The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Ole Miss
Blazers Fall to Rebels
10/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
OXFORD, Miss. ------ Quarterback Joe Webb rushed for 121 yards and threw for 89, but it was not enough as UAB dropped a 48-13 decision at Ole Miss on Saturday night. The Rebels were led by quarterback Jevan Snead, who threw for 240 yards and three touchdowns in the winning effort.
Ole Miss freshman Jesse Grandy returned the opening kickoff 88 yards for a score, but it was the Blazers that controlled most of the opening quarter. UAB (2-4, 2-1 Conference USA) outgained the Rebels in yards, 138-45, and had the ball over nine minutes in the first period.
"Other than the kicking game, I thought we started off pretty good in the game as a team," said UAB head coach Neil Callaway. "Obviously, the opening kickoff wasn't very good. But you have to play for 60 minutes and they obviously took it to us for most of the game after the first quarter."
Despite their success moving the ball against the staunch Ole Miss defense, the Blazers couldn't convert their scoring opportunities. One drive was halted by an interception in the endzone after UAB drove 54 yards to the Rebels' 10. Another ended with a missed 40-yard field goal attempt by Josh Zahn following a 51-yard drive to the Ole Miss 23.
Webb, who went over the 2,000-yard rushing mark for his career in the game, had 97 yards rushing himself after 15 minutes of play.
After gaining just 45 yards in the first quarter, Ole Miss then scored on its next six possessions.
One week after throwing four interceptions against Alabama, Snead was 15-for-22 with no interceptions for the Rebels (4-2).
Freshman Rodney Scott rushed for two touchdowns for Mississippi and was one of four players to score their first career touchdowns in the win.
Ole Miss junior Lionel Breaux and sophomore Andrew Harris each caught touchdown passes.
After the Rebels had built a 41-0 lead through three quarters, UAB got on the board early in the fourth as Webb culminated a 79-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run, his 19th career rushing score.
The Blazers' Zahn added a pair of field goals in the final period, those coming from 43 and 34 yards. The freshman from Gilbert, Ariz. is now 10-of-12 on his field goal attempts this season.
Ole Miss finished with 501 yards in the game, 338 of those coming through the air. The Blazers finished with 351 total yards, including 230 on the ground just above its average that ranks among the top 10 nationally.
UAB returns to Conference USA action next weekend when the Blazers travel to Huntington, W.Va. to take on the Marshall Thundering Herd. Gametime is set for 12:00 p.m. ET as the contest will be televised regionally by CSS.
