Back When: Revisiting UAB's only win at South Florida

Every Monday and Thursday for three seasons, Nick Hayes practiced the same drill. Two-minute offense. Drive to the 25- or 30-yard line. The offense runs a play, the field-goal team races onto the field and an assistant coach counts down the seconds.

"Seven, six, five ..."

Every Monday and Thursday for three seasons, the UAB placekicker went through the routine without a payoff. He had never been given the opportunity to kick a last-second game-winner.

On Nov. 22, 2003, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Hayes got his chance. His roommate and long snapper had left the game with a broken leg. A 6-foot-5 USF receiver had already blocked two of his kicks. His starting quarterback had been knocked out of the game. And the 19-3 lead UAB had carried into the fourth quarter had evaporated in less than four minutes. With nine seconds left and the Blazers' first bowl bid in program history hanging on one swing of his right leg, Hayes drilled a 42-yard field goal to beat South Florida 22-19.

On Saturday, UAB returns to Tampa to face USF at 11 a.m. CT on ESPNU. Here's what happened the only time the Blazers have won there.

The 2003 season started with real promise. Darrell Hackney throwing to Roddy White. A win at Baylor to open the year, Hackney throwing the game-winning touchdown in the final minute. Wins at Memphis and over Cincinnati, where White caught four passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Watson Brown's team had won two straight conference games and was in the CUSA bowl picture when it went to TCU — and lost 27-24 after leading in the fourth quarter. Hackney suffered a thumb injury that ended his season.

Without Hackney, UAB lost at fourth-ranked Georgia by three and at home to Tulane. White, who had been the most dangerous weapon in the passing game, made only two catches for 47 yards in the two games after Hackney went down.

"I was frustrated a lot," White told the Birmingham Post-Herald that week.

But he didn't quit on the team. After the Georgia game, he walked up to Brown and said, "Coach, I know I have to become a better blocker now, since I won't get the ball as much."

"He meant that totally in a team way," Brown told the Post-Herald.

By mid-November, UAB was 4-6, 3-3 in CUSA with two games left — at South Florida and at Houston. The margin for error was gone. They had to win both to get to 6-6 and then hope there were enough CUSA bowl slots left for them. South Florida was 23-1 at home since 2000 and ranked 13th nationally in total defense. The Bulls needed to win their final two games too, or their own bowl hopes were dead.

"It's been a disappointing year," Brown told the Post-Herald. "But we're still alive and possibly in the bowl hunt. We've had nine lives this year."

I was at that game. Not covering it — I was working at the Orlando Sentinel by then — but in the stands with friends from Birmingham, a first chance to see them since moving to Central Florida that August. It was my first South Florida game. The vibe was not what I was accustomed to in a college football environment. It was more big-city pro, mean and combative. Southern-style hospitality? No, it felt more like you were in Philly wearing a Santa suit and you were about to be rained down upon with boos and pelted with beer cans. In between, there were curse words and slurred words and middle fingers flying like so many Bucs' pirate flags.

Brown had benched Chris Williams and handed the offense to Curtis Falany, a redshirt freshman making his first career start. Lance Rhodes would also take snaps at quarterback. UAB was rolling into a hostile stadium with three quarterbacks, its fourth and fifth tailbacks and no margin for error.

Falany was sharp. He hit tight end Cedric Hampton for a 10-yard touchdown, then found White on a 56-yard strike for another score. Hayes added field goals of 26 and 43 yards. UAB led 19-3 heading into the final eight minutes, and the defense had forced six USF turnovers — five interceptions and a fumble — while committing only one.

USF started its comeback with 7:45 left in the fourth quarter.

USF's Javan Camon blocked a punt, giving the Bulls the ball at UAB's 16. Vince Brewer scored from a yard out. Brian Fisher ran in the two-point conversion. 19-11 with 6:53 left. It was the third kick USF had blocked — 6-foot-5 receiver Huey Whittaker had already swatted down a Hayes extra point and a field goal attempt earlier in the game.

UAB went three-and-out on the next possession. USF covered 36 yards, and Brewer scored from the 5. Julmiste threw the two-point conversion to Brewer. 19-19 with 3:28 left.

In the third quarter, long snapper John Newton — Hayes' roommate, a Vestavia Hills product — had broken his leg on punt coverage and been carried off the field in an air bag. Tackle Wilbert Hamilton and Roddy White had taken over the long-snapping duties. Falany had been knocked out of the game after a sack. Williams, the benched starter, came back in and immediately threw an interception to J.R. Reed, who returned it to midfield.

USF had the ball and the momentum. But the defense held USF to 1 yard. Facing fourth and nine, Leavitt punted.

"I didn't think they could drive the ball on us," Leavitt told the Birmingham News.

UAB started at its own 18 with 1:22 left. Williams hit White for 26 yards — White got one foot down with a defender draped over him. Williams found White again for 13 to the USF 25. Fifty-seven yards in six plays. The field-goal team ran onto the field with nine seconds on the clock.

"It was a scary feeling, not having John out there and having had two field goals blocked in the game, then seeing that 6-foot-5 guy back there ready to jump again," Hayes told the Post-Herald. "It was kind of crazy. But I was ready for it. When we went out there, I was pretty confident that we'd make it."

Hamilton snapped to Parker Mullins, and Hayes put it through from 42.

"He has ice water in his veins," Brown told the Post-Herald. "He always has. I believe in him 100 percent. As long as it's in range — and a 42-yarder is in range for him — then he'll put it through there."

"No. 10 (White), obviously, we couldn't cover," Leavitt told the Tampa Tribune. "He owned us."

"We are so beat up, we have so many people out," Brown told the Birmingham News. "We were playing with every quarterback we have. We were doing anything on offense we could figure out to try and make a yard."

The win kept the bowl dream alive for one more Saturday. UAB went to Houston the following week needing one more victory to make program history.

"That made (kicking the game-winner) a lot sweeter," Hayes told the Post-Herald. "Just knowing that we still have a shot. Now it all rides on this week and this game."

UAB lost at Houston and finished 5-7. The first bowl game in program history would have to wait one more season.