MSU VS. UAB Week 4, The First Road Trip
Filed Under Mississippi State Sports | Posted on September 22, 2006
The Bulldogs make the short drive to Birmingham this weekend for the first road trip of the season. UAB is 1-0 in the series winning the only contest between the two schools in 2004. MSU travels to Birmingham with a 15 game road losing streak and having dropped the last five road openers. UAB comes into the game with a 1-2 record, with loses to Georgia and Oklahoma. Gametime is set for 6:00 PM CT at Legion Field, both general admission and reserved seats are avaliable. The Blazers are fighting through a rash of injuries and held several key offensive players out of practice this week.
The teams match up similarily on paper and defense looks to be both teams strength. UAB averages 11.3 points per game to our 9.7. Their defense gives up 23 points per game, and we give up 27. UAB is currently favored by 9.5 points. I really can’t believe that, but we will have to wait until Saturday evening to see if Vegas is right.
MSU PLAYERS TO WATCH from the Sports Xchange
QB Omarr Conner — After losing the starting QB job late last season, Conner made a successful transition to receiver. However, with starter Michael Henig out for several weeks with a broken collarbone and redshirt freshman Tray Rutland struggling to make things happen, Conner moved back to quarterback in the Tulane game and provided an immediate spark by completing 15 of 25 for 241 yards and running for a team-high 71 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown run and the ensuing two-point conversion. He’s the starter — for now — but he’ll need a lot of help to get this offense over the hump.
WR Tony Burks — Burks gave Conner some much-needed help in the Tulane game, catching four passes for 130 yards, including a 78-yard gain. “Tony’s been in a little bit of a transition,” coach Sylvester Croom said. “He’s skilled, he’s a great young man, he’s worked awful hard. Even though he was here in the spring, he missed most of practice. He had a little hamstring thing. He’s adjusting to SEC football.”
CB Derek Pegues — Pegues tore through Tulane on kickoff and punt returns for 192 yards, but he also struggled in pass coverage.
Blazers Report
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
Georgia coaches and players talked all week about how impressed they were with UAB’s experienced offensive line. Then Georgia’s defensive front dominated the Blazers line from start to finish, holding the Blazers to 68 rushing yards on 37 carries (1.8 yards per carry) and 163 total yards. Throw out the Georgia game and the Blazers, who rank last in the conference with 11.3 points per game, still have a difficult time moving the ball consistently and scoring points as they search for a new identity and the right playmakers on offense, especially at quarterback.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE
Georgia’s offensive line also dominated UAB up front, paving the way for 146 rushing yards on 38 carries. The Blazers have helped themselves with seven takeaways in three games, but they need more pressure on the quarterback after recording only four sacks. With Larry McSwain and Jermaine McElveen at the defensive ends, there’s no excuse for not getting upfield and making more plays in the backfield.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“This next game is a big one — from here on in they all are — but this is against an SEC school. I think Mississippi State is very good on defense as well; they gave up some big plays last week (against Tulane). Give credit to Coach (Sylvester) Croom. They had a couple of games that they thought they should win, and then to get down so much early, he still had his players fighting and almost won the game.” — UAB coach Watson Brown on Mississippi State.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
QBs Sam Hunt and Chris Williams — Hunt played well in the opener at Oklahoma and Williams played well in the win over East Carolina, but neither player could get UAB’s offense moving at Georgia. It’s still difficult to tell if the two-quarterback system is helping or hurting the Blazers, but in the meantime one of these guys needs to get the offense moving.
WR Willie Edwards — The Blazers need more production than the one pass reception they got last week from Edwards, who leads the team with six catches for 98 yards.
DE Larry McSwain — By making five tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack against Georgia, McSwain finally got his season moving in the right direction after missing the opener at Oklahoma because of a suspension and failing to make much of an impact in the second game against East Carolina.
ROSTER REPORT
Early in the week UAB coach Watson Brown said he was not certain who would start at quarterback against Mississippi State. Junior Sam Hunt has started two games and senior Chris Williams has started one, with both quarterbacks providing mixed results. Brown said neither quarterback “made very many plays” against Georgia. “You felt like they were running the team good, they just didn’t make any plays,” Brown said. “I graded them both kind of what I graded the team — kind of just average.”
Brown said redshirt freshman QB Joseph Webb nearly saw his first game action at Georgia. “I was asked (by an assistant coach) if I wanted to put him in,” Brown told the Birmingham News. “I thought about it. At the same time, (Hunt and Williams) are so inexperienced, I just think we need to give them every rep we can, especially against a really good defense. Let them have a pass play into this look or that look with a great reacting linebacker, a secondary guy over there and the pass rush right in your face. That’s why I didn’t play Joe.”
Injuries to UAB’s key offensive skill players will be an issue throughout the week of practice, with tailbacks Corey White (ankle), Dan Burks (foot) and Marculus Elliott (shoulder) and WRs Willie Edwards (hip flexor) and Norris Drinkard (knee) battling injuries this week. “We think they’ll be full speed on Saturday, but we’re getting into this mode where people aren’t practicing and it shows in the game,” said Brown.
The news looked better for both Burks and White on Tuesday, and senior Trey Chaney is also a capable, experienced back. At receiver, though, the potential absence of Edwards and Drinkard could leave a young, inexperienced position with even less depth and experience. Sophomore Sylvester Mencer and true freshmen Rashad Slaughter and Courtney Smith will likely see more playing time. The Blazers could even turn to true freshman Mike Jones, although the coaches are trying to redshirt Jones. The Blazers already lost senior WR Nick Coon to a season-ending shoulder injury in the preseason. “Every time we have one of these (injuries at wideout) it becomes a younger bunch,” Brown said.
From the Sports Xchange
