The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Southern Miss
UAB Edges Southern Miss In Double Overtime Shootout, 50-49
10/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 30, 2010
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HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) -- Bryan Ellis threw for three scores and ran for another as UAB outlasted Southern Mississippi 50-49 in double overtime Saturday.
Golden Eagles running back Desmond Johnson scored from 2 yards out on the first possession of the second overtime, but UAB's Pat Shed answered with a 13-yard TD run. Ellis converted the two-point try with a pass to tight end Jeffery Anderson to seal the win for the Blazers (3-5, 2-2 Conference USA).
"We practice that play every day," Ellis said. "I told (Anderson) right before the play that I'm putting this ball in your heart whether you are open or not. I said I am throwing it to you, you're getting the ball. He made the play."
Ellis connected with receiver Mike Jones for the duo's third touchdown of the game on the opening drive of overtime. Southern Miss (5-3, 2-2) responded with a fourth-and-goal touchdown pass from Austin Davis to Quentin Pierce to extend the game for the second time.
Jones, who leads UAB with six touchdown grabs this season, became the first UAB player to catch three TDs in a game since Reggie Lindsey at UTEP on Nov. 19, 2005.
Shed did most of the damage on the ground for UAB, running for a career-high 176 yards on 29 carries. The junior college transfer, who topped 100 yards rushing for the first time in his UAB career, ran for two scores on the day.
Fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns by Shed and Ellis gave the Blazers a 35-21 lead, but Southern Miss tied the game on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Davis to Kelvin Bolden with 28 seconds left in regulation.
"I'm just proud of the way our kids kept coming back," UAB head coach Neil Callaway said. "We had the lead, then kept losing the lead. Southern Miss is a heck of a football team. We knew it was going to go to the wire."
The UAB defense forced a season-high four turnovers in the game. Linebacker Marvin Burdette led the team with 13 tackles, including two for loss, to go along with a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Saturday's win marked the fourth game of the season for UAB that has been decided on the final play. With the victory, UAB recorded its second straight win over Southern Miss and its first against the Golden Eagles in Hattiesburg.
The Blazers now return to Birmingham for three straight games starting Saturday, Nov. 6 against Marshall.
