Any chance of UAB pulling an upset at LSU ended when the Blazers couldn’t find a way to stop quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Tiger offense. Daniels accounted for 408 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Tigers to a 41-10 win over the Blazers on a cold and damp night at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.
Daniels was 22 of 29 passing for 297 yards with a pair of touchdowns. He rushed for 111 yards. LSU scored touchdowns on four of its five first half drives with Noah Cain rushing for three short touchdowns. The only UAB defensive stop during that time came when Keondre Swoopes forced a fumble that was recovered by Noah Wilder at the UAB 8-yard line.
LSU drove for a touchdown on the game’s first possession, and UAB countered quickly. Jermaine Brown, Jr. took the kickoff 66 yards before being tackled at LSU 30-yard line. UAB quarterback Dylan Hopkins had passes of 16 yards to Bryce Damous and 9 yards to Trea Shropshire before Dewayne McBride scored on a 5-yard run. The other UAB points came on a 29-yard field goal by Matt Quinn.
UAB had chances in the second half but couldn’t put together another scoring drive. Hopkins started quickly, hitting his first eight passes, but struggled afterward. He finished 14-of-29 for 158 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He was sacked once. The Blazers never had a chance to get the running game going. The Blazers had 22 carries for 48 yards with McBride finishing with 13 carries for 34 yards. It was the first time this season that McBride played and didn’t rush for 100 yards.
LSU standout outside linebacker Harold Perkins finished with five tackles and two tackles for loss, but the Blazers kept him without a sack. UAB safety Jaylen Key had a game-high 12 tackles and one tackle for loss.
UAB is still one game away from reaching bowl eligibility. The Blazers’ (5-6) final opportunity to reach the needed six wins comes on Saturday at Louisiana Tech.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email steve.irvine@1819news.com.
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