Former UAB Blazers head coach Bill Clark has been sharing his thoughts weekly into what he saw on the college football slate, teams in the Yellowhammer State, and much more.
Not only this, but Clark also discussed something UAB has done every season since 2017 that is very special to him – the Blazers’ annual Children’s Harbor game.
Every season, UAB partners with Children’s Harbor charity, an organization of Lake Martin and Harbor Family Center in Children’s of Alabama hospital. The program provides seriously ill children with activities and programs at no cost to the families.
The partnership with UAB involves one game a season where players wear the name of a patient on the back of their jerseys, and the jerseys are given to the children after the game. The children and their families are at the game and money being raised towards the foundation.
The game was started during Clark’s tenure and has continued with former Head Coach Bryant Vincent and current Head Coach Trent Dilfer.
The Blazers are 5-1 in the Children’s Harbor games and in this year’s edition will take on South Florida in their conference home opener Oct. 7.
“It’s so special because it gives us a chance to play for more than just ourselves,” Clark said. “We get to play for these patients and it’s really just an awesome thing that I’ve been so proud to be a part of and to continue to be involved with.”
As for the Crimson Tide, Clark said Alabama last week seemed to using quarterback Jalen Milroe more to his set of strengths.
“The use of the quarterback, it felt like more of a concerted effort to play to Milroe’s strengths,” he said. “Running the ball, keeping him out if trouble. Obviously you squander points with that bad snap, which was concerning. But, overall, I thought it was much better.”
With regards to the high snap and lost points that have been a big point of discussion this week, Clark said some blame lies on the coaching to come out in the shotgun on the one yard-line as well as on the player.
“I always said as a coach, if a snap is gonna be high or low, let’s make it low,” he said. “The player has gotta take some of the blame there, too.”
For Auburn, which struggled mightily on offense, Clark said that it is going to be a grind for the Tigers the rest of the way due to a multitude of factors.
“The depth, it’s just not there right now, and it’s showing,” he said. “They don’t have what they need and (Head Coach Hugh) Freeze is gonna need some time. And unfortunately for them, it’s a tough road ahead and it’s not getting any easier.
“So it’ll be a process.”
