-5 overall record against the Owls, with Rice prevailing 28-24 in the last meeting in 2022. Rice transfer quarterback E.J. Warner, the son of NFL Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Warner, came in from Temple and is looking to make it three bowl appearances in a row for Rice.
It's senior day at Protective Stadium, and the Blazers seniors will want to send their fans home happy after the last home game of the season. Zenos's last game at home will be a masterpiece, and the Blazers will cruise to an easy victory.
Record: 8-3
Week 14: Charlotte 49ers
This will be the fourth meeting between the Blazers and the 49ers. UAB leads the series 2-1, with a 34-20 victory in the last meeting in 2022. Former Florida quarterback Max Brown transferred in, hoping to get the 49er's offense moving in the right direction.
While Brown brings SEC experience, it does not equate to winning quarterback play. The Blazers play one of their most complete games to give them nine wins on the year and secure a spot in a decent bowl game. Zeno wraps up his final regular season game on a high note, leading this team to one of its best years and a big turnaround after only winning four games last year.
Record: 9-3
Recapping UAB's Season
With nine wins on the year, the Blazers will be well-positioned for an invitation to a reputable bowl game, especially if the Memphis Tigers make it into the College Football Playoff. With three potential landing spots for the Blazers postseason, a popular one for fans would be the Birmingham Bowl, played right at Protective Stadium. The Military Bowl is also in play, as it would pit the AAC against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent. Another possibility is the Gasparilla Bowl in which the Blazers would face an SEC foe like Auburn.
If things go their way, the Blazers could play for the AAC championship. This will be a fun team to watch as it grows through its second season under Dilfer. UAB was predicted to finish tenth in the fourteen-team AAC, and they will love proving everyone wrong.
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