UAB upsets BYU winning Independence Bowl, tops off historic year
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UAB did it again. Perhaps the most underestimated football team in the nation, this evening our Blazers defeated No. 13 BYU in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana.
UAB Football Renaissance
Only five short years since the program’s resurrection in 2017, the Blazers 31-28 victory over the storied BYU program marks the team’s 3rd 9+ win season out of the past 4 seasons.
Other notable facts after today’s bowl victory:
- Highest ranked win in UAB Football history
- Second bowl win in program history
UAB Quarterback Dylan Hopkins set an Independence Bowl record for completion percentage while also completing his first 12 passes to start the game. Sophomore sensation DeWayne McBride ran for 183 yards and a touchdown, finishing his sophomore campaign with 1,371 rushing yards – the third most in a single season at UAB.
Missed the game? Here are the highlights from ESPN
What a Season
UAB is now 43-20 overall since returning to action in 2017 and has captured two Conference USA Championships and two bowl victories.
2021 is a year to remember for the UAB Blazers. The football program played their first season at Protective Stadium, they moved to the American Athletic Conference in late October and now they are Independence Bowl winners. With Hopkins, McBride and a stout defense coming back in 2022, we should expect more trophies to make its way to the Southside.
