Honestly, if you've been tracking the uab blazers football score over the last few months, you know it hasn't exactly been a smooth ride. One week you’re watching a goal-line stand that feels like a season-defining miracle, and the next, you’re wondering why the defense seems to have stayed on the bus. It's been a year of wild swings, high-stakes coaching changes, and some of the most lopsided box scores in the American Athletic Conference.
The 2025 season wrapped up with UAB at a 4-8 record. That might look like a failure on paper, but the way they got there—and the chaos that happened between the first whistle in August and the final win in Tulsa—tells a much bigger story about where this program is headed under its new leadership.
The Score That Changed Everything: Firing Trent Dilfer
You can’t talk about the Blazers' recent scores without talking about October 11, 2024. UAB traveled down to Boca Raton to face Florida Atlantic. It was a disaster. The final uab blazers football score was a stinging 53-33 loss. It wasn't just that they lost; it was how they lost. The defense gave up over 50 points, and the "Dilfer era" experiment—hiring a Super Bowl-winning QB with no prior college coaching experience—officially went off the rails.
The very next day, October 12, UAB athletic director Mark Ingram pulled the plug. Dilfer was out after a 9-21 tenure.
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Alex Mortensen stepped in as the interim head coach, and things got weirdly interesting. Usually, when a coach is fired mid-season, a team just folds. They stop playing. They look for the transfer portal exit. But UAB did the opposite. Just six days after Dilfer was shown the door, the Blazers hosted No. 22 Memphis at Protective Stadium.
The Memphis Upset: A 31-24 Shocker
Nobody gave UAB a chance. Memphis was on a 10-game winning streak. But the uab blazers football score ended up being 31-24 in favor of the Blazers.
It was a total "Battle for the Bones" classic. Iverson Hooks was basically a superhero that day, catching 11 passes for 172 yards and three touchdowns. But the real story was the defense. With seconds left, Memphis was at the 1-yard line. They had four tries to tie the game. Four tries. UAB stopped them every single time.
That single win proved that the roster had talent; it just needed a different vibe on the sidelines.
Breaking Down the 2025 Season Results
If you're looking for a quick reference on how the year actually went, here is the raw data of the scores that defined the 2025 campaign.
The season started with a track meet against Alabama State, winning 52-42. It felt like the offense was going to be unstoppable. Then reality hit in Annapolis with a 38-24 loss to Navy. They bounced back against Akron (31-28) but then got absolutely demolished by a ranked Tennessee team 56-24.
The middle of the season was a brutal stretch. They lost to Army 31-13 and then that fateful FAU game. After the high of the Memphis win, the team hit another wall. They dropped games to UConn (38-19), Rice (24-17), a very good North Texas team (53-24), and South Florida (48-18).
But, they finished on a high note. On November 29, they went to Tulsa and ground out a 31-24 win. Finishing 4-8 isn't what anyone dreamed of, but winning your last game provides a tiny bit of momentum going into the offseason.
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Why the Defense Struggled So Much
If you look at the uab blazers football score from almost any loss this year, a pattern emerges. The defense was, frankly, a sieve. They finished the year giving up an average of 38.2 points per game. That ranked them near the bottom of all 136 FBS teams.
- Opponent Success: Teams weren't just beating UAB; they were humming. USF’s Byrum Brown put up five touchdowns on Senior Day.
- Big Plays: The Blazers gave up scores of 60, 59, and 99 yards in various games.
- The Grantham Factor: To fix this, Alex Mortensen (who has since been named the permanent head coach) made a massive move. He hired Todd Grantham as the Defensive Coordinator. Grantham is a big name. He’s been a DC at Florida, Georgia, and Louisville. He brings a "Third-and-Grantham" aggressive style that UAB fans hope will stop the bleeding.
The Quarterback Room: Kitna vs. Burton
The uab blazers football score was often a reflection of who was taking snaps. Jalen Kitna started the year and put up some big numbers—2,462 yards and 13 touchdowns over 10 games. He’s got the arm, but the turnovers (10 interceptions) were killers.
Ryder Burton stepped in during the middle of the season and showed some flashes, especially in that Memphis upset. He’s a bit more mobile, which helped when the offensive line struggled. Seeing how these two compete for the starting job in 2026 is going to be the main storyline of spring ball.
Key Offensive Players to Watch
Jevon Jackson was the workhorse on the ground, finishing with 900 rushing yards. He’s the type of back who keeps the chains moving and keeps the defense off the field. Then there's Iverson Hooks. If you aren't watching Hooks, you're missing out. 927 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. He’s the focal point of the entire offense now.
What Most People Get Wrong About UAB Football
There’s this idea that UAB is just a "basketball school" now that they’re in the AAC. People look at the uab blazers football score and think the program has reverted to its pre-shutdown days.
That’s a mistake.
The infrastructure at UAB is night-and-day compared to ten years ago. Protective Stadium is a gem. The recruiting footprint in Birmingham is deep. The 2025 season wasn't a return to the "dark ages"; it was a messy transition from an experiment that didn't work (Dilfer) to a coach who actually understands the college game (Mortensen).
The 4-8 record is disappointing, but the fact that they beat a ranked Memphis team and stayed competitive in several other games suggests the "floor" of this program is much higher than people think.
Looking Ahead to 2026
The 2026 schedule is already out, and it’s not doing them any favors. They open at Illinois on September 5. That’s a big-time Big Ten test right out of the gate.
- September 5: @ Illinois
- September 12: vs. ULM
- September 19: @ Louisiana
- October 3: vs. Samford
If UAB wants to see a better uab blazers football score in 2026, they have to win that ULM game and handle Samford. Going into conference play with a 2-2 or 3-1 record is essential for bowl eligibility.
Actionable Insights for Blazer Fans
If you're a die-hard or just someone trying to keep up with the scores, here is what you should be doing this spring:
- Watch the Transfer Portal: With Mortensen now officially at the helm, expect a lot of movement. They desperately need defensive line depth to help Grantham's new scheme.
- Monitor the QB Battle: Don't assume Kitna is the guy. Burton's performance against Memphis earned him a lot of "locker room equity."
- Check the Defensive Schemes: Follow local Birmingham reporters to see if the defense is moving to a more aggressive 3-4 or staying in a base 4-3. This will dictate how they handle the high-powered offenses of the AAC.
The era of Trent Dilfer is over. The scores of 2025 are in the books. Now, it’s all about whether Alex Mortensen can take the talent on this roster and actually turn it into a winning record. Based on that goal-line stand against Memphis, the grit is there. They just need the consistency.
Keep an eye on the defensive recruiting rankings over the next few weeks. That’s where the 2026 season will be won or lost. If Grantham can’t find a way to stop the big play, the uab blazers football score will continue to be a source of frustration for the Birmingham faithful. But if he can? This team is a dark horse for the AAC title race.