STEVE IRVINE’S FIVE STORYLINES FOR UAB VS ARMY
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - October 11, 2024
UAB VS. ARMY
Site, kickoff time: Michie Stadium, 11 a.m. CT
Record: UAB 1-4 overall, 0-2 AAC; Army 5-0, 4-0 AAC
Five storylines
1. Will Jalen Kitna’s second start be smoother than his first? No official announcement was made that Jacob Zeno remains out this week. In fact, the senior from San Antonio, who is suffering from an injured non-throwing shoulder, is still listed on the top of the depth chart. But all other signs point toward Kitna starting for the second consecutive week. UAB head coach Trent Dilfer praised Kitna for his competitiveness in last week’s loss to Tulane. Overall, though, it was an uneven performance by the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Kitna, who was starting for the first time since high school. He was 20-of-41 for 239 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. Pass protection was a problem. Tulane was credited with three sacks and five quarterback hurries but that was just the start of charting the impact that the Green Wave made while harassing the quarterback. Dilfer said that he eventually turned off the tape while charting quarterback hits. “The kid just took some brutal shots and never flinched,” Dilfer said. That needs to change on Saturday against an Army defense that is 13th in the conference with seven sacks in five games.
2. Can UAB put the 71-20 loss to Tulane in the rearview mirror? Let’s be honest, the memories of a loss like that never fully goes away. What the Blazers can’t do, though, is let that affect them moving forward. Some bad moments will happen on Saturday, probably beginning early in the game. What UAB can’t do is fall into the ‘here-we-go-again’ trap. A quick start would be nice but that’s proven difficult against Army. The Black Knights are the only team in the country who has scored on the opening possession in every game. They are also outscoring opponents, 98-21, in the first half. UAB allowed first drive points in just two games – a field goal against ULM and touchdown against Navy – thus far but has been outscored 95-36 in the first half with one lead at halftime. In the past two games, though, UAB has trailed at halftime by a combined 58-9.
3. Will UAB have any success limiting Army quarterback Bryson Daily’s success? The UAB defense had little success defending Navy QB Blake Horvath earlier this season. Horvath accounted for 309 yards and three touchdowns in the 41-18 win over UAB. Daily runs the Army option attack differently than Horvath runs the Navy offense. But Daily has been equally successful this season. The 6-foot, 221-pound Army quarterback leads the AAC in rushing yards per game (120.4). Horvath is second with 113 rushing yards per game. Daily is 17 of 30 passing for 380 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. Last week, in a win over Tulsa, Daily completed all five of his passes, including two that went for touchdowns. He also sets the tone for the Black Knights with his physical approach. UAB has to find a way to slow Daily down if they want to have a chance at limiting Army’s success.
4. How many rushing yards will Army finish with? Army leads the nation with 361.2 rushing yards per game. The Black Knights lowest rushing output came when they produced 288 yards on 56 carries in a win over Rice. The Black Knights also threw a season-high 13 times in that game. In the other four games, Army has at least 321 rushing yards with a season-high 417 yards on 57 carries against Temple. Daily (10 rushing touchdowns), Kanye Udoh (57-434, six touchdowns) and Noah Short (28-355, two touchdowns) get the bulk of the work in the running game. UAB’s defense allows 232.5 yards per game on the ground, which is 126th in the country. Alcorn State, which rushed for 117 yards on 41 carries, is the lone UAB opponent that didn’t crack the 200-yard mark against the Blazers. The most yards that UAB allowed on the ground came in last week’s loss when Tulane gained 317 yards on 50 carries.
5. What will UAB’s offensive game plan look like? Attempting to control the clock was the approach in UAB’s two games against Navy under Dilfer. To some extent, especially early, that was a similar approach against a ULM team that prefers to run the football. The approach did not work, for the most part, in either game, even though UAB did gain 192 yards on the ground against Navy. The easy suggestion is that UAB’s offense sticks to its own identity in attempts to pull off an upset. However, after five games, it’s hard to know the identity of the UAB offense. Perhaps it will show up on Saturday. No matter how they attack, UAB has to improve in the red zone if the Blazers stand a chance. Army scored on 19 of 20 red zone appearances with 18 touchdowns. UAB scored on 14 of 17 red zone trips but seven of those scores came on field goals. The Blazers have to find a way to turn the opportunities into touchdowns.