UAB Outlasts Alabama State in Offensive Showdown

Thursday, August 28

Birmingham, AL

7:30 p.m.

UAB

1-0 , 0-0

Alabama State

0-1 , 0-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Alabama St.

UAB

Photo by: Ken Shepherd

UAB Outlasts Alabama State in Offensive Showdown

8/29/2025 12:40:00 AM | Football

Box Score UAB 52, Alabama State 42 (PDF)Season Statistics Postgame Notes - Alabama State

BIRMINGHAM – Quarterback Jalen Kitna and running back Jevon Jackson spearheaded an impressive offensive performance in leading the UAB football team to a season-opening 52-42 victory over Alabama State on Thursday night at Protective Stadium.

UAB (1-0) put up 520 total yards, led by Jackson with 166 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including a 46-yard score. Solomon Beebe rushed eight times for 51 yards and two touchdowns, all of which were career highs. Isaiah Jacobs also rushed eight times for 42 yards and recorded one touchdown as those three combined for 259 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Overall UAB rushed for 273 yards.

Kitna completed 18-of-23 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns and found his top targets in Corri Milliner (5-98-1) and Iverson Hooks (7-73-1).

Defensively, Sirad Bryant led UAB with eight tackles, while new Blazers Devin Hightower, Amorie Morrison and Pierre Royster each contributed six. Hightower also had a TFL and a fumble recovery.

However, the Blazers had a hard time containing ASU quarterback Andrew Body who threw 312 yards and four touchdowns while adding 119 rushing yards and a score. Alabama State was 13-of-15 on third down conversions and tallied 514 yards of total offense.

Jonah Delange capped UAB's opening drive with a 42-yard field goal, but Alabama State responded on its opening drive with a 60-yard touchdown run from Body to take a 7-3 lead.

However, the Blazers struck right back by marching 73 yards in 11 plays which was capped by Kitna finding Hooks for an 8-yard touchdown for a 10-7 lead with 6:23 left in the first.

ASU retook the lead with an 81-yard drive that ate up 6:04 and connected on a 14-yard pass to open the second quarter for a 14-10 advantage.

Milliner's 49-yard touchdown reception 54 seconds later gave UAB a 17-14 lead, but ASU scored a 31-yard touchdown with five seconds left in the half to take a 21-17 advantage in the locker room.

ASU received the ball to start the second half and scored on its opening possession to build an 11-point lead (28-17), but then the Blazers dominated the remainder of the third quarter and scored 21-unanswered points, all rushing with two from Jackson and one from Beebe.

Alabama State rushed for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to trail by three (38-35). The Blazers went back up by 10 when Jacobs found the end zone for his first touchdown of the season. ASU was able to answer back and again trailed by three at 45-42 after a 69-yard touchdown reception with 4:18 left in the contest.

Once again, the Blazers responded and Beebe put the game away with 1:19 on the clock when he scored his second touchdown of the night for the final tally of 52-42.

The Blazers now jump into American Conference play next Saturday, Sept. 6 at Navy. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network.

Notes:

The Blazers five rushing touchdowns is the most by UAB in a game since its seven against Louisiana Tech on November 6, 2021.
Three different players scored a rushing touchdown for the first time since November 18, 2023, versus Temple.
On offense, the Blazers did not have to punt and had no turnovers which marks the first time since the Green and Golds return in 2017.
Five different Blazers found the endzone for the first time since September 1, 2022, versus Alabama A&M.