Game #3 Zips @ UAB - 8:30 pm September 13th: Catdaddyp July Preview → Official Game Thread

[catdaddyp]

2024 Rewind:

The Blazers took a step back in Trent Dilfer’s second season. After winning four games in year one, UAB only managed three wins in year two. Those three wins came convincingly over Alcorn State, Tulsa, and Rice—two of which have new head coaches in 2025. All of UAB’s losses came in convincing fashion, with the exception of a two-point loss to Charlotte. Coincidentally, Charlotte also has a new head coach this season.

 

Recruiting under Dilfer:

2023:

On3 - 9th in AAC

247 - 10th in AAC

 

2024:

On3 - 11th in AAC

247 - 9th in AAC

 

2025:

On3 - 13th in AAC

247 - 11th in AAC

 

Blazers on Offense:

Former Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna is back for his second season in Dilfer’s offense. The redshirt senior threw for 2,209 yards, 17 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and completed 62% of his passes in 2024. Kitna is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the AAC, with most publications including him in their preseason All-AAC selections.

 

UTEP transfer Jevon Jackson is expected to start at running back. Jackson was an FCS All-American before transferring to UTEP, where he rushed for 754 yards and 4 touchdowns. He’ll split snaps with returning senior Isaiah Jacobs.

 

Redshirt sophomore Corri Milliner is UAB’s most productive returning receiver. Milliner posted 24 receptions for 416 yards and 3 touchdowns last season. Former consensus 4-star Kaleb Brown transferred in from Iowa (originally committed to Ohio State) and will attempt to live up to his potential, while the tight end position will be littered with new faces and minimal experience.

 

Quarterback Jalen Kitna will be playing behind a less experienced offensive line that gave up 33 sacks last season. However, two of the returning starters are dependable—center Brady Wilson and former South Carolina tackle JonDarius Morgan. New starting guards Calib Perez and Barry Walker combined to play just 86 snaps as backups. Former Wagner offensive tackle Brandon Sneh is expected to start after spending the spring at Kansas State before transferring a second time to UAB.

 

 

Blazers on Defense:

The Blazers’ pass rush in 2024 was on par with Akron’s, to give a general idea of their effectiveness. UAB’s run defense was horrendous, and they struggled to stop most teams from scoring. Supposedly, the bulk of their NIL funds went toward upgrading the defensive line, and they’ve added five transfers. Three of the four projected starters will be newcomers—Old Dominion transfer Amorie Morrison, Boston College transfer Nigel Tate, and Sam Houston transfer Denver Warren (who originally committed to Bowling Green out of high school). A returner that is expected to start is former backup James Smyre, who collected 9 total tackles and 2 sacks last season.

 

UAB lost nearly all of its production at linebacker and have turned to the portal for replacements. Eli Ennis will be one starter and he was an FCS All-American at Nicholls. The other starting linebacker will be Idaho State transfer Calvin Pitcher.

 

The Blazers’ secondary didn’t allow many yards per game, but that was partially because most opponents were able to run the ball at will. Regardless, UAB brought in five portal defensive backs this cycle and returns just one starter—safety Sirad Bryant. Bryant collected 59 total tackles and one interception. Not overly impressive numbers, but PFF graded him well in pass coverage. Backup safety AJ Brown will move into a starting role, and backup cornerback Donald Lee will also step into a starting spot. Pittsburgh transfer Tamarion Crumpley is expected to start opposite Lee, while Maryland transfer Perry Fisher is slated to start at the “star” position.

 

Kicker Jonah DeLange and punter Patrick Foley are back. The duo had a strong year and so did the rest of UAB’s special teams. They should be solid again.

 

 

Position Advantage:

The positions turned out to be closer than I expected upon a deeper dive. I think Akron holds a distinct advantage at wide receiver and tight end, and a small advantage at defensive back. The rest of the rosters are either up for debate or have so many question marks at this point that it’s hard to call.

 

QB - Even

RB - Even

WR - Akron

TE - Akron

OL - Even

DL - Even

LB - Even

DB - Akron

ST - UAB

 

 

Way too Early Prediction:

There’s a strong possibility this will be Dilfer’s last season at UAB. It’s hard to fathom this Blazers squad pulling out more than 3–4 wins again.

 

Akron should be able to move the ball fairly proficiently against an almost completely rebuilt UAB defense. This would be a good time for Moorhead to become stubborn and run the football. We usually don’t run enough—to my liking at least—until later in the season.

 

I don’t expect the UAB offensive line to be any better than it was last year. If we can’t get a decent amount of pressure on the quarterback in this game, I’ll be worried about what the rest of the season has in store. Kitna is going to get his stats no matter what, but we can’t make it easy on him.

 

I imagine both fanbases have this one circled on their calendars as wins. This is a game we absolutely must win to show progress going into year four of this regime. I think the Zips get it done 24-21, and we finally get an out-of-conference road win in the Moorhead era.

 

 

Game Day Notes:

Kitna has already thrown for 551 yards while completing 72% of his passes. However, he’s shown to be mistake-prone under pressure, tossing two interceptions so far.

 

The Blazers will rotate at running back with UTEP transfer Jackson and top backup Beebe handling most of the workload. Jackson is a dangerous runner who can break one at any time, while Beebe is just as likely to catch a pass as he is to carry the ball.

 

Milliner is UAB’s most explosive wideout, and Hooks has been Kitna’s second-favorite target.

 

UAB has stuck with the same five starters through both games, not rotating a single lineman. It’s a rebuilt OL and they’ve surprisingly been a strong unit so far—giving up only one sack and 6 pressures. Going left to right:

Sneh -  6’5”315 (Kansas State)

Perez - 6’5” 315 (Duke)

Lepkowski -  6’3” 300

Morgan - 6’4”320 (South Carolina)

Moore - 6’8” 290

 

The Blazers’ defense has struggled to stop anyone this season, but a few players have stood out with consistent play. Interestingly, both starting defensive tackles—Smalls and Sam Houston transfer Warren—have been really good. At linebacker, Rhode Island transfer Hightower has been effective, while in the secondary Boston College transfer safety Cheek and Pittsburgh transfer cornerback Crumpley have been the top performers.

 

UAB has only punted once this season—a 39-yarder downed inside the twenty. All extra points have been converted, and field goals are 2-for-3, with the lone miss coming from the 30–39 yard range. The two makes, however, have both been from beyond 40 yards.

 

During Dilfer’s press conference, a reporter referred to this as a “get right game” for UAB. Dilfer laughed and said the Blazers are usually the get right game for their opponents, adding that he hopes Akron’s offense doesn’t get going this weekend.

 

 

Some notes about the Zips:

JUCO transfer right tackle Maasai King has graded out really well through the first two games, especially in pass protection according to PFF. Next is right guard Keylen Davis, who has been solid but noticeably stronger in run blocking.

 

Keep an eye on JUCO transfer defensive tackle Nehemiah Musika in goal line situations. He was also mentioned on the Zips Weekly show. Musika was a commitment I really liked, though I wasn’t quite sure how we managed to land him. He supposedly isn’t as tall as listed and is still working into shape after being a late arrival due to coursework. Once Musika is able to play more regularly, he should give us a strong rotation with Laventure and Hull at DT—barring injury.

 

Former Illinois transfer Shammond Cooper has been playing at a high level and also leads the team in tackles with 19 total.

 

I’ve mentioned this a few times already, but DeWalt and Reed have really stepped up at cornerback. Reed in particular has been impressive—allowing just 19 yards on four receptions while being targeted 10 times. They’ll need another strong outing today if we’re going to have a chance at slowing down UAB’s offense.

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by catdaddyp

[exit322]

The rare game where the Zips are the better coached team.  Definitely a shot to win here.

[MangoZip]

UAB won but gave up 42 to Alabama State. Very good chance that we head into this game looking for our first points on the season. Good to know that the UAB defense isn’t the 85 Bears. 

 

Edited August 30 by MangoZip

[HoopsFan03]

Dilfer and Kitna. Seahawks early 2000s. 

[exit322]

I think Akron has a chance to generate points in this one.  Not sure Finley's passes get points for the Zips or Blazers, but there will be points scored with the Zips offense on the field.

[AkronAlumnus]

Jalen Kitna is a creep!!  Hopefully we light him up.  When, not if, we go up by multiple scores - I wouldn't mind a blatantly late hit and/or blindsided from summers or Cooper.  Disgusting!!

Edited August 31 by AkronAlumnus

[Lee Adams]

On 7/8/2025 at 11:37 AM, catdaddyp said:

2024 Rewind:

The Blazers took a step back in Trent Dilfer’s second season. After winning four games in year one, UAB only managed three wins in year two. Those three wins came convincingly over Alcorn State, Tulsa, and Rice—two of which have new head coaches in 2025. All of UAB’s losses came in convincing fashion, with the exception of a two-point loss to Charlotte. Coincidentally, Charlotte also has a new head coach this season.

 

Recruiting under Dilfer:

2023:

On3 - 9th in AAC

247 - 10th in AAC

 

2024:

On3 - 11th in AAC

247 - 9th in AAC

 

2025:

On3 - 13th in AAC

247 - 11th in AAC

 

Blazers on Offense:

Former Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna is back for his second season in Dilfer’s offense. The redshirt senior threw for 2,209 yards, 17 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and completed 62% of his passes in 2024. Kitna is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the AAC, with most publications including him in their preseason All-AAC selections.

 

UTEP transfer Jevon Jackson is expected to start at running back. Jackson was an FCS All-American before transferring to UTEP, where he rushed for 754 yards and 4 touchdowns. He’ll split snaps with returning senior Isaiah Jacobs.

 

Redshirt sophomore Corri Milliner is UAB’s most productive returning receiver. Milliner posted 24 receptions for 416 yards and 3 touchdowns last season. Former consensus 4-star Kaleb Brown transferred in from Iowa (originally committed to Ohio State) and will attempt to live up to his potential, while the tight end position will be littered with new faces and minimal experience.

 

Quarterback Jalen Kitna will be playing behind a less experienced offensive line that gave up 33 sacks last season. However, two of the returning starters are dependable—center Brady Wilson and former South Carolina tackle JonDarius Morgan. New starting guards Calib Perez and Barry Walker combined to play just 86 snaps as backups. Former Wagner offensive tackle Brandon Sneh is expected to start after spending the spring at Kansas State before transferring a second time to UAB.

 

 

Blazers on Defense:

The Blazers’ pass rush in 2024 was on par with Akron’s, to give a general idea of their effectiveness. UAB’s run defense was horrendous, and they struggled to stop most teams from scoring. Supposedly, the bulk of their NIL funds went toward upgrading the defensive line, and they’ve added five transfers. Three of the four projected starters will be newcomers—Old Dominion transfer Amorie Morrison, Boston College transfer Nigel Tate, and Sam Houston transfer Denver Warren (who originally committed to Bowling Green out of high school). A returner that is expected to start is former backup James Smyre, who collected 9 total tackles and 2 sacks last season.

 

UAB lost nearly all of its production at linebacker and have turned to the portal for replacements. Eli Ennis will be one starter and he was an FCS All-American at Nicholls. The other starting linebacker will be Idaho State transfer Calvin Pitcher.

 

The Blazers’ secondary didn’t allow many yards per game, but that was partially because most opponents were able to run the ball at will. Regardless, UAB brought in five portal defensive backs this cycle and returns just one starter—safety Sirad Bryant. Bryant collected 59 total tackles and one interception. Not overly impressive numbers, but PFF graded him well in pass coverage. Backup safety AJ Brown will move into a starting role, and backup cornerback Donald Lee will also step into a starting spot. Pittsburgh transfer Tamarion Crumpley is expected to start opposite Lee, while Maryland transfer Perry Fisher is slated to start at the “star” position.

 

Kicker Jonah DeLange and punter Patrick Foley are back. The duo had a strong year and so did the rest of UAB’s special teams. They should be solid again.

 

 

Position Advantage:

The positions turned out to be closer than I expected upon a deeper dive. I think Akron holds a distinct advantage at wide receiver and tight end, and a small advantage at defensive back. The rest of the rosters are either up for debate or have so many question marks at this point that it’s hard to call.

 

QB - Even

RB - Even

WR - Akron

TE - Akron

OL - Even

DL - Even

LB - Even

DB - Akron

ST - UAB

 

 

Way too Early Prediction:

There’s a strong possibility this will be Dilfer’s last season at UAB. It’s hard to fathom this Blazers squad pulling out more than 3–4 wins again.

 

Akron should be able to move the ball fairly proficiently against an almost completely rebuilt UAB defense. This would be a good time for Moorhead to become stubborn and run the football. We usually don’t run enough—to my liking at least—until later in the season.

 

I don’t expect the UAB offensive line to be any better than it was last year. If we can’t get a decent amount of pressure on the quarterback in this game, I’ll be worried about what the rest of the season has in store. Kitna is going to get his stats no matter what, but we can’t make it easy on him.

 

I imagine both fanbases have this one circled on their calendars as wins. This is a game we absolutely must win to show progress going into year four of this regime. I think the Zips get it done 24-21, and we finally get an out-of-conference road win in the Moorhead era.

 

 

Respectfully your position advantages don't seem realistic given what we have seen.You may call it a must win. But that seems meaningless until they actually win a so called must win. We have had plenty of those.

[LZIp]

2 hours ago, Lee Adams said:

Respectfully your position advantages don't seem realistic given what we have seen.You may call it a must win. But that seems meaningless until they actually win a so called must win. We have had plenty of those.

Meh. It’s one game with a lot of new players, some old players playing worse than what we’ve seen before, and no real idea of how good Wyoming will be. 
 

Have you seen UAB yet? The let Alabama State score 42 in a close game.

[catdaddyp]

11 hours ago, Lee Adams said:

Respectfully your position advantages don't seem realistic given what we have seen.You may call it a must win. But that seems meaningless until they actually win a so called must win. We have had plenty of those.

Keep in mind, all of this was done in the preseason. I’m also not sure how much we actually learned in a loss to a G5 team compared to what UAB did against an FCS. If we’re looking at Week 1 in a vacuum and treating Alabama State and Wyoming as equals, then give UAB the edge in all the offensive spots and Akron the edge in the defensive ones. Special teams would go Akron’s way too.

 

Teams rarely look the same in Week 2, but unfortunately for us, we’ll probably still be staring at an ugly score against a team with superior resources and talent. Week 3 against UAB will be a better barometer for this team.

[catdaddyp]

UAB/Navy on a delay, but UAB’s offense looks legit. Their defense… not so much.

[AkronAlumnus]

Week 3, just beat that perv Jalen Kitna.  The guy should be rotting in jail, not playing CFB.  This is the one to win. 

[Lee Adams]

On 9/5/2025 at 6:37 AM, catdaddyp said:

Keep in mind, all of this was done in the preseason. I’m also not sure how much we actually learned in a loss to a G5 team compared to what UAB did against an FCS. If we’re looking at Week 1 in a vacuum and treating Alabama State and Wyoming as equals, then give UAB the edge in all the offensive spots and Akron the edge in the defensive ones. Special teams would go Akron’s way too.

 

Teams rarely look the same in Week 2, but unfortunately for us, we’ll probably still be staring at an ugly score against a team with superior resources and talent. Week 3 against UAB will be a better barometer for this team.

Well at least Wyoming won another game.

[ZippyRulz]

11.5 underdogs - Vegas must know something.

 

Bobkitties are 35.5 underdogs this week after knocking off WVU.

 

Edited Monday at 04:13 PM by ZippyRulz

[kreed5120]

7 minutes ago, ZippyRulz said:

11.5 underdogs 

11.5 O/U for game as well?

[ZippyRulz]

24 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

11.5 O/U for game as well?

 

52.5. We're gonna score 21.

 

🤘

[clarkwgriswold]

UAB has given up 80 points in two weeks.  Their talent shouldn't be substantially better than the Zips', so the result in this one will be telling.  If it's a repeat of Wyoming, all hope (whatever little is remaining) is lost.

[catdaddyp]

 

[Let'sGoZips94]

 

Great publicity, Joe. 

[exit322]

On 7/9/2025 at 1:38 AM, exit322 said:

The rare game where the Zips are the better coached team.  Definitely a shot to win here.

Ok so I may have to stand corrected here 

[catdaddyp]

Here are some Game Day notes. I’ve also added them to the bottom of the original post.

 

Kitna has already thrown for 551 yards while completing 72% of his passes. However, he’s shown to be mistake-prone under pressure, tossing two interceptions so far.

 

The Blazers will rotate at running back with UTEP transfer Jackson and top backup Beebe handling most of the workload. Jackson is a dangerous runner who can break one at any time, while Beebe is just as likely to catch a pass as he is to carry the ball.

 

Milliner is UAB’s most explosive wideout, and Hooks has been Kitna’s second-favorite target.

 

UAB has stuck with the same five starters through both games, not rotating a single lineman. It’s a rebuilt OL and they’ve surprisingly been a strong unit so far—giving up only one sack and 6 pressures. Going left to right:

Sneh -  6’5”315 (Kansas State)

Perez - 6’5” 315 (Duke)

Lepkowski -  6’3” 300

Morgan - 6’4”320 (South Carolina)

Moore - 6’8” 290

 

The Blazers’ defense has struggled to stop anyone this season, but a few players have stood out with consistent play. Interestingly, both starting defensive tackles—Smalls and Sam Houston transfer Warren—have been really good. At linebacker, Rhode Island transfer Hightower has been effective, while in the secondary Boston College transfer safety Cheek and Pittsburgh transfer cornerback Crumpley have been the top performers.

 

UAB has only punted once this season—a 39-yarder downed inside the twenty. All extra points have been converted, and field goals are 2-for-3, with the lone miss coming from the 30–39 yard range. The two makes, however, have both been from beyond 40 yards.

 

During Dilfer’s press conference, a reporter referred to this as a “get right game” for UAB. Dilfer laughed and said the Blazers are usually the get right game for their opponents, adding that he hopes Akron’s offense doesn’t get going this weekend.

 

 

Some notes about the Zips:

 

JUCO transfer right tackle Maasai King has graded out really well through the first two games, especially in pass protection according to PFF. Next is right guard Keylen Davis, who has been solid but noticeably stronger in run blocking.

 

Keep an eye on JUCO transfer defensive tackle Nehemiah Musika in goal line situations. He was also mentioned on the Zips Weekly show. Musika was a commitment I really liked, though I wasn’t quite sure how we managed to land him. He supposedly isn’t as tall as listed and is still working into shape after being a late arrival due to coursework. Once Musika is able to play more regularly, he should give us a strong rotation with Laventure and Hull at DT—barring injury.

 

Former Illinois transfer Shammond Cooper has been playing at a high level and also leads the team in tackles with 19 total.

 

I’ve mentioned this a few times already, but DeWalt and Reed have really stepped up at cornerback. Reed in particular has been impressive—allowing just 19 yards on four receptions while being targeted 10 times. They’ll need another strong outing today if we’re going to have a chance at slowing down UAB’s offense.

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by catdaddyp

[Ham]

The mental component of the game is so under rated.  Those 2 early goal line stands at Lincoln showed what our D can do.  When things got out of hand, that little bit of mental brake down let the roof cave in.  Today, l don't think we pitch a shut out, but we will limit UAB's O. Our O has been abysmal.  Just like batters go through streaks, I think today the O will put their slump in the rear view mirror.  The O line will step up.  The RB's will chalk up even more yards.  The receivers and QB will live up to their expectations.

 

Zips. 41 / UAB 27

 

Go Zips.