[gorillapittpray]

Wed, November 27th, 2013
BLAZER WEEKLY

NO LONGER DAVID:
BLAZERS ARE NO LONGER UNDER DOGS
THANKS TO THEIR PERFORMANCES IN BIG GAMES.

(FRESHMEN QUARTERBACK ADAM DYKS HAS HELPED MANAGE THIS UAB TEAM TO SEC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP BIRTH)

BIRMINGHAM, AL - UAB was once considered the easy win. In fact they were cellar dwellers just hoping to get to .500. But since the arrival of head coach Travis Rhatigan the Blazers are slowly awakening and becoming one of the premiere college programs in the NCAA.
"Its starts with us the coaches." said head coach Travis Rhatigan who is conducting sprint drills as the Blazers prepare during the bye week for #7 Alabama.
"When we got here we let the guys know how we want this program to be, a no nonsense hard working program that wants to and knows how to win."
In three season Travis Rhatigan has led the UAB Blazers to a 38-2 record. His teams have dished out 14 All Americans two conference championships and a national title appearance.
More importantly his teams have stepped up huge in big games. His record against the top 25 is 9-2.
"The way our guys work, they look forward to the big games. Thats why you play, to be in those type of games that the nation is watching."

Blazers in Big games:
IN HIS FIRST SEASON RHATIGAN LED THE BLAZERS TO THE SWAMP THEN KNOCKED OFF TOP 25 RANKED MISS STATE AT HOME, HE ENDED THE SEASON BY BEATING TULSA FOR THE CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONSHIP

• AT FLORIDA 41-38
• MISS ST 34-30
• C-USA CHAMPIONSHIP 37-22

IN HIS SECOND SEASON HE TOOK UAB INTO JORDAN-HARE STARTING THE NOW FIERCE RIVALRY AGAINST AUBURN, A FEW WEEKS LATER THEY WOULD TRAVEL TO BLACKSBURG WHERE THEY STOLE A HARD FOUGHT WIN OVER THE HOKIES, A LAST SECOND WIN IN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP OVER HOUSTON SENT UAB TO THEIR FIRST EVER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

• AT AUBURN 28-27
• AT VIRGINIA TECH 41-27
• C-USA CHAMPIONSHIP 34-31
• NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP LOSS TO TCU 56-44

THIS SEASON THE BLAZERS OPENED THE SEASON RANKED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY NATIONALLY TELEVISED WINS OVER VTECH AND ARKANSAS PUT UAB IN THE TALKS OF THE GREAT TEAMS, THEN ANOTHER HUGE WIN AT AUBURN AND AGAINST GEORGIA HAS THE UNIVERSITY TALKING CHAMPIONSHIP.

• VS VTECH 31-21
• AT ARKANSAS 54-28
• AT AUBURN 24-17
• CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP ??

UAB has done their share of work in big games and look to build on to that next week in the SEC Championship game.


RECRUITING TALK:
The Blazers have napped their highest rated recruit in the Travis Rhatigan era as Strong Safety Derrick Harris gave UAB a hard commitment on Monday.

(HARRIS ATTEMPTS A TACKLE IN A GAME EARLIER THIS SEASON)


Harris is rated as the #1 strong safety in the country. The Lake Worth high school star is also rated as the #19 overall prospect in the state of Florida.
"Harris is a kid that can come right in a play, he's strong he's fast and he knows the game." Said head coach Travis Rhatigan. Derrick chose UAB over Florida State, South Florida and South Carolina. "Any time you can go into another state such as Florida, who has traditional powerhouse universities and grab a player of this talent speaks volumes about how kids perceive your school."
The Blazers now up their total to 13 recruits that have committed.