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James Madison Dukes football team walking out before a game
Conference RealignmentGroup of Six

JMU to the American, and the three questions that follow

James Madison's $78.6 million athletics budget will make it the second-highest spender in the American. The Sun Belt is losing more than a football program.

Tim Stephens·
South Alabama forward Stephen Williams during practice
Top StoriesSouth Alabama

South Alabama basketball stays comfortable with change

Only four players return from 2025-26, but Richie Riley says eight have earned the right to start.

Doug Konkel·
UAB Blazers game action from the first football homecoming at Legion Field, Oct. 22, 1994
Back WhenUAB

BACK WHEN: UAB's first football homecoming — 96 gallons of Jell-O and 54 points at Legion Field

For years, UAB held homecoming in February around basketball season. In 1994, they moved it to October — and the Blazers put up 54 points on Charleston Southern in front of 20,237 at Legion Field.

Tim Stephens·
Birmingham News headline: We finally won one ugly — With ECU on the way to sure TD, Blazers' Felder punches ball out of receiver's hands to preserve win
Back WhenUAB

BACK WHEN: Chris Felder and the last time UAB beat the Pirates

Twenty years before this week's meeting, a 5-10 safety who signed with Alabama but ended up at UAB chased down a receiver from behind and punched the ball out at the 1-yard line to save a Conference USA game.

Tim Stephens·
Georgia State Panthers football
Top StoriesGroup of Six

Georgia State gets a chance to prove it belongs at Diehard G6 Top 25 No. 2 James Madison

No G6 team plays a Power 4 opponent this week. The schedule is all G6, all week — topped by four matchups between teams ranked in the Diehard G6 Top 25.

Tim Stephens·
James Madison players carry the American flag and JMU flag onto the field at Georgia Southern
Top StoriesGroup of Six

JMU rises to No. 2 as last unbeaten and first bowl-eligible G6 team

James Madison is 6-0 after winning at Georgia Southern. Three Alabama schools each climbed seven spots.

Tim Stephens·
The postgame report: Memphis 38, UAB 13
Top StoriesUAB

The postgame report: Memphis 38, UAB 13

Six weeks of trends say who UAB is at midseason. The first half said what it could be.

Tim Stephens·
Young UAB fans at Protective Stadium
Top StoriesUAB

ESPN's SportsCenter on Campus coming to Birmingham for first time

UAB's homecoming game against East Carolina on ESPN features a live SportsCenter broadcast and free admission for kids 12 and under.

Tim Stephens·
'Caveman' made big plays in early years of UAB football
Legends & LoreUAB

'Caveman' made big plays in early years of UAB football

Terry Dollerson, who played on UAB's first four football teams, died Oct. 7 of colon cancer at age 55

Tim Stephens·
The postgame report: South Alabama 56, Arkansas State 49
Weekend RecapSouth Alabama

The postgame report: South Alabama 56, Arkansas State 49

Keenan Phillips' 284-yard, four-touchdown night and 21 points off turnovers carry the Jaguars to 2-0 in the Sun Belt for the first time since 2022

Tim Stephens·
Rapid Reaction: What we learned from the Arkansas State game
CommentarySouth Alabama

Rapid Reaction: What we learned from the Arkansas State game

The Jags scored a program-record 56 points in Sun Belt play, but the defense made every lead feel unsafe

Doug Konkel·
The Really Big Preview: UAB at Memphis
Game PreviewUAB

The Really Big Preview: UAB at Memphis

The nation's second-ranked pass defense against the American's No. 1 total offense, with Hurricane Isaias looming over the Battle for the Bones

Tim Stephens·
The postgame report: Jax State 27, Kennesaw State 26
Top StoriesJax State

The postgame report: Jax State 27, Kennesaw State 26

Rippa's fifth career game-winning field goal and Billings' first career interception close a seven-lead-change CUSA road win

Tim Stephens·
The Really Big Preview: South Alabama at Arkansas State
Game PreviewSouth Alabama

The Really Big Preview: South Alabama at Arkansas State

Week 6 — Thursday, October 8, 2026

Tim Stephens·
Back When: The legend of Joe Webb
Back WhenUAB

Back When: The legend of Joe Webb

Joe Webb ran out of his shoes at the Liberty Bowl, beat the Eagles in a blizzard as a sixth-round rookie and spent 11 years in the NFL. Then he came home.

Tim Stephens·
10 things you didn't know: South Alabama at Arkansas State
Game PreviewSouth Alabama

10 things you didn't know: South Alabama at Arkansas State

We read every page of both teams' game notes so you don't have to. Here are the 10 most interesting things about Thursday night's game.

Tim Stephens·
Jags Jungle picks: South Alabama at Arkansas State
Game PreviewSouth Alabama

Jags Jungle picks: South Alabama at Arkansas State

The Jags Jungle crew breaks down South Alabama's Thursday night road test in Jonesboro.

Doug Konkel·
10 things you didn't know: UAB at Memphis
Top StoriesUAB

10 things you didn't know: UAB at Memphis

The Bones trophy weighs nearly 100 pounds. Three former Tigers are now Blazers. And Ryder Burton needs one passing yard for a career milestone. We dug through 83 pages of game notes from both SID staffs.

Tim Stephens·
What Charles Huff said before Memphis' game against UAB
Coach's CornerUAB

What Charles Huff said before Memphis' game against UAB

Huff praised UAB coach Alex Mortensen as one of the sharpest offensive minds he has worked with, traced his defense's improvement from the Boise State loss and challenged Memphis to fill Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium for the Battle for the Bones.

Tim Stephens·
What Alex Mortensen said ahead of UAB's game against Memphis
Coach's CornerUAB

What Alex Mortensen said ahead of UAB's game against Memphis

Mortensen diagnosed the offense's inconsistency, credited UAB's second-half dominance to conditioning and mindset and previewed the Battle for the Bones at Memphis.

Tim Stephens·
Diehard Picks: Week 6
CommentaryGroup of Six

Diehard Picks: Week 6

Thirty-two games. Four Top 25 matchups. UAB takes the Bones to Memphis.

Tim Stephens·
North Dakota State Bison players celebrate during their 28-0 shutout of Wyoming at the Fargodome
Top StoriesGroup of Six

Two remain unbeaten as Oregon State makes the season's biggest climb

James Madison and North Dakota State are 5-0 and atop the Diehard G6 Top 25 — and the marquee matchup this week is No. 1 Boise State at No. 8 Fresno State on Saturday night.

Tim Stephens·
EJ Reid runs with the football against Samford
Top StoriesUAB

The postgame report: UAB 33, Samford 14

The defense forces three interceptions and Delange goes 4-for-4 on field goals as the Blazers rally from a halftime deficit to pull away from the Bulldogs

Tim Stephens·
Masey Lewis returns a fumble for a touchdown against ULM
Top StoriesSouth Alabama

The postgame report: South Alabama 52, ULM 35

Hollins throws for 321 yards and three touchdowns as the Jaguars open Sun Belt play with a homecoming win, but the defense raises red flags by allowing 35 to an 0-4 team

Tim Stephens·
Keenan Phillips carries the ball against ULM
CommentarySouth Alabama

Rapid Reaction: What we learned from the ULM game

The Jags' 52-35 homecoming win featured fireworks on offense and red flags on defense

Doug Konkel·
The Really Big Preview: ULM at South Alabama — Week 5
Game PreviewSouth Alabama

The Really Big Preview: ULM at South Alabama — Week 5

Both teams open Sun Belt Conference play searching for fixes on the same side of the ball as the Jaguars host homecoming at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

Tim Stephens·
Jags Jungle picks: ULM at South Alabama
Game PreviewSouth Alabama

Jags Jungle picks: ULM at South Alabama

The Jags Jungle crew breaks down South Alabama's Sun Belt opener against ULM.

Tim Stephens·
The flag
Legends & LoreUAB

The flag

Wayne Champion's daughter made him a sign for the LSU game in 2000. Twenty-six years later, it's still here.

Tim Stephens·
Breakthrough on the Bayou
CommentaryUAB

Breakthrough on the Bayou

On Sept. 23, 2000, UAB went to Tiger Stadium — 85,339 fans, Nick Saban's homecoming, Shaquille O'Neal's jersey retirement — and won on the last play of the game. This is how it happened.

Tim Stephens·
The Quest
CommentaryUAB

The Quest

Before the 2000 season, College Football News predicted UAB would go 3-8 and 0-7 in Conference USA. The Sporting News ranked them 100th nationally. This is the story of what actually happened.

Tim Stephens·
Setting the standard
CommentaryUAB

Setting the standard

The 2000 team gave UAB its legitimacy — and set a bar that stood for 18 years.

Tim Stephens·
Diehard Picks: Week 5
CommentaryGroup of Six

Diehard Picks: Week 5

Thirty-one games. Four sections. Every G6 game on the board.

Tim Stephens·
The Really Big Preview: Samford at UAB
Game PreviewUAB

The Really Big Preview: Samford at UAB

Everything you need to know before Saturday’s cross-town matchup at Protective Stadium

Tim Stephens·
10 things you didn't know: Samford at UAB
Top StoriesUAB

10 things you didn't know: Samford at UAB

UAB and Samford share little football history, but a surprising number of their players do.

Tim Stephens·
What John Grass said before Samford's game vs. UAB
Coach's CornerUAB

What John Grass said before Samford's game vs. UAB

The first-year Samford coach called Saturday's cross-town trip a "practice playoff game" and suggested the Bulldogs and Blazers need a rivalry name.

Tim Stephens·
What Alex Mortensen said ahead of UAB's game against Samford
Coach's CornerUAB

What Alex Mortensen said ahead of UAB's game against Samford

Mortensen reflected on the Navy win, praised his team's development and previewed a matchup between two Birmingham programs at Protective Stadium.

Tim Stephens·
What Major Applewhite and Todd Orlando said ahead of South Alabama's Sun Belt opener against ULM
Coach's CornerSouth Alabama

What Major Applewhite and Todd Orlando said ahead of South Alabama's Sun Belt opener against ULM

Applewhite addressed the quarterback situation and a ULM team he believes is better than its record. Orlando said the run defense problems are fixable but unlike anything he's experienced.

Tim Stephens·
Marlin Dean makes the final tackle of UAB's 24-20 victory over Navy.
CommentaryUAB

I’ve watched 35 years of UAB football. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a defensive performance like Marlin Dean’s.

The sixth-year edge rusher forced three fumbles in the fourth quarter, earned American Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors and led a defense that now ranks second nationally in pass defense.

Tim Stephens·
UNLV head coach Dan Mullen leads his team through the tunnel alongside an Elvis impersonator before a home game at Allegiant Stadium
Top StoriesGroup of Six

Conference play is here — and UNLV is favored over California

Only three G6-vs-Power 4 matchups are on the Week 5 schedule as conference play takes center stage. The G6’s biggest game of the week is a Pac-12 matchup between two teams ranked in the Diehard G6 Top 25.

Tim Stephens·
Boise State celebrates after dominant win at Western Michigan
Top StoriesGroup of Six

Diehard G6 Top 25 — Boise State dismantles previous No. 2 Western Michigan, strengthens CFP case

The Broncos hold the No. 1 spot in the Diehard G6 Top 25 after a 32-7 road win that has oddsmakers paying attention — CFP odds at +140, 12th-best nationally.

Tim Stephens·
Samford’s defense stops UAB near the goal line late in its 49-3 victory over the Blazers in 1992
Back WhenUAB

Back When: The Blazers and Bulldogs fought in football

These schools are about 3 miles apart and have played countless games against each other in many sports. But Saturday’s football game will be only the second under NCAA rules.

Tim Stephens·
Samford players celebrate after the Bulldogs' 45-7 win over VMI on Sept. 20, 2026
Game PreviewUAB

Early look at UAB’s next opponent: the Samford Bulldogs

The first meeting between programs separated by 3 miles of U.S. 31 since 1992

Tim Stephens·
Jax State's Lucas Farrington celebrates during the Gamecocks' 23-13 win over Middle Tennessee
Top StoriesJax State

The postgame report: Jax State 23, Middle Tennessee 13

Gamecocks scored the final 13 points and rolled up 517 total yards but left points all over the field in their CUSA opener

Tim Stephens·
South Alabama's Jeremiah Jones-Thomas tries to get past a Kentucky defender during the Jaguars' loss on Sept. 26, 2026
Top StoriesSouth Alabama

The postgame report: Kentucky 45, South Alabama 21

Jaguars built a 21-14 lead in the second quarter before Kentucky scored 31 unanswered

Tim Stephens·
South Alabama wide receiver Anthony Eager celebrates his touchdown reception against Kentucky
Top StoriesSouth Alabama

Rapid Reaction: What we learned from South Alabama 21, Kentucky 45

Jags Jungle breaks down South Alabama's loss at Kroger Field

Tres Harrison·

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