University of Memphis Athletics
Tigers and Blazers Will Battle for the Bones
Oct 06, 2006 | Football
Oct. 6, 2006
MEMPHIS, TENN. -
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The Tigers will load the buses this afternoon to travel to Birmingham for a Conference USA matchup with the Blazers of UAB. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. at Legion Field on Saturday.
This year's rivalry meeting has been dubbed the Battle for the Bones. The winning team will not only earn bragging rights, but also a 100-pound bronzed rack of ribs. This new feature was developed by the student support groups of both teams - the U of M's Blue Crew and UAB's Gang Green. The game will also be surrounded by a barbecue contest where fans are invited to sign up and have their grilling skills judged against fans from the other school to determine which city has the best barbecue.
Saturday's game will be the ninth overall meeting between the two schools on the gridiron. The Blazers lead the series 6-2, and have won the last six in the series. Last year, UAB posted a 37-20 victory over the Tigers in Memphis. The last Memphis victory in the series was a 38-14 win over the Blazers in the 1999 campaign.
UAB is 3-1 in games played at Legion Field in Birmingham. Memphis' lone victory in Birmingham was a 38-14 win in 1999.
ON THIS DATE
The Tigers have a 4-2 record when they have played on Oct. 7 in their history. The last time Memphis played on Oct. 7 was the 2000 season, and the Tigers posted a 17-10 victory over East Carolina at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
ONE OF ONLY THREE
How fitting that the Tigers are on the road again in Conference USA play. After playing its 10th-straight C-USA opener away from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (at East Carolina, Sept. 16), Memphis takes to the road again for this Saturday's game at UAB.
Memphis is one of only three Conference USA teams to begin league play with two road contests. SMU and Southern Miss are the other two league teams to open conference play with two-straight road games.
In fact, the Tigers are the last team in C-USA to have a league home opener. Memphis hosts Tulsa in its C-USA home opener on Oct. 21. SMU and Southern Miss both play their conference home openers Oct. 14.
SCOTT LOOKING FOR TWO CATCHES
Senior receiver Ryan Scott entered the Tennessee game needing just three catches and 30 yards to enter the UM top 10 in both of those categories. UT stifled the Tiger offense and Scott totaled just one five-yard reception in the game. He currently ranks 12th all-time with 1,161 yards receiving and 14th with 77 career catches. Scott had caught three passes in each of the first three games and currently is second on the squad in receiving yardage with 154 yards.
