With all controversy firmly in the rear-view mirror, can Bill Clark now sustain his success with UAB football? The 2019 season is right around the corner.

After the cancellation, and subsequent renewal, of the UAB program, the motivation was easy to come by. In the heart of a region that loves football, the return of this team galvanized the community, and head coach Bill Clark was able to use that to light a fire, both on the field and on the recruiting trail. As normality returns, reloading and sustaining become the keys for Clark.

Now entering the third season of the renewed Blazer program, this team is already playing with a target on its back. The Blazers won eleven games and a C-USA Championship in 2018, and they’ll look to defend that crown this season.

In order to do so, Clark will have to rely on a small group of veterans to help along a roster that is filled with youth and inexperience. Only three players on the offense were season-long starters, and sophomore quarterback Tyler Johnson III only took over for the back half of the year. The defense has a bit more experience, but it will still have to replace most of the defensive line and secondary.

Can the Blazers continue to be the class of the C-USA, or will they come back to the pack? If Clark is able to sustain the kind of success of last season, with all the turnover on this roster, it will certainly draw the attention of programs around the country.