The Really Big Preview: ULM at UAB

Mortensen's home debut. Vincent's homecoming. UAB's 2026 season starts again Saturday at Protective Stadium, and the Blazers' first opponent is the man who spent six seasons on their sideline — and who beat them 32-6 in Monroe in 2024.

GAME DETAILS

Matchup: Louisiana-Monroe (0-1) at UAB (0-1)

Date: Saturday, Sept. 12

Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. CT

Location: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Ala.

TV: ESPN+

Spread: UAB -10.5

Over/Under: 54.5

Series: ULM leads 2-1 (UAB 1-0 in Birmingham, ULM 2-0 in Monroe)

THE STAKES

Bryant Vincent was the offensive coordinator who helped build UAB into a conference champion after the program's shutdown and return. He went 7-6 as interim head coach in 2022, ending his tenure with a Bahamas Bowl victory over Miami (Ohio). Vincent was passed over for the permanent job in favor of Trent Dilfer. He spent a season as offensive coordinator at New Mexico before getting the head coaching job at Monroe. In 2024, Vincent's first year at ULM, the Warhawks beat Dilfer's Blazers 32-6 in Monroe. Dilfer was fired midseason in 2025. Mortensen took over as interim, went 2-4 and earned the permanent job.

Now Vincent returns to Protective Stadium for the first time as an opposing head coach — he is the first former UAB head coach to return to Birmingham as an opponent. The man across the field is Alex Mortensen, making his first appearance at Protective Stadium as the permanent head coach. At least 11 people on either sideline have direct ties to the other program. Hindley Brigham spent 2025 coaching running backs for Vincent at ULM before returning to UAB. Bam McReynolds spent the 2025 season at ULM before transferring to UAB. Carl Fauntroy was on UAB's roster in 2024 before transferring to ULM. Cameron Blankenship, a three-year starter on UAB's offensive line from 2012-14 who returned to the program as assistant strength coach from 2016-21 and coached the offensive line in Vincent's 2022 season, now coaches ULM's offensive line. Bryant Vincent's son Brady coaches ULM's tight ends.

UAB is 23-10 all-time in home openers and has won 10 of its last 11 dating to 2013, outscoring opponents by an average of 24.7 points during that stretch. Since the program's return in 2017, the Blazers are 8-1 in home openers.

THE NUMBERS

3-for-16 — ULM's third-down conversion rate at Mississippi State. Vincent pointed to self-inflicted mistakes — false starts, a botched freeze play, a dropped snap — as the primary culprits. "If you look at first and second down, I thought we really did good staying ahead of the sticks," Vincent said. "We just didn't execute the third-down situations."

413 — Yards of offense UAB generated at Illinois. The Blazers controlled the ball for 41:03, went 10-of-19 on third down and 3-for-4 on fourth down. They lost 42-23. Mortensen called it a "14-point swing in two plays" — a Hail Mary before halftime and a late interception returned for a touchdown.

47-0 — UAB's margin the last time it hosted ULM, on Oct. 2, 1999. That was the only previous meeting in Birmingham — at Legion Field, Protective Stadium's predecessor. The Blazers are 1-0 against ULM at home.

62 — Newcomers on UAB's roster. Thirty-seven of them made their UAB debut at Illinois — 16 of them started.

ABOUT LOUISIANA-MONROE (Visitor)

ULM went 3-9 in 2025 — Vincent's second season — after a 5-7 debut in 2024 that started 5-1. The Warhawks opened 2026 at Mississippi State and lost 62-13, a game that got away from them early when the third-down failures (3-for-16) kept putting their defense back on the field.

Vincent played 24-25 defensive players and 22-23 offensive players against the Bulldogs. "This is a marathon, not a sprint," he said. "We were able to play a lot of guys that needed not only experience but experience in that environment and against that competition." The second half told a different story — ULM outscored Mississippi State in the third quarter, put together a 15-play drive and got a 40-yard touchdown pass from Austin Carlisle to Derrick Jameson. The Warhawks did not commit a turnover.

The quarterback situation is the headline. Aidan Armenta got the start and the first eight drives (10-of-16, 67 yards). Carlisle entered in the second half and led the team in both passing (73 yards, 1 TD) and rushing (50 yards). Vincent praised both but did not name a starter for UAB. Landon Graves also received two series. SP+ projects 2.6 wins. Phil Steele projects 3-9.

ABOUT UAB (Home)

UAB went on the road against a Big Ten program and dominated the stat sheet — 413 yards to 332, 41:03 to 18:57 in time of possession, 10-of-19 on third down, 3-for-4 on fourth down. UAB ran 86 offensive snaps; its defense was on the field for 43. Ryder Burton threw for 219 yards and rushed for a touchdown. Rod Robinson II, Ja'Vin Simpkins and Bam McReynolds combined for 132 rushing yards behind an offensive line anchored by Adam Lepkowski.

The final score — 42-23 — does not reflect the stat sheet. Mortensen called it a "14-point swing in two plays." Vincent, from Monroe: "You're sitting there and it's 14-13 and Illinois throws a Hail Mary to end the half to make it 21-13. ... UAB dominated the stat lines, but the score kind of pulled away and made it look a little different there at the end with the pick-six."

Mortensen identified three areas to correct: red zone execution (field goals instead of touchdowns), pre-snap penalties and two explosive defensive breakdowns (a punt return and a screen-and-go). Thirty-seven Blazers made their UAB debut at Illinois — 16 of them started. The offensive line lost Payton Kirkland to an injury that Mortensen called "recoverable" but with an uncertain timetable. Keyon Cox, Kyrik Mason and Barry Walker Jr. are the options at tackle.

SP+ projected 4.1 wins before the season. Phil Steele projected 4-8.

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ryder Burton, QB, UAB (#5, R-Jr., 6-2, 200) — Went 18-of-31 for 219 yards with a touchdown and an interception at Illinois, plus a rushing touchdown. Vincent singled him out during his presser: "He makes them go. He's tough. ... He's accurate. He's smart. You can tell that Mort's done a really good job with him."

Rod Robinson II, RB, UAB (#2, R-Jr., 6-1, 235) — Carried 14 times for 59 yards (4.2 avg) and caught a touchdown on a 10-yard reception at Illinois.

Bam McReynolds, RB, UAB (#3, R-Sr., 5-7, 190) — Spent the 2025 season at ULM, rushing for 637 yards and three touchdowns and adding 90 receiving yards and a touchdown. Now he faces his former team for the first time since transferring to UAB.

Noah Flemmings, LB, ULM — Finished 2025 with 80 tackles. Named 3rd Team All-Sun Belt.

Austin Carlisle, QB, ULM — The transfer from Houston was ULM's most productive offensive player at Mississippi State — 6-of-10 passing, 73 yards, a 40-yard TD to Derrick Jameson, plus 50 rushing yards. Carlisle is regarded as one of the fastest players in FBS. Vincent has not named a starter.

INJURY REPORT / AVAILABILITY

UAB:

• Payton Kirkland (OT) — QUESTIONABLE. Injury at Illinois is "recoverable" per Mortensen, but timetable unclear. Keyon Cox is the primary replacement; Kyrik Mason and Barry Walker Jr. also available.
• Jaylen Elder (WR) — QUESTIONABLE (undisclosed). Not listed on two-deep per Covers.
• Nigel Tate (DT, 6-3, 330) — LIKELY OUT. Rehabbing Achilles injury from 2025. Has not practiced lately and didn't play at Illinois.

ULM:

• Marvin Hall (DE) — PROBABLE. Left Mississippi State with a strain. Vincent: "He's going to be okay. Just a strain. We wanted to take precaution at the first game of the season. He's going to be back."
• Vincent said ULM "came out healthy" from Mississippi State.

WHEN ULM HAS THE BALL

The question is which quarterback starts. Armenta got the first eight drives at Mississippi State (10-of-16, 67 yards). Carlisle entered in the second half and led ULM in both passing and rushing. Vincent has not named a starter. New OC Jesse Montalto wants to push tempo and throw the ball more than ULM has in the past.

The offensive line lost three starters. AJ Vinson, who allowed only nine pressures in 12 starts, is the anchor. Don Chaney Jr. and Derrick Jameson, who caught the 40-yard touchdown at Mississippi State, give ULM a committee approach at running back.

Illinois scored 42 points, but seven came on a pick-six — Burton's interception returned for a touchdown, not a defensive breakdown. UAB's defense allowed 35. Mortensen said the unit "played pretty staunchly in a lot of areas against the run" and "got better as the game went on."

Vincent said ULM moved the ball on first and second down at Mississippi State but failed to execute on third down. Whether Montalto's offense can stay on schedule through the first two downs against UAB's front will determine if ULM can sustain drives.

WHEN UAB HAS THE BALL

UAB is going to come out and establish the run. The Blazers have a big, veteran offensive line and at least three running backs the coaching staff believes could be the best room in the American. Robinson, Simpkins and McReynolds looked the part against a Big Ten defense at Illinois, combining for 132 rushing yards behind a line anchored by Lepkowski.

ULM's defensive front under Reffett's 3-3-5 likes to stunt heavily because it lacks overall size and quickness. The 3-3-5 can cause offensive lines problems, but UAB just saw it at Illinois and put up 413 yards. ULM is not Illinois. When the Warhawks guess right, they can get an opponent behind the sticks. When they don't, they end up on their heels — which opens the playbook for Burton and a UAB receiving corps eager to prove it can produce. Ty Mims led the receivers with 4 catches at Illinois. Mortensen identified three missed opportunities in the passing game — "whether it's route detail, quarterback footwork, those things of that nature — that would've resulted in touchdowns." The passing game wants to show it has grown from those mistakes.

McReynolds faces his former team after spending the 2025 season at ULM.

ULM WINS IF

ULM converts on third down. The 3-for-16 performance at Mississippi State was the story of the game. Vincent said ULM moved the ball on first and second down but beat itself with penalties, botched snaps and missed executions on third-and-short. If ULM can sustain drives Saturday, its defense gets rest. At Illinois, UAB ran 86 offensive snaps — any defense on the field that long will wear down.

ULM wins the turnover battle. UAB was minus-12 in turnover margin in 2025. Burton threw an interception returned for a touchdown at Illinois. ULM did not commit a turnover at Mississippi State.

UAB WINS IF

UAB runs the ball effectively early. ULM's defense lost six of its top seven defensive linemen from 2025. UAB rushed for 194 yards at Illinois — Robinson, Simpkins and McReynolds combined for 132 of those.

UAB finishes drives in the red zone. Mortensen identified pre-snap penalties and red zone execution as the primary correctable issues from Illinois. "The good news is we scored in the red zone," he said. "The bad news is more of those need to be touchdowns, not field goals."

UAB's defense forces ULM into third-and-long. ULM went 3-for-16 on third down at Mississippi State. Vincent attributed the failures to execution, not scheme — but the result was the same. If ULM falls behind the sticks again, the Warhawks cannot sustain drives.

X FACTOR

The quarterback decision at ULM. Vincent has not named a starter. Armenta got the start at Mississippi State, but Carlisle led the team in both passing and rushing when he entered in the second half. Carlisle is regarded as one of the fastest players in FBS — his ability to run changes the defensive game plan. Vincent has not indicated publicly when or whether he will announce the starter.

COACH SPEAK

Alex Mortensen, UAB: "The last game's not indicative of anything. They had a fourth-and-one play — they had a mix-up, they thought it was first down, they threw a ball. I think they probably wouldn't have done that. Sometimes when you have little things like that, the game can get away from you fast when you're playing a really good team. I don't think it's necessarily indicative of what I would expect from them."

Bryant Vincent, ULM: "You watch UAB and you see Coach Mortensen's done a great job, man. ... They go to Illinois on a Thursday night and they beat them in every stat but the scoreboard. They ran 86 offensive snaps and had the ball for over 41 minutes. UAB dominated the stat lines."

THE PREDICTIONS

Source | Pick | Score / Detail

ESPN FPI | UAB (71% win probability) | Model projects UAB by ~8

FanDuel/numberFire | UAB (71.8% win probability) | UAB -10.5 (-105), O/U 55.5

Covers Model | UAB | UAB 34, ULM 23 (UAB by ~12)

Capper's Picks | UAB | UAB 31, ULM 14 (UAB covers -10.5)

Bleacher Report | UAB SU / ULM ATS | UAB 31, ULM 21 (ULM covers +10.5)

Bleacher Nation | UAB | UAB SU (-395), recommends the over (55.5)

YouWager Model | UAB SU / ULM ATS | UAB 30, ULM 22 (ULM covers +9.5)

CBS Sports and College Football News game-specific picks were not available at time of publication.

DIEHARD BOTTOM LINE

The intangible here is whether the history between Vincent and UAB can impact the mindset and motivation of the Warhawks. There is no question that it did in 2024, when ULM dropped some karma on Blazer Nation in a game that was quintessential Bill Clark/Bryant Vincent football. The Warhawks made big plays on defense and ran the football, turning a 10-6 halftime score into a 32-6 beatdown that some UAB observers called the lowest point in program history — while others saw it as the harbinger of just how off the rails the Dilfer era was going.

UAB was a 10.5-point favorite in that game too, but the circumstances are so different. The vibe around the UAB program is new and excited. There is only one player still on the UAB roster — Lepkowski — who played for Vincent. Yes, there are still many personal ties between the programs, but in terms of personnel and X's and O's actually playing on the field, these are new teams. UAB is at home, and frankly, it is the better and more talented team. The Blazers believe this program is ready to take a big step forward. Taking care of business impressively against ULM would signal that might be true.

Look for a big day in the running game — the Blazers will put up at least 200 yards on the ground. And I think the defense is going to show some marked improvement over what Blazer fans have seen since Vincent departed.

Straight-up pick: UAB 45, Louisiana-Monroe 17

Against-the-spread pick (UAB -10.5): UAB covers

Season picks record: 8-2 SU, 5-5 ATS (UAB: 1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS)

BLAZER VICTORY PODCAST: ULM PREVIEW

The guys over at the Blazer Victory Podcast break down the ULM matchup. Give them a listen.