For the first time in over three decades, Samford and UAB met on the football field Saturday.
Samford entered the game with the upper hand from the programs’ last meeting in 1992, but UAB evened the series with a 33-14 win at Protective Stadium.
The final score, however, did not tell the whole story.
Samford battled hard against UAB, taking a 14-13 lead into halftime and later trailing UAB by two points entering the fourth quarter before the Blazers pulled through with 17 unanswered points.
For Samford head coach John Grass, the renewed Birmingham matchup was about more than the final score.
“I think it’s good. I think it’s a game we need to continue to play,” Grass said. “I think it’s healthy and can create a rivalry, and in today’s football, that is a great thing to be able to do.”
Coach Grass also pointed to the potential this matchup has to continue to grow between the two Birmingham teams.
“We had some fans come over today, and my goal is to keep playing this game down the line and fill the stadium,” Grass said. “There is no reason Birmingham couldn’t do that and just have a good rivalry.”
The loss did not discourage Coach Grass, but instead gave him hope as he reflected on the game.
“Our guys were excited about playing,” Grass said. “I thought we played with a lot of energy, and we got better I thought in all three phases.”
After UAB started the game by putting themselves on the board with a field goal, Samford responded with a 90-yard drive capped by quarterback Gabari Johnson finding sophomore wide receiver Marquise Henderson for a 4-yard touchdown.
Henderson has continued to develop as a key playmaker for the Bulldogs despite dealing with a turf toe injury that he suffered in the season opener.
“You just got to continue getting the ball in his hand, and he’s really electric when he touches the ball,” Grass said.
One of Samford’s biggest plays came late in the second quarter when Jalen Nelson recovered a fumble and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown, sending the Bulldogs into halftime with a 14-13 lead.
“It was huge, and you know football is more mental,” Grass said. “Just carried a lot of momentum into the half.”
UAB took back the lead with a third-quarter field goal, but Samford continued to trail right behind them at 16-14 entering the fourth. Although Samford was fighting hard and forcing turnovers, the Blazers pushed back creating separation in the final quarter when they scored 17 points to secure the win.
UAB head coach Alex Mortensen credited the Bulldogs and their efforts following the game.
“I think they played hard, and I want to give their players credit,” Mortensen said.
As the Bulldogs turn their attention back to SoCon play, Coach Grass believes that Saturday’s performance showed what his team is capable of.
“Well [we] can play with anybody,” Grass said. “We left some plays on the field, they could have made a huge difference in the game.”
Samford will continue to build on those positives and the lessons learned from this experience as they enter the heat of their SoCon schedule.
Samford plays Chattanooga on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
Staff Reporter
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