Full Game Book

SHREVEPORT, Louisiana - UAB (9-4) knocked off No. 13 BYU (10-3) 31-28 on Saturday in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on a rainy afternoon in Shreveport. The Blazers were led by a tremendous performance by RB DeWayne McBride, who carried a career-high 28 times for 183 yards and a touchdown.

UAB jumped out to a 14-0 lead after one, thanks in part to a highlight-worthy 64-yard touchdown scamper by McBride. The Cougars roared back, tying things at 14 before a Gerrit Prince 23-yard scoring grab put the Blazers on top 21-14 at the break. Prince finished with four catches for 43 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

UAB QB Dylan Hopkins was incredibly efficient for the Blazers, completing 19-23 passes for 189 yards with three touchdowns and an interception that came off a drop. 

BYU took its first lead at the onset of the fourth quarter, as RB Tyson Allgeier punched in his third touchdown of the day, this time from one-yard out. Allgeier finished with 192 yards rushing on 27 carries with the three scores, in a losing effort. UAB then went to work on a masterful 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that ate 8:16 off the clock to strike the final blow. It came in the form of a fourth-and-seven touchdown toss from Hopkins to WR Trea Shropshire from 14-yards out.

The Cougars were marching down for a potential game-tying field goal try, or potential go-ahead touchdown, but the Blazers forced the Cougars' lone turnover of the game, as DB Mac McWilliams recovered a fumble at the UAB 28-yard line. The Blazers were able to run out the clock with their effective running game, as McBride and fellow RB Jermaine Brown, Jr., picked up a series of first downs to lead Bill Clark's team to its ninth win of the season and the program's second-ever bowl win.

Defensively, UAB was led by DL Antonio Moultrie, who recorded a team-high nine tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss.