Story by Calvin White/ Sports Editor
Birmingham, AL- UAB (3-2, 1-1 Conference USA) put their foot on the gas and never let up as the Blazers cruised to a 41-14 victory over MTSU (3-3, 0-2 Conference USA) at Protective Stadium in Birmingham.
The Blazers hit MTSU in the mouth early with their physical rushing attack led by running back Dewayne McBride who leads the nation in rushing yards per game with 173.7, and career yards per carry with 7.2.
McBride and running back Jermaine Brown each found the endzone in just over six minutes of game time for an early 14-0 advantage for UAB.
The Blue Raiders responded with a nine yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chase Cunningham to wide receiver Jaylin Lane to cut the deficit to 14-7 midway through the first quarter of action.
UAB’s offense was both electric and efficient in the first half, racking up 174 yards on the ground and 265 yards through the air. When the scoreboard hit triple zeros, those stats stood at 303 rushing yards and 278 passing yards.
“We got exposed on the back end,” said MTSU head coach Rick Stockstill. “We didn’t stop them. They scored every possession in the first half. They made some explosive plays and offensively we could never sustain anything.”
McBride tacked on two more touchdowns to finish his day with 120 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 12 attempts.
“We knew he was one of the leading rushers in the country,” said MTSU defensive lineman Jordan Ferguson. “We had a gameplan to contain him and we didn’t execute it. He’s a good back. He’s strong, fast, and can make cuts and we didn’t wrap up and tackle him today.”
The Blue Raiders return home next Saturday Oct. 16 to take on rival Western Kentucky on homecoming weekend at Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+ and the Blue Raider Radio Network.
