- It's a good thing the game was on ACC Network. Both teams played hard, but it had the feel of a preseason game. That should be expected given the circumstances.
- Salute to Manny, Frenk and the players for pulling it off. First P5 game in a pandemic, fans in the stands, no positive tests. Many of us thought this day would not come.
- I'm a little surprised by the negativity on here. No, we aren't ready to go Charlotte right now, and Louisville will be a big test. But our last game was a shutout loss to Louisiana Tech. We scored 31 and covered against a decent defense. We also played a very clean game penalty-wise (3/30) and tackling-wise, which reflects coaching.
- King is a real QB. He wasn't clicking on all cylinders, and he missed a couple gimmes. But his true dual threat ability (extending his NCAA-record run/pass TD streak) and ability to respond to adversity are two things we haven't had in forever.
- The OL made King work too hard. UAB does not have a bad pass rush (29th in sack rate last year) but there are better DLs on the schedule.
- Like we mentioned on the training camp podcasts, the defining feature of this offense will be explosive runs. We have three backs with gamebreaking speed and they all make an impact. We don't have the 4-6 yard workhorse, but any big run can be a house call. The pace plays up that advantage. We outrushed a run-based team 337-80.
- Still lacking a go-to WR. The group was underwhelming. I would pull Pope on PR. He can stay on KR, but I want a smart player at PR. Osborn, Dallas and Berrios were all smart and they are all in the NFL. Give me Restrepo.
- The DL looks like it should look. UAB couldn't run and their passing game was limited by Miami's pass rush. There was only one sack, but UAB's playbook was severely limited by their inability to drop back and throw. They punted 11 times.
- The LBs played fine but will be tested by a more dynamic Louisville running game. We will miss Shaq. It would be nice to see more Sam Brooks. His speed flashes every time he plays.
- Disappointing to see DJ Ivey continue to struggle playing the ball. He needs to make sure his confident doesn't sag like last year, or he could lose his spot to Couch. Overall, though, there is too much negativity on the secondary. UAB only passed for 5.9 yards per attempt, which is a Top 5 defensive number nationally over the course of a season. Better teams will have more success, and UAB left plays on the field, but overall I expect the secondary to play at its usual level under Manny.
- Special teams looked much improved. Borregales has a leg and the punting game was awesome.