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Likes and Dislikes

Five and Five: U.A.B.

By Paul Myerberg   //   May 26, 2010

What are five things I like about U.A.B. in 2010? What about five things I don’t? This list has all the answers.

Likes

1. The potential improvement on defense, as I’ll mention below. Last season saw the Blazers finish in the bottom 20 (114th) nationally in total defense for the third consecutive season; I expect U.A.B. to be better in 2010.

2. Returning depth on the front seven of the defense. Both the defensive line and the linebacker corps return four players with starting experience; this returning talent will breed healthy competition, especially at linebacker.

3. Added depth at both safety and cornerback. Both positions are far deeper than in years past, with returning contributors joined by a handful of new additions via the JUCO ranks.

4. Coaching consistency. U.A.B. is one of only a handful of teams in the F.B.S. to have had no coaching turnover over the last four seasons. Often, such stability leads to a uptick in the win column.

5. Talent at wide receiver. The Blazers return three top targets from a year ago, including two — Frantrell Forrest and Nick Adams — who showed an ability to hurt teams deep.

Dislikes

1. Without question, the biggest issue the Blazers face on offense is replacing quarterback Joe Webb. There is no one on the roster who will come even close to duplicating Webb’s numbers, though sophomore David Isabelle has some potential.

2. Even with the added depth, the secondary will remain a concern until the Blazers start to get stops. Will this year be any different?

3. U.A.B. has not received any production from its running backs for years. Now with a new starting quarterback, it will be imperative that the Blazers get something from its many backs.

4. A tough first half of the season. The season opener, against Florida Atlantic, is a must-win.

5. The offensive line returns four starters, but lose the most important figure up front over the last handful of seasons in center Jake Seitz.

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