UAB running back Jordan Howard scores form 1 yard out in the Blazers' 34-22 loss at Middle Tennessee State Saturday Oct., 18, 2014. (Jimmy Mitchell/UAB Media Relations)
(Jimmy Mitchell)
MURFREESBORO, Tennessee - UAB had already proven it could do it.
Just two weeks ago, the Blazers, a team that won just two ball games in 2013, went on the road and came away with a hard-fought win in a hostile environment, downing Western Kentucky by three.
Saturday, they just fell a little short.
The Blazers trailed by six at the half before briefly taking the lead but couldn't prevail as they dropped to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in Conference USA .
UAB (4-3, 2-2) had its chances too.
They led by one with 1:31 to go in the third when quarterback Cody Clements found wide receiver Jamari Staples on a 43-yard touchdown pass. Ty Long's successful point after attempt gave the Blazers a narrow 22-21 lead.
But the thrill was short-lived for the green and gold.
MTSU (5-3, 4-1) running back Reggie Whatley bolted for a 67-yard touchdown run with 11:00 to play in the fourth and put the Blue Raiders ahead again. Tuscaloosa native MTSU quarterback Austin Grammer's 30-yard touchdown to Marcus Henry with 2:08 remaining was just glaze on the donut for the victors.
Play of the game
MTSU defensive back Kevin Byard skied to snatch a Clements pass intended for Staples out of the sky with 5:39 left. It was Byard's fifth pic of the season and the 14th of his career, moving him into second on the Blue Raiders all-time list. It also all but ended any chance the Blazers' had at mounting a final comeback.
By the numbers
4-Number of games UAB running back Jordan Howard has rushed for 100 or more yards this season. The sophomore out of Gardendale High School finished with 121 yards and a touchdown on a game-high 32 carries. He has 631 yards and six touchdowns on 119 carries this season.
8-That's the number of passing yards MTSU, the league's worst pass defense coming into the contest, gave up against UAB in the first quarter. The Blue Raiders limited the Blazers to 185 yards through the air and picked UAB twice.
90-That how many yards the Blazers gave up on 10 penalties.
Coachspeak
"I thought we played our butts off. I knew it was going to be like this. I thought it would come down to one play at the end of the game. I told the team all week it would and we just came out on the wrong end of it."
-UAB coach Bill Clark
They said it
"A couple times they may have done something that I hadn't seen but, for the most part, I thought we were prepared. All it came to down to was we just didn't execute, honestly."-UAB tight end Kennard Backman on MTSU's defense.
"Like coach Clark says, 'Twenty-four hours and we're onto the next game. So, going against Arkansas, we're looking to win. Try to pull an upset."
Gameballs
Whatley finished with exactly 100 yards for the second time in his last three outing. Aided by the 67-yard score, he did so against UAB on only seven carries.
You have to tip your hat to UAB kicker Ty Long. Had it not been for the senior from Roswell, Ga., nailing field goals of 42, 25 and 32 yards, the Blazers wouldn't have be in the game in the first half.
MTSU's Xavier Walker led all defenders with eight tackles, including seven solos.
What's next?
The Blazers travel to Fayetteville to face Arkansas live on the SEC Network at 11 a.m. next Saturday while the Blue Raiders finally have a week off after playing eight straight games. They host BYU Nov. 1.