When UAB opposes No. 22 Memphis in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, the Blazers will do so under the direction of a new coach, and that’s a little concerning to Tigers coach Ryan Silverfield.
The Blazers (2-4, 0-3 American) dismissed coach Trent Dilfer on Sunday, a day after the team took its third straight loss, 53-33 at Florida Atlantic. UAB tabbed Alex Mortensen to take over the program.
Mortensen, a former Arkansas quarterback, has been the Blazers’ offensive coordinator since December 2022.
The Blazers’ offense is averaging 29.5 points per game, tied for 58th among FBS programs. The defense, though, is last among the 136 FBS schools with an average of 41.3 points allowed.
The Saturday game appears to be a mismatch on paper as the Tigers (6-0, 2-0) score 40.5 points a contest, good for 13th nationally. They rack up 450.2 yards per game, third best in the conference. At 238.7 yards per game, the Tigers also boast the nation’s 10th ground game, with three players already having at least a 100-yard game.
However, don’t expect Silverfield to feel that the game is a gimme considering what has happened in college football this season. He noted how UCLA has played under interim coach Tim Skipper since the Bruins fired Deshaun Foster three games into the season.
“Obviously, it gives you a little bit of angst, because there’s some unknowns,” Silverfield said, wondering if UAB may try a surprise onside kick as the Bruins did in an upset win over Penn State two weeks ago.
Because of that, the Tigers, who are coming back from their first off week of the season, must play sound football when they return to the field, according to their coach.
“We don’t go chasing ghosts, as we say quite often, but we’ve got to be prepared for possibly everything,” Silverfield added.
In the Tigers’ latest game, a 45-7 home win against Tulsa, quarterback Brendon Lewis produced 266 yards on 22-of-30 passing. He threw for three touchdowns but he was intercepted twice. He added 67 yards and another score on 14 carries.
Each of the Blazers’ losses was by at least 14 points, and the Florida Atlantic game was the second time UAB has allowed an opponent to score 50 or more points this season.
Quarterback Jalen Kitna leads the Blazers’ offense. The son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna leads the conference with a 69.1% completion rate, while his 1,776 passing yards rank second. He has thrown 10 touchdown passes and four interceptions.
However, he has been sacked a league-high 13 times, and the Blazers will face a defense that is allowing just 16.2 points a game, second lowest in the conference and 16th in FBS. Former Florida State defensive back Omarion Cooper’s six passes defensed are tied for the American lead, and linebacker DeMarco Ward is one of four players in the country to return two interceptions for touchdowns.
As he heads into his first game as head coach, Mortensen, the son of the late ESPN NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, wants to focus on the items the team can control, such as playing with effort as the Blazers fight for a six-win season and bowl eligibility.
“That’s not just Saturday,” he said. “That’s still Monday through Friday. There’s still a price to pay during the week to play the way you want to play Saturday. That doesn’t change now, and if anything, we’ve got to enhance and improve that process.”
