The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
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UCF
UCF Holds Off UAB, 34-27
11/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 28, 2009
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - In his final collegiate game, UAB quarterback Joe Webb did what he's done for most of the season, especially in recent weeks. He ran and passed the Blazers up and down the field.
But unfortunately for Webb and his UAB teammates, the Blazers again weren't able to take advantage of their potent offense as they fell to visiting UCF, 34-27, in Conference USA action at Legion Field.
The Blazers (5-7, 4-4 C-USA) had entered the game clinging to hopes of landing in a bowl, but the loss eliminated them from consideration.
For the second straight week, UAB tallied more than 500 offensive yards against one of the league's top defenses. Last week, it was East Carolina that yielded 520 yards to the Blazers but won 37-21. This time, UCF (8-4, 6-2 C-USA) allowed 527 to the Webb-led UAB offense, including 205 on the ground. The Knights came into the game ranked No. 3 in the country in rush defense at 71 yards per game.
"It's frustrating, and it's part of the growing pains we're going through," said UAB head coach Neil Callaway. "We've made improvement, I believe that. I think we're a better football team. We still have some issues, particularly defensively. I think if you'll look at the whole body of work of our football team, they play hard and they are doing things right. We have some mistakes we have to get corrected, we have to get better in some areas, but I think we've made a lot of progress."
Webb finished with yet another eye-popping game, passing for 322 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 137 yards and a score. In the final four games of the season, Webb led a Blazer offense that averaged 526 yards per contest.
The senior from Birmingham finished the season with 1,427 yards, threatening the NCAA single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback. Webb began the day No. 12 on the all-time single-season list. After running for 137 Saturday, he stands third all-time behind Beau Morgan of Air Force (1,494 in 1996) and Stacey Robinson of Northern Illinois (1,443 in 1989).
He had 114 yards at halftime against the Knights on only seven carries.
"I've only been here three years, and I know we've got some guys who were early picks in the NFL with Roddy White and Bryan Thomas, and I know Darrell Hackney had a great career here," Callaway said. "And I'm sure there were others, but I wouldn't dare say anyone has had a better career than Joe Webb. He certainly has to be up there with all those names."
UCF took a 24-14 lead into the locker room at halftime as QB Brett Hodges threw for 188 yards and a pair of touchdowns before intermission. Running back Brynn Harvey, who finished with 130 yards, had 82 of those before halftime.
The Knights added to their lead with a Harvey 25-yard TD run in the third quarter that stretched the lead to 34-14.
But as they have done numerous times throughout the season, the Blazers rallied. Less than a minute into the final quarter, Webb connected with tight end Jeffery Anderson on a 34-yard TD pass. UCF's Nick Cattoi kicked a 36-yard field goal two minutes later to give the Knights a 34-21 lead.
The Blazers added one more score at the 2:49 mark as Webb found Frantrell Forrest on a 5-yard touchdown pass, the ninth TD reception of the season for Forrest.
UAB got one more chance, taking over at the 1:06 mark at its own 11-yard line. Webb led the Blazers to the UCF 39 before the drive stalled. His pass to Forrest on a 4th-and-9 inside the :15 mark fell incomplete to end UAB's threat.
"We play on a 100-yard field, but this is a game of inches," said Webb, who finished his UAB career with 5,771 passing yards and 2,774 rushing yards (No. 17 all-time for an NCAA quarterback). "You try to fight and scrap for every inch that you can get. A lot of people think that they don't matter, but they do matter. Those who play the ballgame know that they can change a lot of things. But that's football, you have to live and die with it."
Webb finished his Blazer career with several school records, among those: career rushing yards, single-season rushing yards, single-season rushing TDs, career pass completion percentage.
Center Jake Seitz made his 48th consecutive start Saturday, also a school record.
Hodges went 24-for-38 for 230 yards for UCF, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to Kamir Aiken and a 5-yarder to Billy Giovanetti.
