BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – It is a bit of after 7:15 a.m., and Trent Dilfer is sweating profusely, respiratory closely and basking in a excessive he has been chasing for months.

“I virtually simply killed myself,” Dilfer says, nonetheless making an attempt to catch his breath after a Peloton journey he calls the toughest exercise of his life. 

His Peloton exercise rating places him in elite territory, and the 6-foot-4 former NFL quarterback will later inform his quarterbacks that pushing himself to his restrict and eventually undertaking it introduced him to tears.

It is an apropos message for what’s in retailer for Dilfer’s UAB Blazers in just a few days after they head into SEC nation to play Arkansas in Fayetteville. Dilfer expects the Razorbacks, coming off a heartbreaking loss to Oklahoma State, will likely be offended and able to go for his or her first house sport of the season. It’s going to take every little thing UAB has simply to have a shot to knock off Arkansas. 

In preparation for UAB’s street journey, CBS Sports activities spent greater than 13 hours behind the scenes with Dilfer and his Blazers employees as they ready in opposition to a staff nobody offers them any likelihood of beating. 

‘Dying by a thousand cuts’

“I by no means performed a sport I did not suppose we might win,” Dilfer tells his staff throughout its 7:40 a.m. Tuesday assembly. “We will win this sport.”

Now in his second season in Birmingham, the previous Tremendous Bowl-winning quarterback feels like a mixture of a thought chief and inspirational speaker. He begins this speak with a narrative concerning the challenges of parenting as he prepares his underdog squad for what’s coming in just a few days. He speaks brazenly and candidly together with his staff, believing his mission is as a lot about serving to them turn into high quality males as high quality soccer gamers. 

This week’s message is “You versus You.” He is virtually begging his staff to purchase in, to turn into unshackled by every little thing holding them again and turn into the very best variations of themselves. He targeted on getting every participant to do his particular person finest. He hopes it should collectively be sufficient as a result of UAB is not going to win many one-on-one matches in opposition to an SEC program like Arkansas. He reiterates once more that he thinks they’ll win the sport if the staff can embrace “You versus You” and make it “Us versus Us”, however he isn’t asking his gamers to hyperlink arms as they take the sector like that is “Keep in mind the Titans.” 

“If we go in with all that kumbaya, they’re going to kick our ass,” Dilfer says matter-of-factly. 

It is a fast staff assembly to set the stage for the remainder of the week, after which Dilfer is off to a quarterbacks assembly. Becoming a member of him within the room are offensive coordinator Alex Mortensen, quarterbacks coach Nick Coleman and particular assistant Rip Scherer, who coached Dilfer with the Cleveland Browns. Dilfer begins laying out his large technique in opposition to Arkansas in what he dubs “loss of life by a thousand cuts.” He needs quarterback Jacob Zeno and the remainder of his Blazers offense to be exact in attacking the extra athletic and bodily Razorbacks. UAB needed to fend off not less than one Energy 4 program to maintain the redshirt senior Zeno after he threw for 3,126 yards and 20 touchdowns final season. If UAB can beat the Razorbacks, it will be by Zeno. 

“Nick them, and earlier than you understand it will be a puddle of blood,” Dilfer tells the room. ‘If we go in with a machete, they’ve a samurai sword.” 

Dilfer realized the thought from former San Diego Chargers coach Norv Turner: steal three explosive performs in opposition to a superior opponent. On Saturday, Dilfer needs to frustrate and annoy Arkansas earlier than dropping an explosive play to rattle his opponents’ sense of confidence. UAB’s offensive coaches see an Arkansas protection that performs downhill and aggressively however can be unfastened, particularly out in area. There’s alternative there. 

Mortensen, the son of the late legendary sports activities reporter Chris Mortensen, observed a play Boston Faculty ran six instances in a win over Florida State the earlier week that he thinks might work in opposition to Arkansas. The 38-year-old offensive coordinator is low-key, even soft-spoken at instances, as he calmly explains the technique, however that demeanor belies his unimaginable psychological recall. 

Mortensen’s thoughts is like one large faculty soccer performs database, the place each look he sees reminds him of one thing he may need seen earlier than. That is Mortensen’s first coordinator job, however he arrived in Birmingham with a powerful repute after eight years on Nick Saban’s employees at Alabama. His recall from his time in Tuscaloosa is spectacular — at one level a play reminds him of one thing Lane Kiffin ran in 2014 at Alabama — and one cause why greater applications have already proven curiosity in stealing him away from Dilfer. 

An outpouring of civic pleasure 

Sirens blare as UAB begins putting in its regular performs forward of Arkansas. No, the coaches aren’t making an attempt to stimulate the gang noise the Blazers will face inside Razorback Stadium. These are fireplace truck sirens, a frequent incidence when your apply facility is throughout the road from Birmingham Hearth and Rescue Station No. 2. It is not best, but it surely’s a a miracle in itself that UAB even has a football-dedicated apply facility, which opened in 2017.

UAB languished for years, determined for even a sliver of the sources its sister campus in Tuscaloosa used on soccer earlier than the varsity made the beautiful choice to disband its program in 2014. A decade later, it appears like a fever dream {that a} college set in Birmingham, Alabama — a metropolis that constantly ranks on the high for school soccer TV scores — might resolve it did not want its soccer staff anymore. 

That preliminary choice to kill off UAB soccer sparked intense civic pleasure inside a metropolis that by no means appeared to care all that a lot concerning the Blazers. Nonetheless, it acknowledged their significance to Birmingham’s long-term goals. It prompted a group of distinguished Birmingham businessmen, some whom weren’t even followers, to place up thousands and thousands to convey UAB soccer again. It was a course of that took two years earlier than the Blazers’ triumphant return in 2017.

The return was extra profitable than anybody anticipated as Invoice Clark guided a program as soon as left for useless to 5 consecutive bowl video games. That success put UAB on the nationwide radar and elicited an invite to the American Athletic Convention, which it formally joined in 2023. 

Clark stepped down in the summertime of 2022, paving the best way for his offensive coordinator, Bryant Vincent, to be the interim head coach. Vincent went 7-6 in that position, however UAB athletic director Mark Ingram in the end needed a reputation to provoke the fanbase. He selected Dilfer, who had by no means coached on the faculty stage earlier than. The choice led to rapid curiosity and skepticism.

A polarizing determine 

Dilfer arrived in Birmingham after 4 seasons teaching at personal highschool faculty Lipscomb Academy in Nashville. Dilfer had different teaching alternatives after he retired from the NFL in 2008, however as an alternative pursued the tv path and labored at ESPN for a decade. After ESPN laid him off in 2017, Dilfer spent almost two years taking part in golf, touring and having enjoyable earlier than a dialog together with his daughter jolted him again into actuality. After a lifetime of preaching exhausting work to his three daughters, who all performed faculty sports activities, one among his daughters plainly advised him, “You do not do something exhausting now.” 

In an period marked by title, picture, likeness, and the switch portal, Dilfer’s first season at UAB was a lot exhausting. There have been highs, like a convincing win over an excellent South Florida staff, however the Blazers completed 4-8 and missed a bowl for the primary time since 2017. 

The 2024 marketing campaign began with a straightforward win over Alcorn State earlier than a letdown in opposition to Louisiana Monroe, this system Bryant Vincent now leads. The sport was clearly private for Vincent and his ULM employees filled with UAB expats and the Warhawks simply gained 32-6. 

Dilfer confronted a bombardment of texts from participant dad and mom after that loss, together with just a few with some alternative phrases about what occurred in Monroe. With a profession report of 5-9, Dilfer says primarily based on the outcomes when you ranked each head coach, he ought to be within the 120s. He is aware of there’s been exterior criticism, although he claims he does not pay a lot consideration to it. He is keen to make delicate changes however steadfastly believes his program remains to be on the correct course. 

UAB’s report by season since return 

“You both get fired or everybody will get on board,” Dilfer says. “I am not going to vary.”

Like Colorado’s Deion Sanders, Dilfer evokes sturdy reactions in faculty soccer. He has his supporters, however when UAB loses a sport just like the one to ULM, there appears to be a singular enjoyment of his struggles amongst some. 

I requested Dilfer why he believes he is so polarizing. By no means brief on opinions, Dilfer says he is stumped himself. 

“I do not know,” he says. “I have been nothing however extremely form and gracious to all people within the faculty teaching group. Not one particular person have I not been extremely form, gracious to and humble with and by no means have come off saying ‘I feel I do know extra.’ In actual fact, I’ve mentioned I’ve bought rather a lot to work on the place you guys are means higher. I do not know.”

The wheels hold delivering Dilfer’s head as he considers all of the doable solutions. He mentions his historical past of giving sturdy opinions on ESPN. He thinks it is likely to be due to his work with the Elite 11 quarterback camp. He made the occasion his child for greater than a decade and ruffled various feathers alongside the best way. As a lot as he says he does not care and that the opinions of his gamers are what truly matter, you’ll be able to sense some frustration. 

“It is fairly comical within the faculty teaching group what number of of them are ‘Oh Trent, you do such an excellent job, so glad for you,’ and I do know what they’ve mentioned behind my again,” he says. “However I am a quarterback, I am used to that. That is how we develop up; that is our entire life.” 

‘They do not know we’re scared’

It is a bit of after 2:30 p.m., and it’s time to get into the weeds on UAB’s third-down offensive technique. Mortensen’s offensive coordinator workplace is full of on-field coaches, analysts like former Tampa Bay Buccaneers receivers coach Kevin Garver and different off-field personnel. Scherer, the previous Memphis head coach, is the 72-year-old elder statesman of a younger and enthusiastic offensive employees. Mortensen (Arkansas), Coleman (Center Tennessee State) and receivers coach Austin Appleby (Florida/Purdue) are all former Division 1 quarterbacks now of their 30s. Tight ends coach Riley Jeffers, who arrived at UAB after two years as an Ohio State analyst, was a protracted snapper at Kansas. 

They begin by going over Arkansas defensive coordinator Travis Williams’ third-down defensive tendencies. 

“If I had been them, I might come after us,” Mortensen tells the room as he takes a sip out of his Celsius vitality drink.

Leaning again in his chair, Dilfer lets Mortensen run the present, although he interjects right here and there to supply a play suggestion or a tweak of an thought the remainder of the employees likes. He explains his position as head coach is to form the staff’s DNA, however does not wish to get too within the weeds that he takes autonomy away from his coordinators. It is a collaborative effort because the room’s collective brainpower tries to plot a technique that would work in opposition to the Razorbacks. There may be little room left on a whiteboard filled with play designs up for consideration this week. 

Can tempo runs work? Is it numerous pre-snap motion and deception? Ought to UAB line up within the pistol and use its operating backs as battering rams to steal a few yards every play? What a couple of wedge push on 1st-and-10 to catch Arkansas off-guard? 

These had been all concepts thrown out throughout an hours-long movie session because the coaches made their instances for what performs ought to be included for various third-down eventualities. 

“We have to speak concerning the runs that can go two and will not return,” Dilfer says. 

Mortensen will get excited when he finds one which he thinks might work nicely in opposition to Williams’ tendencies. 

“A part of the explanation I like this play — and I did not design it, I simply actually prefer it — is I feel each time you run it, there’s like two different individuals open,” Mortensen tells the room. “Even watching the Georgia one (Jermaine Brown) is large open, and we did not full it. You watch all of the apply reps, somebody’s open. I feel it is a legitimately darn good sample.”

“I feel quads, generally, is underused,” Dilfer says again. “Now it is scary as hell to guard.”

How UAB carried out final season in opposition to Georgia is referenced a number of instances throughout this session. The Blazers racked up 336 yards and 20 first downs final season on the street in opposition to the No. 1 Bulldogs. And whereas an upset was by no means a sensible chance, the UAB coaches heard after the sport how irritating it was to attempt to defend their offensive sport plan. These feedback give the employees confidence in opposition to Arkansas this week. 

The assembly offers a peek into how faculty soccer groups provide you with their play names. The terminology flies round quick and unfastened, like a overseas language recognized solely to the coaches within the room earlier than sure context clues begin to open it up. One sort of play is impressed by a former coach’s nickname that Mortensen labored with at Alabama. After one variation of a play is designed and wishes a reputation, one coach suggests “Kass,” a nod to the play but in addition Dilfer’s spouse Cassandra. 

Mortensen mentions that former Alabama offensive coordinator Mike Locksley, now the top coach at Maryland, was superstitious and believed naming a play after a liked one was unhealthy luck. Dilfer is undeterred. 

“She’s by no means had a play named after her,” he says as he takes a photograph to textual content his spouse.

The sport plan is a tricky stability of what the UAB coaches wish to do versus what they’re able to doing. The group in the end slashes away about 75 p.c of the playbook that both would not work or is not value utilizing this week. 

Nonetheless, there’s pleasure that they’ve performs that may be profitable. It’s going to in the end come all the way down to execution, however there is a perception that they’ve the correct mix to maintain Arkansas off-balance and catch them unexpectedly a few instances. 

“They do not know we’re scared,” Dilfer tells the room. “They need to, however they do not know.”

The third-down technique assembly lastly wraps up at 7:30 as Dilfer leaves Mortensen and the remainder of the group to place collectively the finalized third-down sport script. 

In his workplace, which features a reproduction of the Lombardi Trophy the Baltimore Ravens gained in 2000, Dilfer explains the big-picture reasoning behind the offensive technique. He likens it to “Rocky IV” in specializing in going for physique blows and never making an attempt to go for too many knockout swings in opposition to a staff that may make you pay rapidly on any mistake.

“Dying by a thousand cuts mitigates danger,” he says. “I feel it frustrates them as a result of they wish to be on the sector, they’re an offensive-minded staff. You do not go and rent Bobby Petrino, the ex-head coach who left in controversy, and tackle all that weight simply to be good on offense.” 

He likens Petrino to the last word puppetmaster, an offensive play-caller he places on his private Mount Rushmore. He believes Petrino’s NFL expertise offers him an edge with the brand new helmet communication, permitting him to have much more sway over quarterback Taylen Inexperienced, and Dilfer is aware of it will be extremely difficult to cease him. Petrino lives for the chess match, and he is the very best at it, however even Petrino may need a weak spot.

“Should you’re in search of a development over time which have slowed Bobby down — Lamar (Jackson) is an exception to this — advanced NFL-type stress packages have given his offense bother,” he says. “Does not cease it, but it surely will get in bother. We’ll have plenty of inventive pressures which are designed to provide us an opportunity.” 

Lower than 100 hours from his staff taking the sector in opposition to Arkansas, Dilfer has contingencies if issues do not go nicely early. His gamers are already banged up and he and will not danger the staff’s season-long potential for one sport. There are triggers in place if it will get ugly early, not an outright waving of a white flag, which Dilfer says he’d by no means do, however extra of an emphasis on a conservative offense that will hopefully permit the Blazers to go away Arkansas with none main accidents. 

But when issues go nicely, Dilfer will lean extra into his “let it rip” philosophy. The bottom plan is 70 p.c “loss of life by a thousand cuts” and 30 p.c “let it rip,” but when he sees an indication his staff is not as overmatched bodily as he believes, he is able to strike. 

No ethical victories

On UAB’s first offensive play, Isaiah Jacobs ran for six yards. After sport planning simply to get a few yards at a time, that is higher than anybody might have anticipated.

Mortensen is sizzling early on, tapping into his bag of third-down play potentialities, and going 3 for 4 on third down on the primary drive. UAB’s offense is stymied within the crimson zone, however the Blazers take a 3-0 lead on the street after a Jonah Delange 27-yard discipline aim is an efficient begin.

Three performs later, Michael Moore intercepted Taylen Inexperienced and returned it to the Razorbacks’ 15-yard line. This time, UAB would not miss on the scoring alternative. Zeno hits Kam Shanks for a 15-yard landing move. 

UAB 10, Arkansas 0.

Leaning into the let-it-rip part of the playbook, Dilfer opts for an onside kick. He believes the look was there, however Arkansas recovers, takes it to UAB’s 23-yard line, and ultimately scores on a discipline aim. 

After a Zeno to Amare Thomas 34-yard landing move, UAB has surprised Arkansas with a 17-3 lead. That is every little thing UAB might have hoped for and extra.

“Bodily, we held up even higher than I assumed,” Dilfer would say after the actual fact. “Should you simply have a look at one-on-one matchups, we truly held our personal, if not gained a bunch of them.”

However UAB knew it might at all times be difficult with Petrino dialing up offensive calls on the opposite sideline. By halftime, the Razorbacks had fought their means again to a 20-20 tie. 

The sport comes all the way down to a third-and-goal from UAB’s 9-yard line. Down 30-27 with rather less than 4 minutes left within the sport, UAB’s teaching employees believes if they will maintain Arkansas to a discipline aim right here, they’re going to win the sport with a landing on their subsequent possession. In these moments, you depend on your opponents’ tendencies to attempt to guess what they could do in a pressurized spot. Dilfer and defensive coordinator Sione Ta’ufo’ou guess on Petrino dialing up a move play. 

As an alternative, Petrino calls a designed quarterback run to the boundary, and Inexperienced takes it in from 9 yards out for a landing. “Now we have the right move protection known as, like good,” Dilfer laments. “Bobby was Bobby. He was a maestro.” 

Any hopes of an inconceivable comeback ended on an intercepted move. Arkansas survived at house, 37-27, and UAB’s finest effort of the season got here up simply brief. 

There are not any ethical victories in faculty soccer, and watching UAB give Arkansas all it might deal with per week after a blowout loss in opposition to Louisiana Monroe is confounding to these in and outdoors this system. Within the second 12 months of the Dilfer period, UAB remains to be looking for consistency and a return again to the land of annual bowl journeys. 

In reviewing the ultimate outcome, Dilfer noticed a staff and training employees that got here near executing the “loss of life by a thousand cuts” plan however made the mistaken errors on the mistaken time.

“We did an admirable job of nicking them up, however they did not bleed out,” he says. “We nicked ourselves, sadly.” 

He is inspired, although, by what he noticed and heard at Arkansas on Saturday. What he calls the “audio of the staff” was nearly as good as he had ever skilled. Group leaders stepped in to settle down tense conditions and would not permit errors to utterly derail the Blazers. He needed to win the sport, after all, however he additionally needed to see how his staff matched up in opposition to an SEC program — mentally, bodily, emotionally. The very fact UAB was nonetheless within the sport deep into the fourth quarter reinforces his perception he is on the correct path. 

For a program determined to raise up, Saturday marked a step in the correct route. Nonetheless, if UAB is in the end going to succeed underneath Dilfer, the way it fares within the coming weeks in opposition to difficult convention opponents like Navy, Tulane and Military will in the end have the larger affect. 

After per week the place minimizing danger was paramount, Dilfer hopes his Blazers will likely be able to deploy extra aggression. 

“This staff will likely be higher the extra they’re unshackled, the extra they’re free, that targeted looseness,” Dilfer says. “We have to put together in such a means that by the top of the week it is ‘Let’s go let it rip.'”