3 Lessons From UAB’s 41-3 Season Opener Win Over Alcorn State

After an hour-long delay caused by lightning and a rainstorm, the 2024 UAB football season officially began. The Blazers treated the 21,000 fans who managed to remain in Protective Stadium to a 41-3 victory over the Alcorn State Braves in the season opener.

Jacob Zeno picked up exactly where he left off in 2023, completing 23 of 33 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns while leading the offense to over 500 total yards.

Redshirt freshman receiver Kam Shanks erupted with 73 receiving yards and scored on a 57-yard punt return for the final score of the night. It was the first time since 2013 that the Blazers have returned a punt for a touchdown.

After a disappointing performance on defense last year, UAB limited Alcorn State to just three points and 177 total yards.

Since the program’s return in 2017, the Blazers have gone 8-0 in season openers.

This is what we learned on Thursday night

The offensive line is still a work in progress

UAB made it a priority to rebuild this offensive line this offseason, bringing in two veteran tacklers through the transfer portal in DJ Jones and JD Morgan, pairing them with returning guards Quez Yates and Zaire Flournoy.

The group didn’t start out great on Thursday night. Jacob Zeno had defenders in his face constantly, but found ways to get out of the pocket and usually get the ball off. His only interception that night was on a ball tipped by a defender that blew past the line. Despite good rushing numbers from the Blazers, the line failed to create holes or put much pressure on their backs.

Normally it takes a while for the offensive lines to get comfortable, especially with three new starters, but they will now be facing a much more physical and talented defensive line than they did on Thursday night.

The defensive line emerged as a force

Another position group that was heavily invested in through the portal, the defensive line backed up the hype tonight. The impact of Demarcus Smith and Derrick Shepard was felt by Alcorn’s interior offensive line. Both had Alcorn’s quarterbacks on the run at multiple points on the night, and Smith recovered the fumble that led to Amare Thomas’ 15-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

UAB’s starting edge duo also made some noise. Senior edge rusher Kendall Johnson had three tackles and weaved his way past an Alcorn State lineman to hit Tyler Macon for a fumble in the first quarter and added a sack in the fourth. Desmond Little’s mix of speed and power, which formed the starting d-line early in the game, got him into the backfield for two sacks and also finished the game with three tackles.

The combination of returning starters, newly acquired rotation players and developing players like sophomore Emmanuel Waller, who also had an impressive sack that night, only bodes well for the Blazers’ defense going forward.

Mistakes prevented Blazers from greater success on opening night

UAB led the entire match, but could have done much more against an inferior opponent.

Running back Lee Beebe Jr. dropped the ball twice, Zeno intercepted the tipped pass and the Blazers’ offensive line consistently blocked drives with penalties in the first half.

After a 38-point win that felt like it could have been at least 20 points apart, UAB head coach Trent Dilfer knows improvement is needed going forward

“I congratulate the defense and the special teams, but there are still a lot of things we need to improve on,” Dilfer said after the game.

The Blazers travel to Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday, September 7 to take on former interim head coach Bryan Vincent.