Tulsa Falls at UAB

Saturday, November 2

Birmingham, AL

1:30 PM

Tulsa

3-6 , 1-4

UAB

2-6 , 1-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Tulsa

UAB

Tulsa Falls at UAB

11/2/2024 6:11:00 PM | Football

Box Score Game Book PDF Postgame Notes

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –– The host UAB Blazers had a dominating first half in a 59-21 victory over the Golden Hurricane Saturday afternoon at Protective Stadium.

UAB scored on its first two possessions for a 14-0 lead and ended the first 15 minutes with a 21-0 lead enroute to a 45-7 halftime lead. The Blazers put up 537 yards, while passing for 424 yards and a TU opponent record seven touchdowns.

The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Blazers and improved their record to 2-6 overall and 1-4 in American Athletic Conference play.

Despite the early deficit, the young Tulsa team (3-6, 1-4 AAC) with 24 true freshmen on the trip, showed no quit. After being outgained by 119 yards in the first half, the Hurricane put up 231 second-half yards to UAB's 226. Cooper Legas completed 21-of-31 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns, while true freshman Joseph Williams pulled in six of those passes for 112 yards and one TD

Fellow true freshman Viron Ellison Jr. led the ground game with a season-best 73 yards on 12 carries.

For the home team, quarterback Jalen Kitna threw for 404 yards and six touchdowns, while receiver/return specialist Kam Shanks totaled 311 all-purpose yards and four TDs with 153 receiving yards, 139 return yards and 19 rushing yards on the day.

The Blazers scored on their first, second and fourth possessions with two of the scores coming after big special teams plays.

For their second score, UAB took a 51-yard punt to the Tulsa 47-yard line before scoring on a six-play drive. A fumbled Tulsa punt gave UAB possession at the Hurricane 17-yard line and two plays later the Blazers pushed their lead to 21-0 at the 3:13 mark of the quarter.

The Blazers began the second quarter when Shanks took in a pass from Kitna and went 67 yards on a 2^nd-and-18 play to cap a 73-yard, 5-play drive that took only 1:36 off the clock. The score gave UAB a 28-0 lead at the 14:50 mark of the period.

The Blazers added three points with a 52-yard field goal by Jonah Delange to give the home team a 31-0 lead with 9:07 remaining in the first half.

Shanks' 58-yard punt return gave the Blazers a 38-0 lead with 7:30 remaining before halftime and Kitna's fourth TD throw of the game put the home team ahead 45-0 with 2:25 on the clock.

Tulsa would respond before the half on a 50-yard, 7-play drive that saw Legas connect with Williams on a 13-yard pass with 0:17 on the clock, giving Tulsa its first touchdown of the game for a 45-7 score.

At halftime, UAB held a 311-to-192-yard edge in total offense while 121 of Tulsa's yards came on its final two first half possessions.

The Hurricane took the second-half kickoff 75 yards in 16 plays, taking 6:13 off the clock, for its second straight touchdown, and making the score 45-14. Legas hit Bill Jackson on a 16-yard strike for the score.

UAB didn't waste much time in equaling Tulsa's score when the Blazers went 55 yards in just 1:07 to move its lead to 52-14 at the 7:30 mark of third quarter and scored again for a 59-14 lead with one minute left in the period.

Tulsa scored the only points in the fourth quarter as true freshman Tim Carpenter threw a 6-yard TD to another true freshman Corey Smith with 0:24 to play, making the final score 59-21.

Tulsa has an open date next Saturday before returning to H.A. Chapman Stadium for a Thursday night, Nov. 14, ESPN matchup against East Carolina.

1^st Quarter Breakdown
•       UAB took the opening kickoff 75 yards in 5 plays taking just 2:16 off the clock for the first points of the game and a 7-0 lead.
•       Tulsa's offense went 3-and-out on its first possession.
•       After video replay, Kam Shanks' 84-yard punt return for a TD after a 51-yard punt was brought back to the Tulsa 47-yard line where he stepped out-of-bounds.

UAB scored on its second possession with a 6-play, 47-yard drive with the scoring play going 14 yards.
After Tulsa's defense forced a three-and-out, Tulsa fumbled the punt giving the Blazers the ball at the Tulsa 17-yard line with 3:57 remaining in the quarter.
UAB made it 21-0 on a two-play drive that was capped by a 17-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Kitna to Amare Thomas.
Tulsa's defense ended the first quarter with an 8-yard sack by Elijah Wilson.
UAB out-gained the Hurricane 145 -to-35 yards, with a 126-to-2 passing advantage

2^nd Quarter Breakdown
•       UAB made it a 28-0 score with just 0:10 gone in the quarter when Jalen Kitna threw 67 yards to Kam Shanks on the second play to cap a 73-yard scoring drive.
•      UAB kick Jonah Delange connected on his 15^th field goal of the year (on 15 attempts) with a 52-yarder to put the Blazers ahead 31-3 with 9:11 left before halftime.
•       The Blazers scored twice more before Tulsa scored its first points as the home scored on a 58-yard punt return and a 70-yard, 7-play drive that made the score 45-0.
•       Tulsa took its next possession to the UAB 4-yard line but an interception on 4^th-and-goal from the 4-yard line prevented Tulsa from getting on the scoreboard.
•       Tulsa did, however, score on its next possession, going 50 yards in 7 plays in just 0:43 to put seven points on the board with a Cooper Legas 13-yard pass to Joseph Williams.

3^rd Quarter Breakdown
•       Tulsa took the second-half kickoff 75 yards in 16 plays, taking 6:13 off the clock, for its second straight touchdown, and making the score 45-14.
•       The score came on a 16-yard toss from Cooper Legas to Bill Jackson.
•       UAB responded with a 35-yard TD pass from Jalen Kitna to Kam Shanks, capping a 3-play, 55-yard drive for a 52-14 lead at the 7:30 mark of the quarter.
•       UAB's Shanks added his fourth score of the game (3 receiving and one punt return) with a 48-yard TD that capped an 84-yard, 8-play drive with one minute remaining in the quarter.

4^th Quarter Breakdown
•       Tulsa scored the only points of the quarter as true freshman Tim Carpenter threw 6 yards to another true freshman Corey Smith in the final minute.
•       In the final quarter, Tulsa outgained UAB, 119-77, with 98 yards coming on the ground.