Samford Battles UAB Before Falling Late

Saturday, October 3

Birmingham, Ala.

2:30 PM

Samford University

1-4 , 1-1

UAB

3-2 , 1-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Samford	7	7	0	0	14
UAB	10	3	3	17	33

Game Notes Final Game Book (PDF)

10.3.26 | Football

Box Score Final Game Book (PDF)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In the first meeting between the two programs in 34 years, the Samford football team battled UAB in a tight game for over three quarters before the Blazers pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 33-14 win Saturday afternoon at Protective Stadium.

With the loss, Samford fell to 1-4 on the season. UAB improved to 3-2 with the win.

"Our guys were excited about playing, and I thought we played with a lot of energy," Samford head coach John Grass said. "We got better, I thought in all three phases and had some chances."

For Samford in the loss, Marquise Henderson caught five passes for 57 yards and a touchdown. Gabarri Johnson completed 17-of-29 passes for 140 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Ken Cherry led the Samford running game with six rushes for 34 yards.

Defensively, Jalen Nelson had a fumble recovery he returned for a 95-yard touchdown, to go along with his five tackles. LaShon Young led the Bulldogs with eight tackles in the contest.

For UAB, Ryder Burton completed 8-of-18 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. Roderick Robinson II rushed 14 times for 75 yards. Braylon McReynolds and E.J. Reid had a rushing touchdown each. Defensively, Muaaz Byard had a team-high six tackles. Delvon Gulley, Ike Esonwune and Jeremiah Jordan had an interception each for the Blazers.

UAB struck first on the opening drive of the game when Jonah Delange kicked a 44-yard field goal to give the Blazers a 3-0 lead with 13:04 to go in the first quarter. Samford took the lead when Johnson hit Henderson for a four-yard touchdown pass for a 7-3 Bulldog lead at the 4:49 mark in the first period.

UAB's Reid scored on a 36-yard run to make the score 10-7, Blazers, with 1:20 left in the opening period. Delange kicked a 46-yard field goal to push UAB's lead to 13-7 with 7:55 left in the second quarter.

With 3:36 to go in the second quarter Samford retook the lead. When a UAB fumble popped into Nelson's hands, he returned it 95 yards for a touchdown to give the Bulldogs a 14-13 advantage. The teams went into the locker room at halftime with Samford holding a one-point lead.

UAB took the lead back when Delange kicked a 23-yard field goal to give the Blazers a 16-14 lead with 9:07 to go in the third period.

With 12:37 to go in the game, McReynolds scored on a 28-yard run to push the Blazers' lad to 23-14. Burton hit C.J. Smith for a 31-yard touchdown with 2:58 to play to make the score 30-14. Delange kicked a 26-yard field goal with 24 seconds to play to make the final score 33-14.

Next up, Samford will play at Chattanooga on Saturday, Oct. 10. The game is set for a 12 p.m. (CT) start from Chattanooga, Tenn.

FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS:
For the latest news and information on Samford football, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordFootball (Facebook), @SamfordFootball (Instagram) and @SamfordFootball (Twitter).