Tag: UAB

UAB removes interim tag, names Alex Mortensen as football coach

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Alex Mortensen was named head football coach at UAB on Friday.

Mortensen, 40, had been the Blazers’ offensive coordinator since 2022 before being named interim head coach for the final six games of the 2025 season.

He replaced Trent Dilfer, who was fired after a 2-4 start to the season and a 9-21 overall record.

Mortensen also led the Blazers to a 2-4 mark. One of those victories was a 31-24 upset win over No. 22 Memphis in his debut on Oct. 18.

Before joining UAB, Mortensen worked on the staff of Nick Saban in Alabama for nine years.

“I love Birmingham, UAB and this team, and I look forward to building a successful program that represents our university and fans well,” Mortensen said Friday. “I want to thank the administration for the opportunity and for committing to providing additional institutional support to increase our competitiveness. I am grateful for the confidence being placed in me, and we will make the most of it.”

During Mortensen’s tenure as offensive coordinator, the Blazers averaged 415.6 yards per game.

“Coach Mortensen is a true rising star in college football who has been immersed in winning at the highest levels, and I am excited to see what he will accomplish leading our program,” athletic director Mark Ingram said. “His vision for UAB Football is clear: to succeed in the American and bring winning football back to Birmingham.”

Mortensen led the Blazers to a 31-24 season-ending win last Saturday against Tulsa. It snapped a 17-game losing streak on the road.

UAB played that game while missing more than 40 players. After a stabbing incident involving three members of the team, players were given the option to sit out.

Mortensen is the son of the late Chris Mortensen, a longtime football reporter for ESPN.

–Field Level Media

Two UAB players stabbed, teammate in custody

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Two UAB players were stabbed on Saturday morning and a teammate is in police custody, stemming from an incident that occurred in the football operations building hours before the Bulls played South Florida at Birmingham, Ala.

The school did not divulge identities but acknowledged the suspect also is on the football team.

Also Saturday, UAB offensive lineman Daniel Mincey was booked into Jefferson County Jail on charges of aggravated assault and attempted murder.

UAB said the injuries to the two players are not considered life-threatening and that both are in stable condition.

UAB elected to go on with the football game at 2 p.m. local time, approximately four hours after the incident.

“We’re grateful to report that two players injured in an incident this morning at the Football Operations Building are in stable condition,” the UAB statement said. “Our thoughts are with them and their families as they recover. The suspect — another player — remains in custody and an investigation is taking place.

“The team elected to play today’s game. UAB’s top priority remains the safety and well-being of all of our students. Given patient privacy and the ongoing investigation, we have no further comment at this time.”

Mincey, 20, was booked into Jefferson County Jail at 12:40 p.m. local time. He was listed as 6-foot-3, 315 pounds during booking.

Mincey is a redshirt freshman in his first season at UAB. He has not appeared in a game this season and isn’t listed on the two-deep depth chart.

He spent last season at Kentucky and redshirted before transferring to UAB.

UAB had a 3-7 record entering the game against South Florida (7-3).

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Tigers quarterback Brendon Lewis (2) looks on against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the first half at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

UAB stuns No. 22 Memphis in Alex Mortensen’s coaching debut

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The UAB Blazers gave interim coach Alex Mortensen an upset in his debut thanks to quarterback Ryder Burton’s impressive first collegiate start and a last-second defensive stand to beat No. 22 Memphis 31-24 Saturday in Birmingham, Ala.

Burton, tabbed as the starter after the Blazers announced quarterback Jalen Kitna would miss Saturday’s game due to an upper-body injury, completed 20 of 27 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns. UAB (3-4, 1-3) also got career games from Iverson Hooks (11 catches, 172 yards, 3 TDs) and Solomon Beebe (five carries, 106 yards and a TD) to snap a three-game losing streak that led to the school dismissing coach Trent Dilfer last weekend.

Memphis (6-1, 2-1) trailed 31-17 with 4:06 to go but got a 37-yard Christian Ross touchdown reception from backup quarterback AJ Hill with 2:19 left. The Tigers then got to the Blazers 1-yard line with a minute left. However, they committed three penalties to push them back 10 yards and turned it over on downs with :15 left.

Hill entered in the third quarter when starter Brendon Lewis sustained an injury after taking a sack on the first drive after halftime.

The loss snapped Memphis’ 10-game winning streak and dealt a significant blow to Memphis’ chances for a College Football Playoff berth. Entering Saturday, the Tigers were considered one of the favorites to earn the automatic bid for the highest-ranked school from a Group of 5 conference.

UAB had five drives that took at least five minutes off the clock. That helped keep the Memphis offense, which ranked 13th nationally scoring 40.5 points a game, off the field. The Tigers rushing attack, which ranked 10th nationally gaining 238.7 yards per game, got just 119 off a Blazers team that was fifth-worst nationally (213.2 ypg).

Greg Desrosiers Jr. got 41 of those on a last-minute run that was initially ruled a touchdown. However, the scoring review showed a sprinting Tariq Watson tackled the Tigers back at the UAB 1.

Hill completed 13 of 25 passes for 175 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Desrosiers added 74 yards and a score on 11 carries.

–Field Level Media

UAB quarterback Jalen Kitna (7) looks to pass during a college football game between Tennessee and UAB at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 20, 2025. Tennessee defeated UAB.

No. 22 Memphis wary of UAB under interim coach Alex Mortensen

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When UAB opposes No. 22 Memphis in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, the Blazers will do so under the direction of a new coach, and that’s a little concerning to Tigers coach Ryan Silverfield.

The Blazers (2-4, 0-3 American) dismissed coach Trent Dilfer on Sunday, a day after the team took its third straight loss, 53-33 at Florida Atlantic. UAB tabbed Alex Mortensen to take over the program.

Mortensen, a former Arkansas quarterback, has been the Blazers’ offensive coordinator since December 2022.

The Blazers’ offense is averaging 29.5 points per game, tied for 58th among FBS programs. The defense, though, is last among the 136 FBS schools with an average of 41.3 points allowed.

The Saturday game appears to be a mismatch on paper as the Tigers (6-0, 2-0) score 40.5 points a contest, good for 13th nationally. They rack up 450.2 yards per game, third best in the conference. At 238.7 yards per game, the Tigers also boast the nation’s 10th ground game, with three players already having at least a 100-yard game.

However, don’t expect Silverfield to feel that the game is a gimme considering what has happened in college football this season. He noted how UCLA has played under interim coach Tim Skipper since the Bruins fired Deshaun Foster three games into the season.

“Obviously, it gives you a little bit of angst, because there’s some unknowns,” Silverfield said, wondering if UAB may try a surprise onside kick as the Bruins did in an upset win over Penn State two weeks ago.

Because of that, the Tigers, who are coming back from their first off week of the season, must play sound football when they return to the field, according to their coach.

“We don’t go chasing ghosts, as we say quite often, but we’ve got to be prepared for possibly everything,” Silverfield added.

In the Tigers’ latest game, a 45-7 home win against Tulsa, quarterback Brendon Lewis produced 266 yards on 22-of-30 passing. He threw for three touchdowns but he was intercepted twice. He added 67 yards and another score on 14 carries.

Each of the Blazers’ losses was by at least 14 points, and the Florida Atlantic game was the second time UAB has allowed an opponent to score 50 or more points this season.

Quarterback Jalen Kitna leads the Blazers’ offense. The son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna leads the conference with a 69.1% completion rate, while his 1,776 passing yards rank second. He has thrown 10 touchdown passes and four interceptions.

However, he has been sacked a league-high 13 times, and the Blazers will face a defense that is allowing just 16.2 points a game, second lowest in the conference and 16th in FBS. Former Florida State defensive back Omarion Cooper’s six passes defensed are tied for the American lead, and linebacker DeMarco Ward is one of four players in the country to return two interceptions for touchdowns.

As he heads into his first game as head coach, Mortensen, the son of the late ESPN NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, wants to focus on the items the team can control, such as playing with effort as the Blazers fight for a six-win season and bowl eligibility.

“That’s not just Saturday,” he said. “That’s still Monday through Friday. There’s still a price to pay during the week to play the way you want to play Saturday. That doesn’t change now, and if anything, we’ve got to enhance and improve that process.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; UAB Blazers head coach Trent Dilfer during the second quarter against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

UAB fires Trent Dilfer amidst third straight losing season

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The Trent Dilfer era at UAB has come to an unceremonious end, as the university parted ways with the former NFL star Sunday after he posted three losing records.

“We have made a decision to part ways with Head Football Coach Trent Dilfer. We agree that — unfortunately — our on-field performance has not lived up to the standard of winning we have for the program,” UAB athletic director Mark Ingram said in a statement, adding that offensive coordinator Alex Mortensen will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the season.

Dilfer, who won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens during his NFL career before transitioning to television and eventually high school coaching, was a high-profile hire for UAB in the fall of 2022, despite his lack of experience as a head coach at higher levels, having only coached four seasons at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville.

“The investments the university has made for UAB Football aligns with my vision of taking this program to new heights as we join the American Athletic Conference and compete annually for the highest prize of playing in the College Football Playoff,” Dilfer said in a statement at the time of his hiring.

Instead of the College Football Playoff, Dilfer took what had been a near-annual bowl participant to three straight losing seasons, going 9-21 (.300 winning %) over the course of his tenure.

Dilfer was 2-4 this year after 4-8 and 3-9 records in his first two seasons.

That came in sharp contrast to the Blazers’ run of five bowl appearances (including three wins) over the previous six seasons.

Dilfer was drafted No. 6 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1994 after throwing 51 career touchdowns over three seasons with Fresno State. He went on to play 13 seasons for the Buccaneers (1994-99), Ravens (2000), Seattle Seahawks (2001-04), Cleveland Browns (2005) and San Francisco 49ers (2007), throwing for 20,518 yards, 113 touchdowns and 129 interceptions.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee wide receiver Mike Matthews (4) celebrates with Tennessee running back Peyton Lewis (2) after Lewis scores a touchdown during a NCAA football game between Tennessee and UAB at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., September 20, 2025.

Joey Aguilar helps No. 15 Tennessee pound UAB

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Joey Aguilar completed 15 of 22 passes for 218 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, and No. 15 Tennessee cruised to a 56-24 win over UAB on Saturday afternoon in Knoxville, Tenn.

DeSean Bishop rushed for two touchdowns for Tennessee (3-1), which bounced back from an overtime loss against then-No. 6 Georgia a week ago. Star Thomas had one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown.

Jalen Kitna completed 38 of 51 passes for 364 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for UAB (2-2). Kaleb Brown led the Blazers with 79 receiving yards to go along with a touchdown.

Tennessee outgained UAB 510-394, including a 235-23 advantage in rushing yards.

The Volunteers sprinted to a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Aguilar started the scoring on the opening drive, which ended with a 19-yard catch by Chris Brazzell II. The wideout caught the ball near the 10-yard line and slipped past a defender for the touchdown.

Mike Matthews made it 14-0 with a 39-yard touchdown catch less than two minutes later. He beat his defender down the left sideline and caught Aguilar’s pass in stride.

Bishop capped the first-quarter scoring with a 3-yard run.

Tennessee increased its lead to 28-0 with 10:44 left in the half. Thomas punched in a 1-yard run to complete a 10-play, 60-yard scoring drive.

UAB snapped the shutout on the following possession. Kitna connected with Brandon Hawkins Jr. for a catch and run that resulted in a 30-yard touchdown.

The Volunteers added two more touchdowns to seize a 42-7 lead at the half. Peyton Lewis recorded a 32-yard rushing touchdown with 2:50 remaining, and Bishop tallied his second score of the day on a 2-yard run with 32 seconds to go before halftime.

UAB pulled within 42-10 on a 45-yard field goal by Jonah Delange early in the third quarter.

Thomas scored his second touchdown and his first through the air when he caught a 17-yard touchdown catch from Aguilar with 9:53 left in the third quarter.

Tennessee’s defense followed with a score on a 23-yard fumble return by Kaleb Beasley.

UAB finished the scoring with a pair of touchdowns. Kitna hit Brown for a 61-yard touchdown late in the third quarter, and Isaiah Jacobs rushed for a 1-yard score late in the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee place kicker Max Gilbert (90) kicks a field goal before a NCAA football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, on September 13, 2025.

UAB player intentionally stomps on Tennessee K Max Gilbert’s foot

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UAB’s Sirad Bryant was whistled for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during the first quarter Saturday after intentionally stomping on the foot of Tennessee kicker Max Gilbert.

After the 15th-ranked Volunteers scored their third touchdown of the first quarter, Bryant bumped into holder Jackson Ross following an extra-point attempt. While Ross glared back at Bryant, the latter player then turned his attention to Gilbert and intentionally stomped on his foot.

Gilbert briefly bent over after the force of the blow but didn’t seem the worse for wear, as he came on to kick another extra point in the second quarter.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell II (17) catches the ball in the end zone during a NCAA football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, on September 13, 2025.

No. 15 Tennessee’s goal vs. UAB: ‘Keep driving forward’

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Tennessee coach Josh Heupel wasn’t interested in looking at what went wrong during his team’s loss to rival Georgia last week.

As a matter of fact, Heupel was quick to turn the page as his 15th-ranked Volunteers (2-1) prepare to host UAB (2-1) on Saturday afternoon in Knoxville, Tennessee.

“At the end of the day, in this game, you have to constantly move forward, and you have to take advantage of every day,” Heupel said Monday, two days after his team’s 44-41 overtime loss to the Bulldogs.

“You can’t look in the rear-view mirror. You have to look out the windshield and keep driving forward.”

Saturday’s contest will pit a Volunteers team that ranks sixth nationally in average total yards per game (568.7) against 40th-ranked UAB (451.7).

The teams’ respective quarterbacks also are airing it out, with Tennessee’s Joey Aguilar ranking 10th nationally in passing yards (906) and UAB’s Jalen Kitna 12th at 892.

Aguilar accounted for five touchdowns — a career-high-tying four passing, one rushing — vs. the Bulldogs. He completed all 14 pass attempts in the first quarter and finished 24-of-36 passing for 371 yards, with two interceptions.

Chris Brazzell II reeled in career-high totals in receiving yards (177) and touchdowns (three) for Tennessee. A 72-yard touchdown reception by Brazzell in the first quarter was the longest of his career and was the second scoring strike of at least 70 yards in the past three weeks by Aguilar.

Brazzell leads the Volunteers in catches (20), receiving yards (364) and receiving touchdowns (five).

“I think attention to detail has been a huge part of his success,” Heupel said. “Understanding coverage, understanding his role in the scheme, playing with great fundamentals and technique. He’s playing really confident, going up and attacking the football. He did a great job on Saturday, and he has the first couple of weeks, too.”

Braylon Staley enjoyed a career day against Georgia with nine catches for 97 yards. He also scored his second touchdown of the season.

The Volunteers hope to see the return of Stanford transfer Jaxson Moi on Saturday. The defensive tackle is deemed to be day-to-day by Heupel as he works his way back from an upper-body injury suffered in Tennessee’s season-opening 45-26 victory over Syracuse on Aug. 30.

UAB, meanwhile, bounced back from its first loss of the season by scoring all of its points in the first half in a 31-28 victory over Akron last Saturday.

Jalen Kitna threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns for the Blazers, and Solomon Beebe earned American Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors after totaling 190 all-purpose yards and 154 kickoff return yards.

UAB coach Trent Dilfer stressed the benefit of playing a Power 4 opponent this week.

“I think as a team, it is a great opportunity to go and show up and dress for success, so to speak. Make everything you do, how you act, how you compete, how you think, how you respond, making plays, show up and let your light shine,” Dilfer said on Monday.

“Not to be cheesy, but be somebody that somebody who has never watched UAB football watches the game, and they are like, ‘Dang, that offense can really go,’ (or) ‘Man, that defense plays hard,’ (or) ‘Man, they are really good on special teams.’ People take notice of what you have worked so hard to build.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green (10) rushes in the second quarter as UAB Blazers edge Desmond Little (8) defends at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Down 14, Taylen Green and Arkansas rally past UAB

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Ja’Quinden Jackson ran for 147 yards and a touchdown as Arkansas overcame an early two-touchdown hole to upend UAB 37-27 on Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark.

Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns and finished 11-for-26 passing for 161 yards. His main target was Andrew Armstrong, who had a game-high eight catches for 137 yards. The Razorbacks (2-1) ran for 266 yards and averaged seven yards per carry.

Both teams were coming off disappointing losses. UAB (1-2) was the sharper team in the first quarter, opening the game with a 15-play drive that ended with a 27-yard field goal by Jonah Delange and took 7:27 off the clock.

Green’s second pass of the game was intercepted and run back to the Razorbacks 15 by Michael Moore. The Blazers only needed two plays to score from there with Jacob Zeno (23 of 32, 235 yards, three TDs, one INT) making a tap pass to Kam Shanks, who raced 15 yards to make it 10-0.

UAB, a three-touchdown underdog, scored on the first play of the second quarter to make it 17-3. Zeno fired to Amare Thomas on a quick slant, who went 34-yards for the score.

But Arkansas dominated the rest of the half. Braylen Russell finished a 12-play, 75-yard drive by Arkansas with a 2-yard TD plunge to make it 17-10. Green scrambled 14 yards on the Razorbacks’ next possession to tie the score before the teams traded field goals to make it 20-20 at halftime.

Arkansas took the lead for good on the first drive of the second half with Jackson scoring on a 12-yard run up the middle. The run put him over 100 yards for the eighth time in his career as a Razorback.

UAB cut the lead to 30-27 with 6:55 to go when Zeno threw his third touchdown pass of the game, a 21-yard toss to Dallas Payne to cap a 12-play, 83-yard drive. Green answered with a 9-yard touchdown run around the left side with 3:36 left.

Arkansas entered the game with the nation’s No 2 ranked offense, averaging 667.5 yards a game. They finished with 427.

UAB wide receiver Brandon Buckhaulter was stretchered off the field late in the first half. He was hit up high after his helmet had been twisted off after catching a quick screen. Per UAB’s radio sideline reporter, Buckhaulter had movement in all of his extremities.

–Field Level Media

Eastern Washington Eagles linebacker Elijah Rodriguez (52) gets a hand on Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna (11) in the second half at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Sunday, October 2, 2022. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs Eastern Washington Eagles

Former Florida QB Jalen Kitna transferring to UAB

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Former Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna has committed to join coach Trent Dilfer’s program at UAB, ESPN reported Saturday.

Kitna was kicked off the team at Florida in November 2022 after an arrest on felony charges that were later dropped.

Kitna was facing five felony counts of possessing and distributing child pornography before agreeing to a plea deal in July. He pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct.

He avoided jail time and was placed on six months of probation for each count. He did not have to register as a sex offender.

Dilfer and UAB athletic director Mark Ingram told ESPN that “extensive due diligence” was done while reviewing Kitna’s application to the school.

A university spokesperson told ESPN that Kitna has been admitted to the school and will be on the Birmingham, Ala., campus next week for an official visit.

In a statement to ESPN published Saturday, Kitna said he was “grateful for the opportunity” at UAB.

“I acknowledge that I made naive decisions that I deeply regret and have since learned from,” he said. “As a result, I took responsibility by pleading no-contest to second-degree misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges related to those decisions.”

Kitna, the son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, said he weighed “multiple offers” before choosing to play for the Blazers.

“I firmly believe that UAB is the perfect fit for me,” the 6-foot-4 sophomore told ESPN. “I consider myself fortunate to be in Birmingham, surrounded by an incredible support system, having found a church family, and being able to take advantage of the numerous resources offered by the university.”

Kitna was the backup to eventual NFL first-round pick Anthony Richardson at Florida in 2022. He appeared in four games for the Gators and threw for 181 yards and one touchdown.

Kitna was a three-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class coming out of Burleson, Texas. He was ranked as the No. 55 quarterback in the country by the 247 Sports composite.

–Field Level Media