The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
East Carolina
Blazers Fall To Pirates, 37-21
11/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 21, 2009
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GREENVILLE, N.C. ----- Heading into Saturday's Conference USA game at East Carolina, one of UAB's biggest concerns was with the Pirates' stingy defense.
As it turned out, the Blazers moved the ball up and down the field on ECU throughout most of the game, accounting for 520 yards of offense. The biggest problem for UAB was its special teams play that yielded a kickoff return for a touchdown, gave up a fake punt for a first down and missed a pair of two field goals in the game.
If ever there was a game where statistics weren't refleced in the outcome, Saturday was it as East Carolina was in control on the scoreboard for virtually the entire game en route to a 37-21 victory.
The Blazers got another outstanding game from senior quarterback Joe Webb who rushed for 132 yards -- his seventh 100-yard rushing game of the season -- and passed for 247 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
"Joe Webb is an incredible competitor," ECU head coach Skip Holtz said after the game. "UAB is a very talented football team. I thought they did a nice job with their game plan.
UAB (5-6, 4-3 C-USA) had numerous trips into ECU territory and the redzone. The Blazers just didn't capitalize when they did.
"It's disappointing and we're disappointed," said UAB head coach Neil Callaway, "but at the same time, we don't have anybody to blame but ourselves."
For ECU, the offensive star was Dwayne Harris who caught eight passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns, including a kickoff return for a score.
Harris, who finished with 254 all-purpose yards, caught touchdowns passes of 23 and 39 yards from Patrick Pinkney. He also scored on a 99-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter.
The Pirates (7-4, 6-1 Conference USA) can clinch the conference East Division title with a win next weekend over Southern Mississippi.
Pinkney, who went 20-for-25, passed for 250 yards and three touchdowns for East Carolina. Darryl Freeney had seven catches for 118 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown catch late in the third.
Webb was 19-for-27 and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, those going for 16 yards to Rashaud Slaughter and nine yards to Frantrell Forrest.
UAB entered the game with three consecutive wins and a win over the Pirates would have given the Blazers a share of the league's East Division lead.
With Saturday's setback, UAB will now set its sights on next Saturday's regular season finale against UCF (12:30 p.m. CT at Legion Field). A win over the Knights would even the UAB record at 6-6 and make the Blazers bowl eligible.
