The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Ready for Tough Road Challenge at Louisiana
9/14/2026 6:09:00 PM | Football
BIRMINGHAM – Coming off a gritty 26-20 comeback victory over ULM, UAB football turned its attention Monday to its second consecutive Sun Belt opponent of the season as the Blazers prepare to travel to Lafayette for a Saturday night matchup with Louisiana.
UAB (1-1) erased a 10-point second-half deficit against the Warhawks, scoring the game's final 16 points while shutting out ULM 13-0 in the fourth quarter. The Blazers limited the Warhawks to three second-half points and finished with a 381-257 advantage in total offense, including 266 yards on the ground.
Head coach Alex Mortensen was pleased with what the comeback revealed about his team, but made it clear Monday that the response cannot overshadow areas that still need improvement.
"I was really pleased with our team's grit and toughness," Mortensen said. "I thought our overall unity and competitive spirit were really good. We're going to really challenge them to have better detail in a lot of areas. But I was really, really pleased with the intangibles."
Those intangibles were tested after UAB found itself trailing 20-10 early in the second half. The Blazers responded by controlling the remainder of the game, and Mortensen pointed to the team's ability to remain together through adversity as one of the most encouraging developments through the first two weeks.
"Our resiliency, our fight, and our toughness to be down in a game like that was just awesome," Mortensen said. "It was really good to see, and ultimately we were able to prevail."
For senior center Adam Lepkowski, there was no panic when the Blazers entered the locker room trailing at halftime.
"I just think it's the men on our team," Lepkowski said. "We have a lot of leaders. We have a lot of guys that have good energy and bring energy. So, I think when we went in for halftime, no one was flinching. It was just encouragement like, 'Hey guys, we just got to get it together. Stop shooting ourselves in the foot. Get this thing rolling.'"
The Blazers got it rolling largely on the ground.
UAB rushed 52 times for 266 yards and wore down the Warhawks as the game progressed. The Blazers have now rushed for 460 yards through the first two games of the season, establishing an early identity behind an offensive line anchored by Lepkowski.
The veteran center compared UAB's rushing attack to a series of body blows.
"I think our run plays are a right hook," Lepkowski said. "Being able to physically dominate the people in front of you and being able to move the football, with our amazing running backs, it's just body blows. It's like a fight. More body blows, you start controlling the fight, and I think our run game definitely gives us the ability to control it and knock them out."
The same mentality showed up defensively.
UAB held ULM to just 257 total yards and 56 through the air, while three Blazers finished with double-digit tackles. Safety Jeremiah Jordan added nine tackles as the defense repeatedly rallied to the football.
"I feel like we do a great job playing relentless," Jordan said. "There's a lot of detail that we can clean up, but I feel like as a team, and especially on defense, playing relentless, swarming to the ball, and being great tacklers, I feel like that's non-negotiable.
"That's the standard on defense- just going around playing fast and being able to hit and tackle."
That standard will be particularly important this week against Louisiana quarterback Lunch Winfield, whose ability as both a runner and passer gives the Blazers another dual-threat quarterback to defend.
"When you have a guy that can do both, when you have a quarterback that's athletic, you've got to be prepared to defend all the quarterback runs and have a plan for that, and then still be effective enough defending the passing game," Mortensen said. "When you've got a quarterback that has the ability to do both things, it can stretch you thin and make it hard."
Jordan said defending that versatility starts with fundamentals.
"When you're facing a quarterback that has the ability to pass and run, I feel like it's your angles, playing with leverage, and being a great tackler," Jordan said. "They're going to try to open it up more since he has the ability to run. So, just being great tacklers, that's the main thing."
Offensively, UAB also enters the week with another weapon beginning to emerge.
Wide receiver EJ Reid hauled in his first touchdown as a Blazer against ULM, beating his defender for a 35-yard score from Ryder Burton that gave UAB its first lead of the game. Reid said the look was one the Blazers had prepared for throughout the week.
"It felt good. Long time no see to the end zone," Reid said. "It was a look we went over in practice multiple times. So it was a look all week where I was kind of like, 'If I get this look, this is going to be a good look. I'm going to go score.'"
Reid also made a key third-down catch earlier in the second half, absorbing a hit while holding onto the football to extend the drive. For the UAB newcomer, producing in those situations provided another step forward.
"Making those plays in games like that lets me know that I can do this," Reid said. "I can really make those plays in tight situations."
Now the challenge is taking those lessons on the road.
Louisiana enters Saturday following a 48-30 loss at No. 14 Southern California, where the Ragin' Cajuns produced three long touchdown drives in the second half and scored 30 points against the Trojans. Mortensen praised Louisiana's personnel on both sides of the ball and called Saturday's trip another significant early-season test.
"They've got really good players on both sides of the ball," Mortensen said. "To go out there on the road and have to play them at whatever it was, 10 o'clock Central Time, and put up 30 points says a lot about the team we're playing."
For UAB, Saturday also represents an opportunity to build on something more important than simply evening its record last weekend. The Blazers were tested, fell behind and responded together-exactly the type of experience Mortensen believes can help shape a team over the course of a season.
"We're going to encounter more challenges, more adversity as the year goes on, and greater difficulties," Mortensen said. "So we have to build on that. "But that was a good sign. It was a really good sign."
UAB and Louisiana kick off Saturday at 7 p.m. CT in Lafayette. The game will air on ESPN+.
THREE QUESTIONS WITH COACH MORTENSEN
Q: Ryder Burton has shown an ability to extend drives with his legs. Is that an undervalued part of his game?
Mortensen: "I think it is. I think Ryder's a good athlete and probably better than people realize. I do think he's a good scrambler. If he's exhausted his options or doesn't see anyone open, I think his ability to do that - one, there's an athleticism component, there's a decision-making component to it, and I think he's good at both. His instinct to usually go forward and not go backwards helps him as well. I think in the first two games there have been a number of times he's escaped where there was air. I think he's got a good feel for the space."
Q: Lamar White recorded his first career reception against ULM. What have you seen from him as he's developed?
Mortensen: "I was very, very, very proud of Lamar White. Lamar made a big play in the game. We ran a boot, and it kind of covered the first couple options. He ran a great route, had to adjust his route a little bit based on the coverage, and made a really good catch there. I've had the blessing of watching him really grow and mature, from being a young guy and a freshman to now. He's very tough, hardworking, and his skill level has really jumped up. I'm really excited about the progress he's made and where he can go."
Q: Jonah Delange has been a major weapon through the first two games, but how important is turning more of those scoring opportunities into touchdowns?
Mortensen: "Jonah obviously was outstanding kicking field goals. That was really good to see. Once again, I will say we want to finish with the ball in the end zone more, though, and rely on him less. We've got to do a better job in the red zone. We've got to do a better job in the high red zone. You'd rather trade some of those field goals for touchdowns, and we're obviously going to work to improve that."
