UAB Sets School Record With 28-7 Win Over Charlotte

Saturday, September 29

Birmingham, Ala.

6 p.m.

UAB

Charlotte

UAB Sets School Record With 28-7 Win Over Charlotte

9/29/2018 10:20:00 PM | Football

Box Score Box Score (PDF)2018 Season Statistics UAB Postgame Notes vs. Charlotte UAB Postgame Quotes vs. Charlotte

BIRMINGHAM – History was made at Legion Field on Saturday night as a dominant first half from both the UAB offense and defense saw the Blazers win their program-best ninth-straight home game with a 28-7 victory over the Charlotte 49ers.

The win snapped the previous home-winning streak of eight games, set over the 1995 and 1996 seasons. The Blazers are now 9-0 at Legion Field since returning to action in 2017.

UAB (3-1, 1-0 C-USA) tallied 284 of its 330 total offensive yards in the first half, while scoring three times to put the game away early. Quarterback A.J. Erdely paced the Blazers offensively, going 13-of-16 through the air for 214 yards and one score and adding 21 yards rushing on 10 carries and a rushing touchdown.

Sophomore running back Spencer Brown continued to be a work horse for the Blazers' attack, rushing for 68 yards on 18 carries and scoring two times, his first multi-score game of the season and the third of his career. As a team, the Blazers had 116 yards on the ground.

Five different Blazers hauled in at least two catches, paced by Collin Lisa who brought in three passes for 56 yards. Senior Andre Wilson score on UAB's opening possession with a 35-yard touchdown reception and finished with two catches for 67 yards.

Defensively, UAB played lights out, holding Charlotte to 55 yards of total offense in the first half and forcing two turnovers in the game. The Blazers also notched seven tackles for loss in the game, including five sacks.

Chris Woolbright was nearly unstoppable on Saturday, recording a career-high eight tackles, two for a loss and a sack, while Broderick Thomas and D.A. Williams recorded five tackles and four tackles, respectively.

Cornerback Brontae Harris captured his second interception of the season in the first half to go along with four tackles and a TFL. Will Dawkins forced the only other turnover of the contest with a game-clinching fumble late in the fourth quarter, which he also recovered.

UAB went to work in a hurry on its opening drive, stringing together three plays of 10+ yards to get into Charlotte territory. Facing a long third down play on the Charlotte 35, Erdely hit a streaking Wilson, who tip-toed down the sideline and made a nifty spin move across the goal line for a 35-yard touchdown to put the Blazers up 7-0 less than four minutes into the game.

After Brontae Harris' second pick of the season stalled Charlotte's opening drive, UAB put together six positive offensive plays on their ensuing possession before Erdely connected with Xavier Ubosi for 37 yards on another big third down to set up the Blazers with first and-goal on the 49er two-yard line. Brown finished the job a play later, crashing through the line to cap off the 8-play, 73-yard drive and give UAB a 14-0 with 3:41 to play in the opening period.

The Blazers slowed the game down midway through the second quarter, putting together a methodical 11-play, 75-yard drive over 5:45 and capped it with a four-yard rushing touchdown by Erdely to put UAB up 21-0.

Both offenses went quiet until late in the fourth quarter, when Charlotte opened its drive with a 48-yard pass from Chris Reynolds to Rico Arnold to put the 49ers in scoring position. It took three plays, but the visitors scored their first points of the game when Reynolds found the end zone from four yards out to pull the 49ers within two scores at 21-7 with 5:51 to play.

Erdely got the Green and Gold's next drive off to a hot start, hitting Lisa for 22 yards to get into Charlotte territory. From there, the Blazers milked valuable seconds off the clock by running seven plays for 31 yards before Brown punched it in from two yards out for his second score of the game to put UAB ahead, 28-7, with 3:30 remaining in the game.

Charlotte (2-3, 1-1 C-USA) was able to move the ball late in the game, but a fumble that was forced and recovered by Dawkins with 55 seconds on the clock sealed the 28-7 victory for the Blazers.

UAB returns to the gridiron on October 6 when it opens a two-game road swing against Louisiana Tech. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. on Stadium/Facebook.