The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Army
UAB Finishes Season With Strong Win Over Army, 27-7
11/18/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 18, 2000
By RIK STEVENS
Associated Press Writer
WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Wes Foss returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown on the opening play of the fourth quarter as UAB beat Army 27-7 on Saturday.
Under heavy pressure from the UAB 29, Army's Chad Jenkins through wildly against his body. Foss grabbed the wobbly pass and bolted up the left side untouched to put the Blazers ahead 24-7.
It was the sixth time this season an Army pass went the other way for a touchdown, the fourth in the fourth quarter.
In the Conference USA game filled with penalties and mistakes, UAB (7-4, 3-4) also got a 63-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Aaron to Leron Little in the third quarter.
Right after the referee warned the Army band not to play when UAB had the ball, the crowd of 35,267 howled in protest. UAB's Aaron answered the roar with the 63-yard toss to a wide open Little, who had broken free over the middle of the field. Gallego's kick made it 17-7 with 6:59 left in the third.
Gallego added two field goals, his 18th and 19th of the year.
Aaron was 14-of-28 for 218 yards. Little had two catches for 75 yards.
For Army, Chad Jenkins was 22-of-49 for 216 yards and the one interception. Army rushers were held to 47 yards on 32 carries by UAB's seventh-ranked rushing defense.
Aside from an explosive start and finish, the first half had that jerky feel of a freight train linking cars in the rail yard as the two teams stumbled around midfield, unable to find any rhythm.
UAB set Army (1-9, 1-6) back on its heels with a 49-yard Percy Coleman run on the first play from scrimmage. Three plays later, Cory Conley scampered in from the one to put the Blazers up 7-0.
After that, UAB failed to take advantage of poor special teams execution by the Black Knights.
At the end of Army's second possession, punter Dan MacElroy got off only a 16-yard kick, giving UAB the ball at the Army 43. After a penalty, though, UAB went three plays and punted.
Two possessions later, Avery Warner blocked a MacElroy punt, giving UAB the ball at the Army 40. That drive ended with normally reliable Gallego missing a 29-yard field-goal try.
MacElroy was blocked again two possessions later when defensive end Bryan Thomas smothered the ball. Taking over at their own 44, the Blazers were hurt by a penalty - one of their nine in the half - and had to settle for a 41-yard field goal.
UAB ended the half with only 160 total yards of offense.
Limited by UAB's 14th-ranked defense for the first 29:50 of the game, Army finally clicked on its last drive of the first half. Chad Jenkins completed two fourth down passes - one for 6 yards and one for 10 - to keep the drive alive and set up a 23-yard scoring pass to Clint Dodson with 10 seconds left.
But Army, too, had chances to score, specifically when outside linebacker Brian Zickefoose picked off Jeff Aaron's pass at the Army 44 with 10:39 to go in the half. But Josh Holden was stuffed on a a third-and-1, leading to MacElroy's second blocked punt.
Army could muster only 129 yards in the first half.
