This Saturday, Tennessee football will look to bounce back from a tough loss to Georgia when hosting UAB. To help preview the showdown, I spoke with Tony Tsoukalas of AL.com to get a better insight on the Blazers.
So far, UAB is off to a 2-1 start, but dropped its first conference game to Navy. With questions about Trent Dilfer’s Blazers team still unanswered, Tsoukalas helped put things into context.
Here’s what he had to say.
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How would you assess what UAB has done through three games? Above, below or at preseason expectations?
Tsoukalas: “Record-wise, UAB has met its preseason expectations. However, its two wins have left much to be desired. The Blazers let an FCS put up 514 yards of total offense in Week 1. Last week, they sweated it out against an Akron team that could genuinely be the worst at the FBS level. Interestingly enough, UAB’s best performance might be its loss to Navy, when it matched the Midshipmen step for step for a half on the road.”
What do you think UAB is going to have to do on Saturday to avoid a blowout?
Tsoukalas: “Hope for a run of food poisoning in the Tennessee dining hall. Seriously, it’s going to be hard for UAB to keep this game close. The Blazers have one of the worst defenses in college football at the moment, and barring any careless turnovers by Tennessee, I don’t see them getting many stops this weekend.
“This UAB offense is pretty fun to watch, though. It might be able to catch the Tennessee defense sleeping on a few plays, especially if the Vols are still hungover from last week’s loss to Georgia.”
Trent Dilfer coached at Lipscomb Academy in Tennessee, where he coached some current Vols. How does this familiarity play into things this weekend?
Tsoukalas: “I’m not sure it will matter at all. However, Dilfer has faced a former Josh Heupel disciple, Alex Golesh, the past two seasons. Golesh’s South Florida team beat UAB 35-25 last season and 56-35 in 2023. Obviously, Tennessee’s version of the spread attack will feature more talent than USF’s, but UAB will at least know what to expect.”
What have you seen from quarterback Jalen Kitna so far? Who are some other offensive players to know?
Tsoukalas: “Kitna has been great so far this season. He forced things during the second half of the Navy game, resulting in a pair of bad interceptions. Other than that, he’s been pretty solid in his decision-making behind center. He’s a 6-foot-5, 225-pound pocket passer with a rocket arm and plates for hands. He might get a look from NFL teams if he can keep up his success this season. A big performance against the Volunteers would certainly boost his draft stock.
“As far as other weapons, receiver Corri Milliner has really come into his own. He needs to polish his game and improve his blocking, but I believe he could be a contributor on an SEC team next season. Fellow wide receiver Iverson Hooks also has big-play ability. Meanwhile, running back Solomon Beebe ranks second nationally with 496 total yards (303 kick return, 121 receiving, 72 rushing).”
How do you see things playing out on Saturday? Score prediction?
Tsoukalas: “I’d set the over/under on UAB defensive stops at 1.5, and that’s accounting for Tennessee putting in its backups late. I do think UAB will score some points, though. I’ll go 63-17 for a score prediction.”
