NCAA point spread numbers show that UAB went 2-10 straight up and 6-5 against the NCAA football point spread in 2007. The Blazers were 4-7 in terms of over/unders versus the College point spread in 2007. The 2007 season was a rebuilding one for UAB according to College football point spread experts with a lot of freshmen and sophomores in the mix. College point spread stats show that the 2007 player of the year for UAB was wide receiver Joseph Webb. The defensive player of the year according to College football point spread numbers was safety Will Dunbar. There is some reason to be optimistic for the future for UAB. The team has a lot of returning starters and head coach Neil Callaway will look to really take a big step up with the Blazers in 2008 according to NCAA point spread experts. UAB returns eight starters on offense and eight on defense according to NCAA point spread stats. The team also returns All-Conference kicker Swayze Waters according to NCAA point spread stats.
One of the big keys for UAB will be putting points on the board. They moved the ball poorly and rarely scored any points. Quarterbacks Sam Hunt and Joseph Webb have to improve their production and it may be according to College point spread experts that Webb moves to wide receiver. One defense the team must find a way to stop the run as they were last in the nation according to College football point spread stats.
Youth is one reason that UAB struggled but not the only reason. The question for 2008 will be whether or not the Blazers have the talent to compete. Conference USA has some of the worst defenses in the nation and the Blazers must put more points on the board. They ranked 104th in the country in total yards according to college point spread numbers and an even worse 106th in points scored according to college point spread stats. That must improve in 2008. The defense was bad but in this conference that is the norm. They allowed 487 yards per game which was 115th in the nation according to NCAA point spread stats. They were 106th in points allowed according to college point spread stats.