The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Thursday, September 3
Urbana-Champaign, IL
8 p.m.
UAB
0-1 , 0-0
23
at
42
Illinois
1-0 , 0-0
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAB | 3 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
| Illinois | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 42 |
Blazers Battle in Season-Opening Loss at Illinois
9/4/2026 12:10:00 AM | Football
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – UAB opened the 2026 season with a 42-23 loss to Illinois in front of 52,673 fans at Gies Memorial Stadium on Thursday night.
The Blazers opened the game with a methodical first possession, taking nearly six minutes off the clock. Rod Robinson II carried three times for 25 yards on the drive before a penalty stalled UAB and forced the Blazers to punt.
Illinois flipped the field on the ensuing punt as Mac Resetich returned Badger Hargett's kick 65 yards to the UAB 30-yard line. The Illini needed just three plays to capitalize, with Katin Houser finding Collin Dixon for an 18-yard touchdown pass to give Illinois a 7-0 lead.
UAB answered with another lengthy possession, taking more than five minutes off the clock on a 12-play drive highlighted by a 42-yard connection from Ryder Burton to CJ Smith. Jonah Delange capped the drive with a 26-yard field goal for the Blazers' first points of the season.
Illinois responded quickly, needing just three plays to reach the end zone for the second time as Ca'Lil Valentine broke free for a 51-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 14-3.
UAB's defense forced its first three-and-out early in the second quarter, leading to another Delange field goal that cut the deficit to 14-6.
The Blazers came up with another stop on Illinois' next possession, turning the Illini away on fourth down near midfield. UAB capitalized with a 10-play scoring drive, capped by Burton finding Robinson over the middle for a 10-yard touchdown. Delange's extra point pulled the Blazers within 14-13.
Illinois provided the final points of the half on the final play of the second quarter when Houser connected with Ty Robinson on a 54-yard Hail Mary touchdown, sending the Illini into halftime with a 21-13 lead.
Illinois extended its lead on the opening possession of the second half, marching 75 yards in 11 plays and taking 4:45 off the clock. Houser capped the drive with his third touchdown pass of the night, connecting with Dixon to give the Illini a 28-13 advantage.
UAB responded with an 11-play, 58-yard scoring drive of its own. Delange finished the possession with his third field goal of the night, connecting from 35 yards to cut the deficit to 28-16.
The Illini pulled away with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. Houser scored on a 6-yard run before Ismael Kante returned an interception 59 yards for a touchdown to extend the Illinois lead to 42-16.
UAB continued to battle and closed the scoring with Burton finding the end zone on a 5-yard touchdown run to make the final score 42-23.
The Blazers finished with 413 yards of total offense, including 194 rushing yards. Robinson led UAB on the ground with 59 yards on 14 carries, while Bam McReynolds added 56 yards on 13 attempts.
Head coach Alex Mortensen praised the Blazers' response and effort following the game.
"I really liked the way we responded," Mortensen said. "We talk about having a no-scoreboard mentality. Each play has a history and a life of its own. Play with relentless effort. It doesn't matter what the scoreboard says. I thought our guys did that. But again, we didn't come here for a moral victory or to feel like, 'Hey, we kept it close for a little while.' We wanted to compete and try to win this game."
UAB returns to Birmingham for its 2026 home opener against ULM on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Protective Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
###
2026 UAB FOOTBALL TICKETS ON SALE NOW: Fans can secure their seats for the 2026 UAB football season now with season tickets, single-game tickets, group ticket packages, and premium fan experiences all available for purchase. Season ticket packages include all six home games at Protective Stadium and provide the best overall value, while group outings and premium experiences offer unforgettable ways to enjoy Blazer football. Fans can explore all ticket options and premium offerings by clicking here, request additional season ticket information, and learn more on group and premium fan experiences available. For questions or further assistance , contact the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1.
SPORT GIFT ACCOUNTS: As UAB student-athletes begin a new year of competition, support through sport-specific gift accounts continues to play a vital role in the department's mission to Win Championships, Graduate with Honors and Make a Difference. Contributions provide essential resources in key areas such as recruiting, nutrition, student-athlete development and technology, helping equip Blazer teams for success in the American Conference. To learn more about supporting your favorite program, click here or contact Blazer Boosters to help fuel the continued success of UAB Athletics.
FOLLOW UAB FOOTBALL: Follow us at @UAB_FB on Instagram and X.
The Blazers opened the game with a methodical first possession, taking nearly six minutes off the clock. Rod Robinson II carried three times for 25 yards on the drive before a penalty stalled UAB and forced the Blazers to punt.
Illinois flipped the field on the ensuing punt as Mac Resetich returned Badger Hargett's kick 65 yards to the UAB 30-yard line. The Illini needed just three plays to capitalize, with Katin Houser finding Collin Dixon for an 18-yard touchdown pass to give Illinois a 7-0 lead.
UAB answered with another lengthy possession, taking more than five minutes off the clock on a 12-play drive highlighted by a 42-yard connection from Ryder Burton to CJ Smith. Jonah Delange capped the drive with a 26-yard field goal for the Blazers' first points of the season.
Illinois responded quickly, needing just three plays to reach the end zone for the second time as Ca'Lil Valentine broke free for a 51-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 14-3.
UAB's defense forced its first three-and-out early in the second quarter, leading to another Delange field goal that cut the deficit to 14-6.
The Blazers came up with another stop on Illinois' next possession, turning the Illini away on fourth down near midfield. UAB capitalized with a 10-play scoring drive, capped by Burton finding Robinson over the middle for a 10-yard touchdown. Delange's extra point pulled the Blazers within 14-13.
Illinois provided the final points of the half on the final play of the second quarter when Houser connected with Ty Robinson on a 54-yard Hail Mary touchdown, sending the Illini into halftime with a 21-13 lead.
Illinois extended its lead on the opening possession of the second half, marching 75 yards in 11 plays and taking 4:45 off the clock. Houser capped the drive with his third touchdown pass of the night, connecting with Dixon to give the Illini a 28-13 advantage.
UAB responded with an 11-play, 58-yard scoring drive of its own. Delange finished the possession with his third field goal of the night, connecting from 35 yards to cut the deficit to 28-16.
The Illini pulled away with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. Houser scored on a 6-yard run before Ismael Kante returned an interception 59 yards for a touchdown to extend the Illinois lead to 42-16.
UAB continued to battle and closed the scoring with Burton finding the end zone on a 5-yard touchdown run to make the final score 42-23.
The Blazers finished with 413 yards of total offense, including 194 rushing yards. Robinson led UAB on the ground with 59 yards on 14 carries, while Bam McReynolds added 56 yards on 13 attempts.
Head coach Alex Mortensen praised the Blazers' response and effort following the game.
"I really liked the way we responded," Mortensen said. "We talk about having a no-scoreboard mentality. Each play has a history and a life of its own. Play with relentless effort. It doesn't matter what the scoreboard says. I thought our guys did that. But again, we didn't come here for a moral victory or to feel like, 'Hey, we kept it close for a little while.' We wanted to compete and try to win this game."
UAB returns to Birmingham for its 2026 home opener against ULM on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Protective Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
###
2026 UAB FOOTBALL TICKETS ON SALE NOW: Fans can secure their seats for the 2026 UAB football season now with season tickets, single-game tickets, group ticket packages, and premium fan experiences all available for purchase. Season ticket packages include all six home games at Protective Stadium and provide the best overall value, while group outings and premium experiences offer unforgettable ways to enjoy Blazer football. Fans can explore all ticket options and premium offerings by clicking here, request additional season ticket information, and learn more on group and premium fan experiences available. For questions or further assistance , contact the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1.
SPORT GIFT ACCOUNTS: As UAB student-athletes begin a new year of competition, support through sport-specific gift accounts continues to play a vital role in the department's mission to Win Championships, Graduate with Honors and Make a Difference. Contributions provide essential resources in key areas such as recruiting, nutrition, student-athlete development and technology, helping equip Blazer teams for success in the American Conference. To learn more about supporting your favorite program, click here or contact Blazer Boosters to help fuel the continued success of UAB Athletics.
FOLLOW UAB FOOTBALL: Follow us at @UAB_FB on Instagram and X.
Players Mentioned
QB
/ Football
PK
/ Football
P
/ Football
RB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ FootballTeam Stats
UAB
ILL
Total Yards
413
332
Pass Yards
219
182
Rushing Yards
194
150
Penalty Yards
69
4
1st Downs
24
17
3rd Downs
10
3
4th Downs
3
1
TOP
41:03
18:57
1st Quarter
UAB 0, ILL 7
ILL - Dixon,Collin 18 yd pass from Houser,Katin (Moczulski,Ethan kick) 3 plays, 30 yards, TOP 01:03
UAB 3, ILL 7
UAB - Delange,Jonah 26 yd field goal 12 plays, 67 yards, TOP 05:31
UAB 3, ILL 14
ILL - Valentine,Ca'Lil 51 yd run (Moczulski,Ethan kick), 3 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:06
2nd Quarter
UAB 6, ILL 14
UAB - Delange,Jonah 23 yd field goal 6 plays, 27 yards, TOP 03:23
UAB 13, ILL 14
UAB - Robinson II,Roderick 10 yd pass from Burton,Ryder (Delange,Jonah kick) 10 plays, 50 yards, TOP 02:45
UAB 13, ILL 21
ILL - Robinson,Ty 54 yd pass from Houser,Katin (Moczulski,Ethan kick) 3 plays, 66 yards, TOP 00:13
3rd Quarter
UAB 13, ILL 28
ILL - Dixon,Collin 14 yd pass from Houser,Katin (Moczulski,Ethan kick) 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:45
UAB 16, ILL 28
UAB - Delange,Jonah 35 yd field goal 11 plays, 58 yards, TOP 06:17
4th Quarter
UAB 16, ILL 35
ILL - Houser,Katin 6 yd run (Moczulski,Ethan kick), 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 06:33
UAB 16, ILL 42
ILL - Kante,Ismael 59 yd interception (Moczulski,Ethan kick)
UAB 23, ILL 42
UAB - Burton,Ryder 5 yd run (Delange,Jonah kick), 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:39
Game Leaders
CMP
18
TD
1
YDS
219
INT
1
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