UAB football coach Mortensen prepares for Illinois visit on Sept. 3
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 13, 2026, 2:46 PM
Last updated Aug 13, 2026
College SportsUAB football coach Alex Mortensen will make his first visit to Illinois when the teams meet at Gies Memorial Stadium on Sept. 3. Mortensen, retained as the permanent coach after serving as interim in 2025, faces a significant challenge with UAB having lost 31 players to the transfer portal while adding 41. He emphasized the need for discipline, emotional control, and communication as the team seeks to define its identity amid significant roster turnover. Mortensen respects the challenge posed by Illinois, noting their coaching stability under Bret Bielema and the adjustments in the defensive staff. UAB enters the game as a 27.5-point underdog.
- •Mortensen's first full season opens against Illinois.
- •UAB lost 31 players to the transfer portal, retaining only two starters.
- •Blazers are viewed as 27.5-point underdogs for the matchup.
- •Mortensen emphasizes discipline and communication as keys to success.
- •Illinois coaching staff remains stable from the previous season.
- 2:46 PMYahoo Sports — Finally, UAB coach Mortensen will visit Illinois campus
"Aug. 13—BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — When the UAB football team visits Gies Memorial Stadium on Sept. 3, it will be the first-ever visit for Blazers coach Alex Mortensen. Mortensen was the UAB interim coach for the last six games of the 2025 season after Trent Dilfer was fired. Mortensen was retained as the permanent coach and opens his first full season against Illinois three weeks from today. What ...
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