# 2018 UAB Blazers football team

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.

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Rimington Trophy | Lee Dufour | C | JR |
| Maxwell Award | Spencer Brown | RB | SO |
| Doak Walker Award | Spencer Brown | RB | SO |
| John Mackey Award | Logan Scott | TE | SR |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Craig Kanyangarara | LB | SR |
| Walter Camp Award | Spencer Brown | RB | SO |
| Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award | A.J. Erdely | QB | SR |
| Manning Award | A.J. Erdely | QB | SR |

### Preseason All-CUSA team

Conference USA released their preseason all-CUSA team on July 16, 2018, with the Blazers having one player selected.

### Preseason media poll

Conference USA released their preseason media poll on July 17, 2018, with the Blazers predicted to finish in third place in the West Division.
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

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 30 | 7:00 p.m. | Savannah State* | Legion FieldBirmingham, AL | ESPN+ | W 52–0 | 27,124 |
| September 8 | 6:00 p.m. | at Coastal Carolina* | Brooks StadiumConway, SC | ESPN+ | L 24–47 | 9,776 |
| September 15 | 12:00 p.m. | Tulane* | Legion FieldBirmingham, AL | Stadium | W 31–24 | 21,991 |
| September 29 | 6:00 p.m. | Charlotte | Legion FieldBirmingham, AL | ESPN3 | W 28–7 | 25,395 |
| October 6 | 6:00 p.m. | at Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet StadiumRuston, LA | Stadium | W 28–7 | 18,983 |
| October 13 | 12:00 p.m. | at Rice | Rice StadiumHouston, TX | ESPN+ | W 42–0 | 18,916 |
| October 20 | 6:30 p.m. | North Texas | Legion FieldBirmingham, AL | beIN | W 29–21 | 28,014 |
| October 27 | 6:30 p.m. | at UTEP | Sun BowlEl Paso, TX | ESPN+ | W 19–0 | 10,787 |
| November 3 | 6:30 p.m. | UTSA | Legion FieldBirmingham, AL | beIN | W 52–3 | 17,605 |
| November 10 | 6:30 p.m. | Southern Miss | Legion FieldBirmingham, AL | beIN | W 26–23 $^{OT}$ | 25,618 |
| November 17 | 6:00 p.m. | at Texas A&M* | Kyle FieldCollege Station, TX | ESPN2 | L 20–41 | 97,584 |
| November 24 | 2:00 p.m. | at Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd StadiumMurfreesboro, TN | ESPN3 | L 3–27 | 14,411 |
| December 1 | 1:30 p.m. | at Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd StadiumMurfreesboro, TN (C-USA Championship Game) | CBSSN | W 27–25 | 15,806 |
| December 18 | 6:00 p.m. | vs. Northern Illinois* | FAU StadiumBoca Raton, FL (Boca Raton Bowl) | ESPN | W 37–13 | 22,614 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingAll times are in Central time |||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | 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 | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |

## Game summaries
### Savannah State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blazers | 7 | 21 | 10 | 14 | 52 |

### At Coastal Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blazers | 14 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Chanticleers | 7 | 13 | 7 | 20 | 47 |

### Tulane

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Green Wave | 0 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 24 |
| Blazers | 7 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 31 |

### Charlotte

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Blazers | 14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 28 |

### At Louisiana Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blazers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |

### At Rice

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blazers | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 42 |
| Owls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### North Texas

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mean Green | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Blazers | 3 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 29 |

### At UTEP

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blazers | 10 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 19 |
| Miners | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### UTSA

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Roadrunners | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Blazers | 21 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 52 |

### Southern Miss

| | 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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blazers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 20 |
| Aggies | 14 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 41 |

### At Middle Tennessee

| | 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)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blazers | 3 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 27 |
| Blue Raiders | 13 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 25 |

### Vs. Northern Illinois (Boca Raton Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Huskies | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Blazers | 10 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 37 |