DALLAS (FWAA) – The UAB Blazers stood firm at their goal line in the final minute Saturday, holding off No. 22 Memphis four times from its one-yard line to win its “Battle for the Bones” game, 31-24. For taking its first victory over a ranked team since 2021 and snapping Memphis’ FBS-long 10-game win streak, UAB earned the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week for games the weekend of Oct. 18, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.
This is the second time for UAB (3-4, 1-3 in the American) to receive the award by the FWAA and the first time since 2014, when it closed out the regular season winning at Southern Miss, 45-26.
UAB was clinging to its 31-24 lead when Memphis looked to have a breakaway run for what would be the tying score with a minute left. But Blazers cornerback Tariq Watson made the play of the game when he caught Memphis running back Greg Desrosiers Jr. at the 1-yard line on a play confirmed by review that Desrosiers' knee touched the ground just before his momentum took him into the end zone. UAB’s defense sealed the win from there, forcing four straight incomplete passes, helped by two Memphis false start penalties.
It was the first career win for interim head coach Alex Mortensen, the Blazers’ offensive coordinator since 2023, following the departure of former head coach Trent Dilfer earlier in the week. Mortensen engineered a command performance behind a quarterback, Ryder Burton, starting his first game. UAB controlled the ball with a time of possession advantage of 35:05-24:55 while outgaining Memphis, 470-362. Memphis only had seven possessions in the game.
Burton finished 20-of-27 for 251 yards and three touchdowns, the most passing yards by a UAB quarterback in his first career start since 2020, and wide receiver Iverson Hooks had a career performance catching 11 passes for 172 yards and all three of Burton’s touchdown tosses. Solomon Beebe scored on an 81-yard run, the longest rushing touchdown in school history.
The defense contained the nation's 26th-ranked offense to just 362 yards, well below its average of 449, and far below its scoring average of 40.5 points per game. It was the Blazers’ first win over a nationally-ranked opponent since 2021 when they toppled No. 13 BYU, 31-28, and only the program’s fifth all-time win over a ranked opponent. Memphis had been tied with Ohio State the FBS’ longest current win streak at 10 games.
The win also ended Memphis’ three-game win streak in the series and claimed UAB’s first home win in the series since 2010.
UAB is idle this Saturday. Its next game is Sat., Nov. 1, traveling to UConn for a noon ET kickoff on the CBS Sports Network.
Since 2002, the FWAA has named a National Team of the Week. Coming into the 2025 season, 284 teams have been honored, including 101 different Division I programs. Each honored team will receive a custom Pop-Tarts "care package" along with a hand-crafted game ball made in America by Dallas-based Big Game USA, the nation's leading manufacturer of custom footballs.
The other National Team of the Week nominee for the weekend of Oct. 18 was:
- Louisville (5-1): The Cardinals stole four interceptions from Miami, including one in the final minute, to upset the No. 2 Hurricanes 24-21 on the road and earn their first victory over an AP Top-2 team since 2016. Quarterback Miller Moss finished the game 23-for-37 for 248 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another. Isaac Brown rushed 15 times for 113 and Chris Bell caught nine passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns.
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Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,100 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.