Troy is just 1 game
Posted on Sep 04, 2012 in Sports
UAB football is in a good place, regardless of what the “South’s leading opinion maker” may say.
Even the “F-Baum” himself checked into Legion Field before he traveled to Dallas or Atlanta to see the weekends “big” games.
It is not excitement or fanfare that will put the Blazers on the map, it is direction. For the first time there is a plan in place to lay a foundation for the future.
On Saturday, UAB found themselves down ten heading into the break against cross state rival Troy but there was no panic Head Coach Garrick McGee said.
“We had a plan to get back into the game,” said McGee. “It (the plan) gave us energy.”
The Blazers gave up over 262 yards on the ground to typically pass-heavy Troy, with RB Southward going for over 200 yards. Daniel Twieg/Photography Editor
On the opening kick of the second half the Blazers recovered an on-side kick and methodically took the ball down the field and scored.
The Blazers fought back into the game and at one point they were just two points behind Troy.
But the Trojans proved to be too much for the Blazers.
There was no panic. There were no pointed fingers.
“I am proud of our football team, there was no sense of panic when we were down 17-0,” said Garrick McGee. “The reality is we did not play well enough to win. I expected us to play better and win.”
“You do not play to play,” added McGee. “You play to win.”
On the soggy Saturday afternoon junior quarterback Jonathan Perry who threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns remained calm but confident after the loss.
“We played with pride,” said Perry. “He (McGee) is proud to be our coach. There is no magic in the new coaching staff; we have to make plays.”
“We will be better in two weeks,” said Perry. “We are a team. We sacrifice for each other.”
It seems for the first time in years UAB is ready for a miraculous season. That miracle may not come this season, but no one can know that for certain.
Andrew Carnegie once said, “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”
So before anyone passes judgment on the Blazers or makes excuses for how UAB has been treated by the System, fans must remember this was the first game of a new era. Success takes time.
A cynic would say that the road is just downhill from here, with games against South Carolina and Ohio State in the near future.
But UAB is not going away 0-1 or 0-3, and who is to say they could not sneak up on Spurrier of Meyer.
This is a new day in Blazer football and growing pains should be expected regardless of outcome.
Whether UAB wins or loses 10 games, no one–not even “radio network star” himself–can deny that UAB is in a better place in comparison to the team’s past.
It is time that the Blazer faithful stands with McGee and refuses to accept moral victories and excuses.
This is UAB’s time.
Eric Roberts
News Editor
news@insdieuab.com