The University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) defeated Alabama State 52-45 in what could best be described as a game of “Hold My Beer” Thursday night. The offensive coordinators were in their bags as the two teams combined for over 1,000 yards of offense and 94 points on a humid and uncharacteristically cool August night in Birmingham, AL.
Somebody check the turf at Protective Stadium for scorch marks.
UAB issued the first challenge, taking advantage of a good return of a short kickoff, capping an 8-play, 39-yard drive with a 42-yard field goal from Jonah Delange. Running back Jevon Jackson rushed for 33 of the 42 yards on the drive.
Bama State took a whiff of what the Blazers were cooking and one-upped their sizzle. On the second play of the drive, quarterback Andrew Body diced up the Blazers’ defense for a 60-yard touchdown. The senior quarterback finished with 312 yards and 4 TDs in the air and 119 yards rushing and a TD.
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The back-and-forth scoring paused briefly after the in-state rivals traded touchdowns at the start of the second quarter. Defense had entered the conversation. UAB safety Calvin Pitcher’s sack of Body at the Hornets 26 26-yard line forced a punt. Teammate Iverson Hooks’s 19-yard return across midfield set up the Blazers’ offense with another short field.
Sophomore running back Solomon Beebe’s 16-yard reception after two big runs put the Blazers inside the red zone. Jackson took over from there with three runs for nine yards, but that’s where it ended. The Hornets’ defense made one of the biggest stands of the night, holding Jackson for no gain on 4th and one at the 3.
Body and company owned the last 8 minutes, moving steadily down the field. The drive hit a speed bump deep in UAB territory. A scrambling body pass to Jamarie Hostzclaw left his hand after crossing the line of scrimmage. In a surprising twist, UAB Head Coach Trent Dilfer declined the opportunity to assess the 5-yard penalty, settling for the loss-of-down. Two plays later, Body threw a strike to Ajai Harrell, standing all by his lonesome at the 4-yard line. Harrell scored easily to give the Hornets a 21-17 lead going into the half.
Apparently, the first half scoring only whetted the two offenses’ appetite. They combined for 56 points in the final 30 minutes.
The second half was an inverted mirror image of the first half, with more scoring. This time, Bama State scored first, and UAB scored the last points of the half.
UAB’s defense turned the tables, shutting down the Hornets on successive possessions. Miscommunication between Bama State’s two kick-off returners put the Hornets back against the goal line. Three downs later, and the Blazers were breathing fire down the Hornets’ throat from the 33-yard line.
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Bama State’s attempt to respond to the resulting touchdown cooled off inside the Blazers’ territory. A bad snap forced Brody into an errant throw behind the receiver that bounced on the turf. UAB linebacker Devin Hightower picked up the lateral for the first turnover of the game.
Jackson broke loose and added 46 yards and a touchdown two plays later to give UAB a 10-point lead late in the quarter. “We could have thrown it a lot more,” said UAB Head Coach Trent Dilfer. “I was the conservative one tonight. I trumped a lot of pass calls and made them runs.”
Unfazed, ASU opened another cold one, took a sip, and proceeded to ram the ball down the Blazers’ throat. The veteran Body completed five consecutive passes for 60 yards. His fifth pass to Jalen Jones covered 37 yards and set up first and 10 at the UAB 7. Bama State needed only one of the four downs. The big fellas upfront opened a hole in the middle of the defense for Hostzclaw to sprint through into the end zone.
Dilfer knew coming into the game Body would present a challenge for his defense. “That kid is so poised,” said the former NFL quarterback. “He has great spatial awareness and can really rip the ball down the field, you know, and tight window throws are tough for college kids to make, and he made a bunch of them tonight. So, I look for him to have a fantastic season.”
There was no quitting from either team or the fans.
UAB pushed the lead back out to 10 on its next possession. Bama State cut it to three points four minutes later.
Head Coach Eddie Robinson, Jr. needed a stop from his defense on the ensuing UAB drive as the clock ticked under 5 minutes to play. They couldn’t stop the Blazers’ offense as Beebe capped a 7-play, 67-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown run.
Next Up for the Hornets
Bama State heads down I-10 to A.W. Mumford Stadium, where they will face the Southern Jaguars of Baton Rouge, LA.
GAME PHOTOS (All photos c. Jason McDonald, JM Photography for CORE360 Sports)