New coach.
New quarterback.
No problem.
In a game headlined by fresh starts and debuts, UAB’s most important change came on the final scoreboard. The Blazers snapped a three-game losing streak Saturday with their biggest win since the Bill Clark era, knocking off No. 22 Memphis, 31-24, in the Battle for the Bones rivalry.
The upset win came less than a week after UAB fired head coach Trent Dilfer last Sunday. Serving in his first game as interim coach, Alex Mortensen rallied an inspired Blazers team to its most impressive performance in recent memory. He did so with a quarterback making his first career start, as redshirt sophomore Ryder Burton filled in for injured Jalen Kitna.
“It was tremendous,” Mortensen said of his team’s performance. “We talked about three keys to the game. We wanted to play with fanatical effort, and the second thing was poise and the third thing was, we talked about staying together no matter what.”
Burton completed 20 of 27 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns with one interception against Memphis. The former BYU/West Virginia transfer had previously thrown just one pass at the college level heading into the afternoon. Burton’s big day came courtesy of receiver Iverson Hooks, who pulled in a career high 11 receptions for 172 yards and three touchdowns.
UAB (3-4, 1-3) outgained Memphis (6-1, 2-1), 470-362. Behind a rejuvenated running game, the Blazers controlled the ball for 35:05, driving down the field for several extended possessions.
UAB ran for 219 yards and one touchdown on 41 attempts. Heading into the game, Memphis’ run defense ranked No. 14 nationally, allowing opponents just 88.0 yards per game on the ground.
Another change in Saturday’s performance was UAB’s defense. The usually-porous unit stepped up on several occasions, allowing its offense to grind out the win. The Blazers entered the afternoon allowing 41.3 points and 450.8 yards per game. UAB limited Memphis to just 115 yards in the first half before hanging on for the win after the break.
Close, but no comeback
UAB’s defense has been the butt of jokes this season, and for a few late moments, it look like the unit would let down the Blazers again Saturday night.
Despite leading by two touchdowns with 4:06 to play, UAB had to sweat out the final moments of the game, as Memphis rallied with a late comeback attempt.
The Tigers cut the deficit to 31-24 on a 37-yard touchdown pass from A.J. Hil to Christian Ross with 2:19 to play. After forcing UAB to a three-and-out on its ensuing possession, the Tigers’ offense got the ball back at their own 22-yard line with 1:50 remaining and a chance to tie the game.
Memphis drove down the field, completing a 21-yard pass on fourth-and-7 before appearing to tie the game on a 41-yard run from Greg Desroisiers. However, after review, the running back was ruled down at the UAB 1-yard line.
UAB’s defense stood tall from there, benefiting from three Memphis penalties while keeping the Tigers out of the end zone over the next four plays.
Memphis was flagged for a false start on first down, which backed the Tigers to the 6-yard line. From there, Memphis nearly tied the game, as Desroisiers was again ruled just short of the end zone on a review following a 5-yard pass from Hill.
Another false start followed by an incomplete pass and a delay of game penalty on Memphis set up a game-deciding fourth-and-goal from the 11-yard line. From there, UAB was able to get the decisive stop, as Memphis receiver Cortez Braham Jr. was unable to get a foot in bounds after catching the ball in the end zone.
Following the game, UAB safety Pierre Royster said the defense’s confidence never wavered on the final drive. Instead, the relentless unit rallied amongst itself after allowing Memphis to reach the goal line.
“We’ve been through so much adversity this year, it was just like another thing,” UAB safety Pierre Royster said. “It was like, get him down, we’re going to go finish it.”
A pair of impressive debuts
Burton had a pretty good idea that he’d get his first career start around Wednesday afternoon, as Kitna continued to suffer from his upper-body injury. It wasn’t until Friday night that coaches officially informed him that he’d make his first career start against Memphis.
You wouldn’t be able to tell that from watching Burton against the Tigers.
Heading into Saturday, the redshirt sophomore had seen the field for just four total snaps in his college career. Burton completed his first five passes while leading UAB to a touchdown on the game’s opening drive. From there, he rebounded from an interception on his second possession by helping the Blazers to scores on their next three drives. He finished the game 9 of 11 on third-down passes, gaining 116 yards and a touchdown with an interception on those throws.
“I’m excited,” Burton said. “I’ve been at three schools in three years. It’s tough when you’re not playing the game you love. But I prepared like I was the starter for three years, and I think tonight showed dividends of that.”
Meanwhile, Saturday served as Mortensen’s first game as a head coach. The offensive coordinator spent nine years as an assistant under Nick Saban from 2014-22 before taking the job at UAB in 2023.
Saturday, Mortensen took over full play-calling duties for the Blazers’ offense, dialing up a balanced attack that allowed his new quarterback to build confidence throughout the night. Following the win, the interim coach deflected praise while stessing that the team will now need to build off its momentum.
“Realy, it’s one game,” Mortensen said. “That’s even when I talked with TD [Dilfer], he said, ‘Look, you guys have a chance to win this game. I believe you can. But even if you don’t, either way, just remember it’s one game.’ That’s kind of my approach, our approach.”
Strap in
Hooks, who goes by the nickname “Strap,” helped UAB buckle in for some tense moments on offense. Five of the redshirt sophomore’s 11 receptions came on third down, as he helped the Blazers pick up a first down on each of those occasions. That included a 20-yard touchdown on third-and-5 from the Memphis 20-yard line to put UAB up 34-17 with 4:12 to play.
“Get the ball to Zero. It’s that simple,” Burton said, referencing Hooks’ jersey number. “The guy’s electric, man. The quickness, the twitchiness, and also, he wants the ball. What kind of receiver am I going to want that doesn’t want the ball? He wants the ball, so I’m going to give it to him.”
Hooks said there were times in the game when he approached Burton, telling him if a defender looked a certain way, that he’d “run right by him.” Following the win, the receiver spoke highly of his quarterback and the connection they have on the field.
“He was putting the ball where only I could go get it,” Hooks said. “He just trusted me to do that, and I went and did that for him.”
Hooks’ 11 catches and 172 yards and three touchdowns are all career highs. The Pike Road native caught all of the 11 balls thrown his way. Nine of those receptions went for first downs. Six resulted in gains of 15 or more yards, including touchdowns from 15, 16 and 20 yards out.
Streak broken
Along with getting the win, UAB’s defense was able to put a nasty streak to bed. For the first time this season, the Blazers stopped an opponent from scoring on its first offensive possession of the game.
Facing a fourth-and-3 from the UAB 40-yard line, Memphis elected to keep its offense on the field during its opening offensive possession in the final minute of the first quarter. Despite getting plenty of time in the pocket, Memphis quarterback Brendon Lewis was unable to find an open receiver, throwing an incompletion to the right sideline after eventually being pressured by UAB linebacker Devin Hightower.
UAB had previously given up touchdowns on all six opening offensive drives it faced. Those drives resulted in a combined 418 yards on 48 plays. Despite its defensive improvement, UAB still allowed Memphis to return a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown before the Tigers’ offense could take the field.
Record-breaker
Lost in the madness of Saturday night’s win was a record-breaking run from Solomon Beebe. The sophomore back broke free for an 81-yard touchdown to put the Blazers up 24-14 with 10:33 left in the third quarter. The run is the longest rushing touchdown in program history, topping DeWayne McBride’s 75-yard score against Western Kentucky at Legion Field in 2020.
Beebe finished the night with 106 yards and a touchdown on just five carries. He also had a 3-yard reception.
Next up
UAB will have an open week before traveling to UConn for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff on Nov. 1. The Blazers lost their only previous game against the Huskies, suffering a 31-23 defeat in Birmingham last season. Memphis will host No. 19 South Florida next Saturday at 11 a.m.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
