Saturday Index
Opening game centerBringing the latest verified football information into focus.
Saturday Index
Opening game centerBringing the latest verified football information into focus.
Thu, Sep 3 · BTN
FINAL| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAB | 3 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
| ILL | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 42 |
Updated Sep 8, 3:29 AM EDT
| UAB | Statistic | ILL |
|---|---|---|
| 413 | Total yards | 332 |
| 219 | Net passing yards | 182 |
| 194 | Rushing yards | 150 |
| 24 | First downs | 17 |
| 10-19 | Third downs | 3-6 |
| 1 | Turnovers | 0 |
| 41:03 | Possession | 18:57 |
| 9-69 | Penalties | 1-4 |
| UAB | Statistic | ILL |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | Fourth downs | 1-2 |
| 18-31 | Passing | 13-17 |
| 7.1 | Yards per pass | 10.7 |
| 48 | Rushing attempts | 26 |
| 4.0 | Yards per rush | 5.8 |
| 0 | Fumbles Lost | 0 |
| 1 | Interceptions | 0 |
| 0 | Passes Deflected | 4 |
| 2 | Qb Hurries | 6 |
| 0 | Sacks | 1 |
| 28 | Tackles | 52 |
| 0 | Defensive TDs | 1 |
| 2 | Tackles For Loss | 6 |
| 11 | Kicking Points | 6 |
| 1 | Passing TDs | 3 |
Final
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryder Burton | 18/31 | 219 | 1 | 1 |
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UAB’s trip to Memorial Stadium is a useful opening-night measure of continuity against reconstruction. The Blazers return Jalen Kitna, who threw for 2,462 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, plus 900-yard rusher Jevon Jackson and 927-yard receiver Iverson Hooks. Kitna is part of a five-man quarterback room, however, and UAB has not established its opening-day starter. Illinois is even more transitional: East Carolina transfer Katin Houser joins a quarterback room with little proven FBS production behind him, while a rebuilt offensive line and redistributed coaching responsibilities give the Illini plenty to sort out immediately.
The decisive matchup is UAB’s established skill group against an Illinois defense rebuilding around safety Matthew Bailey and corner Juice Clarke. Hooks gives the Blazers a proven volume target, Jackson can punish light boxes, and Bailey—Illinois’s leading tackler in consecutive seasons—will be central to limiting gains after contact and cleaning up mistakes. Clarke’s ability to hold up outside matters just as much because the Illini front is integrating transfers Will Holmes, Carter Janki, Darrell Prater, Connor Sullivan and Isaiah Thomison alongside Joe Barna. If that group cannot disrupt the backfield, UAB can keep its quarterback out of obvious passing situations.
| 1 | Punt Returns | 1 |
|---|
| 0 | Punt Return TDs | 0 |
|---|
| 19 | Punt Return Yards | 65 |
|---|
| 1 | Rushing TDs | 2 |
|---|
| — | Passes Intercepted | 1 |
|---|
| — | Interception TDs | 1 |
|---|
| — | Interception Yards | 59 |
|---|
| — | Kick Returns | 1 |
|---|
| — | Kick Return TDs | 0 |
|---|
| — | Kick Return Yards | 31 |
|---|
Illinois’s cleanest route to control is through Ca’Lil Valentine and Kaden Feagin. Valentine led the team in rushing last season, while Feagin supplied seven rushing touchdowns, giving a reshaped line and unsettled passing hierarchy a dependable starting point. Sustained runs would reduce the burden on Houser or another quarterback and keep UAB’s experienced playmakers watching from the sideline. The Blazers’ counter is to make Illinois defend the entire width of the field: feature Jackson early, move Hooks into favorable matchups and force Bailey to declare whether he is fitting the run or helping Clarke in coverage. UAB wants continuity to dictate the pace; Illinois wants its running backs and home field to buy time for new pieces to settle.
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