UAB Football: 3 takeaways from C-USA title game vs. Middle Tennessee

UAB football avenged their Thanksgiving weekend loss against Middle Tennessee to claim the C-USA title. What did we learn from the Blazers victory in Murfreesboro?

A week after playing one another in Murfreesboro to close out the regular season, C-USA East champion Middle Tennessee and C-USA West winner UAB met on the same field for a second week in a row to play the Conference USA championship game on the first Saturday of December. The game proved a back-and-forth affair, with the Blazers putting up a far better fight than they did in the runaway 27-3 Blue Raiders win on Thanksgiving weekend.

After three straight unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter, UAB reversed a 10-point deficit after the first 15 minutes to head into the locker room up 24-16 at the intermission. Middle Tennessee engineered a second-half comeback bid, but they ultimately fell short at home in a 27-25 defeat to the Blazers. With the win, UAB earned their 10th win of the season and reached double digits in victories for the first time in school history.

Defense made a huge difference down the stretch, as Middle Tennessee forced three punts, a turnover on downs, and an interception by UAB quarterback Tyler Johnston III. But a late Nick Vogel field goal allowed the Blazers to reclaim a two-point lead that would hold to the final whistle.

Middle Tennessee had their chances to win the game, but a turnover on downs inside the final two minutes handed the ball back to UAB. Three stops and three timeouts preserved the clock, and the Blue Raiders were prepared to get the ball back with 1:05 remaining. Then Middle Tennessee received a team penalty for 12 men on the field, inexplicably allowing UAB to run out the clock for the win.

What did we learn from the closest finish in the history of the Conference USA championship game? Here are three things to take away from the narrow victory by UAB as they vanquished their previous loss in Murfreesboro against Middle Tennessee.