In a wild Week 8 of college football with multiple upsets, none may have been bigger than the UAB Blazers’ shocking 31-24 victory over No. 22 Memphis. As a 23.5-point underdog, the Blazers pulled off the massive win in their first game since firing head coach Trent Dilfer and without starting quarterback Jalen Kitna.
Interim head coach Alex Mortensen, who was formerly the offensive coordinator, led the Blazers to their fifth win ever over a ranked team in his first game as a head coach. Before Saturday, UAB’s season had been disappointing to say the least, defined by a solid offense but a terrible defense that had been giving up an average of 41.3 points and 444 yards per game.
The defense stepped up though against a high-powered Memphis offense, and made plays when it mattered most with a fourth-quarter interception and a defensive stand in the final seconds to secure the win.
UAB’s offense remained steady with Mortensen calling the plays and new starting quarterback Ryder Burton making his first career start. Burton completed 20 of 27 passes for 251 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. The Blazers leading receiver on the season, Iverson Hook, had a day hauling in 11 of those passes for 172 yards and catching all three touchdowns.
On the other end, this was a crushing loss for Memphis, a team that looked like the favorite to represent the Group of Five in the College Football Playoff. While UAB was starting a new quarterback, Memphis faced its own quarterback issues as Brendon Lewis exited in the second half with a leg injury and did not return.
Even when Lewis was in the game, the Tigers’ offense struggled to find any consistent rhythm against what had been one of the worst defenses in the country. Memphis’ defense also disappointed as they could not get off the field, allowing UAB to go on multiple drives of 10 plays or more and forcing just one punt. What made the loss even more painful was the way it ended.
In the midst of what looked like an incredible 14-point fourth-quarter comeback, Memphis running back Greg Desrosiers Jr. broke free for a 40+ yard run that was initially ruled a touchdown, which would have tied the game with the extra point. However, after review, the runner was ruled down at the one-yard line with under a minute remaining. On first and goal from the one, Memphis was flagged for a false start. They then completed a pass to get back to the one, but another false start on second down pushed them back again. With three incomplete passes, and another penalty with a delay of game on fourth and goal the game was over and UAB pulled off the second-largest upset of the season in terms of betting odds.
While any loss is tough, this one particularly hits hard for Memphis. The Tigers were set to face USF this upcoming week in what could have been a monumental top-25 matchup with College Football Playoff implications. In addition, had the Tigers taken care of business against UAB, there was a strong chance that ESPN’s College Gameday would have made the trip to Memphis.
The Tigers season is certainly not over and they have a great opportunity to bounce back this week against USF, but Saturday’s upset loss is a great reminder of just how wild and special college football is.