Blazers bask in Bahamas Bowl benefits
UAB players and coaches are balances practice and pleasure with Bahamas Bowl trip. (UAB)
Jennifer Breland has had a busy week in paradise.
The executive director of the UAB National Alumni Society has been helping Blazer alumni and fans as they have made their way to Nassau for the fourth Bahamas Bowl.
“It’s been hectic,” Breland said. “We’re trying to get all our folks here. There have been a lot of travel delays, just with the airlines. It’s just the high travel season. Once you get to paradise, it’s fantastic.”
UAB Blazers football team prepares for the Bahama’s Bowl from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
A few delays in traveling from Birmingham to the Bahamas pale by comparison to the two-year delay Blazers fans experienced from the death of their football program to its return this season. It’s been even longer since UAB made it to a bowl game: it was 2004, when the Blazers lost 59-40 to Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl.
.@UAB_FB didn’t exist two years ago.
Now they’re going to the Bahamas Bowl and it wouldn’t have happened without their loyal fans. pic.twitter.com/2u7MKj0bra
— SB Nation (@SBNation) November 29, 2017
The feel-good story of college football concludes Friday as the Blazers cap their comeback with an 11:30 a.m. meeting with Ohio on ESPN. Steve Levy will provide play by play along with commentator Desmond Howard and sideline reporter Laura Rutledge.
Breland said the travel delays have been for customary reasons.
“You’re at the mercy of the airlines, weather and those things that normally delay planes and cancel planes,” she said.
It may be raining in Birmingham, but these dedicated UAB students, faculty, fans and alumni are ready for a sunny Bahamas Bowl trip! #BahamasBowl pic.twitter.com/z63RGGTf6r
— The Kaleidoscope (@UABkscope) December 20, 2017
Some UAB fans boarded cruise ships to get to the Blazers’ second bowl game. Most took to the air. No doubt all fans have been sky high with excitement after seeing their team defy the odds in becoming bowl eligible and doing it in style with a school-record eight victories.
The # of green and gold fans is growing. No solid #’s to pass along, but a plane of 130+ is arriving soon. #GoBlazers https://t.co/DzcmjOMAcp
— UAB Alumni (@uabalumni) December 20, 2017
The Blazers won in the stands as well, leading Conference USA in attendance in their return campaign. And it seems they are continuing to set an attendance standard in Game No. 13 of this season.
“Last I heard, we’re bringing a whole lot of fans,” Breland said. “We’re going to beat the average of the number of fans who usually come. It’s alumni, fans, supporters, the Birmingham community, people who have just supported the team all year that are coming. It’s a mix of people.”
To every employee everywhere, I hereby give you permission to miss work and watch @TheBahamasBowl on Friday! https://t.co/jBToAxFbWI pic.twitter.com/oYs6SN8Bot
— Mark Ingram (@UAB_AD) December 20, 2017
Coach Bill Clark echoed that assessment.
“I think we’re going to have a huge contingent,” he said. “I know people are even coming over on a cruise. Our fans really turned out. We led our conference in attendance by 5,000 or 6,000 so we should have a really good crowd. It’s not a long flight at all so we think we’ll have a great group of UAB supporters here.”
Already it is clear that UAB is on the island.
“You see green everywhere you go,” Breland said. “You can see a presence of Blazers around here.”
There was no shortage of excitement for the players as they arrived.
When your beach bash turns into a dance off 🙈🙈 pic.twitter.com/obIPXgmonp
— UAB Football (@UAB_FB) December 19, 2017
“There was a lot of hollering and hooping,” said Clark, who was recently tabbed Conference USA Coach of the Year. “They’re just really excited. A lot of work went into bringing this thing back. For those guys and those coaches to be rewarded in this way, it really doesn’t get much better.”
Upon his arrival, Clark was reminded of his prior visit to the Bahamas. He was there for a Conference USA kickoff event for the 2015 season when the subject of UAB getting there came up. The guess then was UAB might make it in 10 years.
“There was no doubt in my mind this is where I wanted us to go, just for these players. I knew it would be a great, first-class event. And we’re playing a great opponent in Ohio.”
Ohio also sports an 8-4 record this year. Statistically, the Bobcats have a better offense, amassing 430.9 yards per game to the Blazers’ 364.7 and outscoring UAB 38.9 to 29.6 on average.
The UAB defense comes in slightly better, yielding 357.8 yards per game to Ohio’s 373.2. The Blazers have held opponents to 24.3 points per game to Ohio’s 25.8.
“This is historic for them,” Clark said of his players. “We want them to have a good time but at the same time remember we’ve got a ballgame to play Friday.”
