I was reminded of UAB's record-setting home crowd while looking up something in the program's 2022 media guide and that event seemed like something worth recording here.
The al.com article below is by Drew Champlin. I normally post only about half of the content and link to the original material but Drew's work here is of such quality that I couldn't find anything to trim. It all seemed noteworthy and relevant, so it's all there. All photography is credited individually (but it's all Mark Almond's anyway).
For the first half of UAB's 38-7 win over Alabama A&M, the Blazers looked like a brand new team that had not played anyone else in more than 1,000 days.
But UAB celebrated its return to game action and school attendance record crowd of 45,212 thanks to a stout defense and two game-changing third-quarter plays.
Quarterback A.J. Erdely finished 11-of-20 for 152 yards and two scores - 26 yards to Sederian Copeland and 15 to Andre Wilson.
This was UAB's first game since a 45-24 win at Southern Miss on Nov. 29, 2014. Three days later, president Ray Watts killed the program before bringing it back the following June.
Many millions of dollars raised later, UAB football was back.
UAB's offense struggled for most of the day. The offensive line couldn't protect A.J. Erdely and A&M's pressure forced him out of the pocket for most of the game. Midway through the third, a holding penalty on Rishard Cook forced a 1st and 20 from the 26. UAB held on to a 10-7 lead, which it took into halftime.
There, Erdely rolled to his right and found Sederian Copeland, a former quarterback in junior college. He made his first career catch a memorable one, fighting through holding and turning completely around in the end zone to make the catch.
It gave UAB a 17-7 lead with 6:30 left in the third.
At 6-foot-5 and 340 pounds, Anthony Rush is one of UAB's biggest players.
But he looked mighty nimble when, on Alabama A&M's next possession following the Copeland score, the defensive tackle tipped Aqueel Glass' pass up in the air to himself and intercepted it. He rumbled like a running back into the end zone from 27 yards out and scored.
It came just 37 seconds after the offensive score.
That put UAB up 24-7 and, with the way UAB's defense played, essentially iced it with six minutes left in the third quarter.
Alabama A&M's only touchdown came on a 46-yard reception by Roderick Randolph late in the second quarter. UAB blitzed. No one picked up Randolph and he broke a tackle in the secondary.
It was all UAB after that, as the Blazers didn't give up another score. The Blazers gave up just 183 total yards.
Tevin Crews, who started his college career in 2011 and stuck with the program, led the way with seven tackles, three for loss. It was a career game for the seventh-year senior.
UAB responded with a 46-yard field goal from Nick Vogel to take a 10-7 lead into halftime. Vogel and punter Joel Dixon also had nice games.
For Saturday's game, there was a surprise rushing leader. Redshirt freshman walk-on Carlos Stephens led with 15 carries for 74 yards. He wasn't on the three-deep given to the media on Monday, but the former Thompson High standout has played well in scrimmages.
Starter James Noble III wasn't far behind him, rushing 13 times for 74 yards.
Donnie Lee, listed as a potential starter on Monday, did not play until the game was out of hand in the fourth quarter. He was the fifth Blazer running back to get a carry after Spencer Brown and Lucious Stanley.
Brown scored UAB's final touchdown on a 5-yard score late. He rushed for 42 yards on seven carries.
UAB's ground game put up 259 yards.
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