UAB had the perfect opportunity to showcase its progress on a national stage.
Birmingham, AL hosted a live SportsCenter taping Thursday as the Blazers welcomed East Carolina for a nationally televised matchup on ESPN. UAB entered the contest off to its best start since joining the American Conference in 2023, looking to prove its early-season success was sustainable.
But with fewer than 100 seconds remaining, UAB hadn’t even scored a touchdown. It was backed up against its own 4-yard line, facing a 2nd-and-13. Thanks to a resilient and vastly improved defense, the Blazers were down 17-9 but not out.
Quarterback Ryder Burton guided the Blazers down the field one pass at a time. He connected on three consecutive throws that spanned 47 yards to position his team at midfield. After back-to-back misfires, Burton got right back to work, delivering three-straight completions to advance the Blazers to the end zone. The final strike went to running back Bam McReynolds, who raced down the sideline for a 17-yard touchdown with 42 seconds remaining. Even after the triumphant drive, UAB was still down 17-15.
Burton then took matters into his own hands on the two-point conversion, dropping back to pass before finding daylight up the middle. His successful run knotted the game at 17, sending the contest to overtime. From there, it was all UAB. Facing a 3rd-and-goal blitz, Burton beat the pressure with a screen to running back Rod Robinson II, who waltzed into the end zone, giving the Blazers their first lead at 24-17.
The defense — the engine behind UAB’s improvement — delivered the finishing blow. On East Carolina’s third snap of overtime, cornerback Delvon Gulley sat in front of the intended receiver’s route, picked off Emory Williams, and decided to go the distance. Thanks to the 80-yard pick-six, the Blazers claimed a rare double-digit overtime victory at 30-17. It marked the first 13-point overtime win since Kansas defeated West Virginia 55-42 on Sept. 10, 2022.
UAB erased an early 14-0 deficit and concluded the game on a 30-3 run. Kicker Jonah Delange was essential to keeping the Blazers within striking distance. The former American Conference Special Teams Player of the Year drained three field goal attempts across the second and third quarters — from 41, 26, and 50 yards out — trimming the Blazers’ deficit into a manageable 14-9 before East Carolina sunk a fourth quarter field goal.
While Delange was working the scoreboard, UAB’s defense held firm. The Blazers forced three consecutive three-and-outs in the second quarter and another in the third quarter. Their passing defense, ranked No. 2 nationally in fewest yards allowed per game, surrendered just 126 yards to East Carolina through the air. UAB also delivered a physical performance against the run, displaying its tackling ability throughout the night. Inside linebacker Muaaz Byard registered 15 stops, while strong safety Jo’Tavion Pierce added 16 and a forced fumble in the defensive-driven victory.
UAB’s offense may not have entered the end zone until the final minute, but the unit never coughed up the ball in the Thursday night showdown. The Blazers won the turnover battle 2-0 while Burton finished with 262 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns without an interception. Wide receiver CJ Smith served as his top target, hauling in eight receptions for a career-high 119 yards.
UAB (4-3, 2-1 American) ended an East Carolina (3-3, 1-1 American) three-game win streak and handed the Pirates just their fourth conference loss in 15 games under head coach Blake Harrell. The Blazers claimed their first win over ECU since 2006, ending a seven-game drought in the series. With four wins already in the books, UAB has matched its highest win total since joining the American in 2023. Five games remain for UAB to surpass that mark, starting with a Halloween matchup at South Florida.