3 takeaways from UAB’s 31-23 loss to the UConn Huskies

With so much on the line in Saturday's game vs. UConn, the UAB Blazers had a chance to do multiple things that displayed signs of improvement in a rough 2024 campaign.

First, scoring a victory means they'd win back-to-back games for the first time since 2022. Second, a win vs. UConn makes them one step closer to perhaps shocking the college football world and making a bowl game.

Neither of those things happened.

After blowing a 20-3 lead, UAB falls to UConn, 31-23.

UAB moves to 2-7 on the season with three games remaining.

Here's the takeaways from Saturday afternoon:

A bad team found a way to lose a good game Going into halftime, this was one of the Blazers' best performances of the year.

The offense was clicking, having just put up a 17-point quarter featuring huge touchdowns from quarterback Jalen Kitna and running back Lee Beebe Jr. On defense, UConn was held to only 138 yards the entire half and had two turnovers forced.

This was the Blazers game to lose, and they did just that.

The offense completely stalled due to a shift from reliance on the run game, which they'd found success with in the first half. At halftime, they had rushed the ball 20 times for 128 yards (6.4 ypc.).

In the second half, they only rushed 13 times, and scarcely in the 4th quarter due to ending up needing to pass the ball down the field with the pass game.

The Huskies started putting pressure on, and with the help of a few calls that went the other way, UAB crumbled. It started with the pop-pass to wide receiver Kam Shanks that was dropped but called a fumble by officials on the field. The call stood, and the Huskies scored again, taking the lead.

After a couple punts from both teams, UAB had a chance to go back up and fumbled again on a controversial call that stood due to the call on the field by officials. The Huskies took it right down and scored it again, going up by eight with two minutes to go.

This was the first loss of its kind for the Blazers this season, coming in a close game against a good team. The fact that they were in it for so long is encouraging in itself, but if they would've taken better care of the football, we'd be talking about a huge upset win for Dilfer's Blazers.

UAB finding control of the line of scrimmage The Blazers have no shortage of experience against top rushing attacks this season, with games against Army, Navy and Tulane behind them, but were manhandled up front on the way to big losses to all of them.

The Huskies came into this game ranked 25th in the nation in rushing yardage, averaging over 200 yards per game on the ground, but left Protective with only 189 net rushing yards.

The UAB front seven held firm almost the entirety of the game, until the dam broke late, and UConn's Cam Edwards broke through for a 48-yard touchdown to eventually win the game.

It's a been a drastic turnaround for the Blazers in recent weeks, fueled by better play from veteran nose tackle Kevin Penn up front, and stellar play by their linebackers, namely Everett Roussaw and Michael Moore.

The Blazers have a newfound energy Late in UAB's six-game skid following their season opener, namely in the games against Navy, Tulane and Army, it wasn't hard to read the sidelines.

Players shoulders sagged and heads hung after early deficits, but something's changed over the last three games. Every crucial third down on defense, head coach Trent Dilfer and executive of football operations Cole Peterson ran to the middle of the sideline and got their players fired up, and they returned the energy.

The whole sideline would be bouncing, with every single one of them making noise for their defense, and it often worked in their favor.

On defense, UAB's linebackers and edges were suffocating at the line, and in the open field, their corners and safeties were laying Huskies out all afternoon and letting them hear it after the play.

Despite the disappointing loss, it's a night-and-day difference from just a month ago, and a welcome one for the Blazer faithful as they try to make the most of what's been one of the worst seasons in over a decade.

The Blazers will need to maintain this energy, and take better care of the football, as their next contest comes in Memphis next weekend as they take on their rival Tigers in the second rendition of the renewed "Battle of the Bones" game.