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  • UAB Kicks Off 2024 With A 41-3 Season Opening Victory For The Blazers At Home

UAB Kicks Off 2024 With A 41-3 Season Opening Victory For The Blazers At Home

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Football

A stout defensive effort and a standout special teams performance lifted the UAB football team to a season-opening 41-3 victory over Alcorn State on Thursday night at Protective Stadium.

UAB (1-0) held Alcorn State (0-1) to just 177 yards of total offense, including just 60 through the air, while compiling 5.0 sacks, 8.0 TFL, one interception, five pass breakups and a forced fumble. Chris Bracy led the effort with a career high eight tackles.

Specials teams were also outstanding as the Blazers blocked a punt early in the first to set the tone, and ultimately saw UAB's first punt return for a touchdown since 2013 courtesy of Kam Shanks, a kicking performance which featured Jonah Delange making both of his field goals (41, 24) and all five of his PAT, Patrick Foley's one and only punt traveling 64 yards, and Noah Grant sending four of his eight kickoffs for touchbacks.

Offensively, UAB put up 517 yards, led by Jacob Zeno who was 22-of-33 for 215 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Shanks had 73 receiving yards on six catches and 98 punt return yards, while Lee Beebe Jr. rushed 15 times for 82 yards and two touchdowns.

The running back unit was as good as advertised with 53 carries for 302 yards collectively.

The Blazers took the opening kickoff and marched right down the field which was capped by a 2-yard rush from Beebe Jr. for an early 7-0 lead. UAB's special teams' unit had the next big play as Sirad Bryant blocked Alcorn's punt to set up the Blazers at the 6-yard line.

It took UAB three plays to find the end zone as Brandon Hawkins Jr. hauled in his first career reception and his first career touchdown for a 14-0 lead.

Despite three UAB turnovers in the first half, the Blazers led 28-3 at halftime behind a ferocious defensive effort. UAB held Alcorn to just 86 yards of total offense (and only 10 passing yards).

The only scoring in the third quarter was a 41-yard field goal from Delange, and he followed that up with a 24-yarder in the fourth. Shanks then capped the scoring with a 57-yard punt return touchdown for the final tally of 41-3.

UAB now travels to ULM next week for a matchup between a pair of 1-0 teams following the Warhawks' 30-14 victory over Jackson State this evening. Kickoff in Monroe is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+.