The postgame report: Memphis 38, UAB 13

Six weeks of trends say who UAB is at midseason. The first half said what it could be.

MEMPHIS — UAB led 13-10 at halftime Saturday night at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. The Blazers had outgained the best offense in the American Athletic Conference 254-139, rushed for 121 yards in the first quarter alone and taken the lead on a program-record 57-yard field goal from Jonah Delange with 44 seconds left before the break.

Then Memphis scored 28 unanswered. UAB managed 56 yards after halftime, went 0-for-9 on third and fourth down in the second half, never threatened the end zone again and watched a competitive game become a 38-13 final that looked worse than the first 30 minutes deserved.

"Had a pretty good first half in a lot of areas," head coach Alex Mortensen said. "Offense was pretty productive and moved the ball pretty consistently. Obviously went in the half with a lead. ... The negative there is that first half should have even been more productive. We didn't capitalize on a couple situations."

WHAT IT MEANS

UAB is 3-3 and 1-1 in conference play at the midpoint of the season. The patterns are established now. The defense is legitimate. The offense has systemic problems that extend beyond any single play or any single game: inconsistent line play, an inconsistent passing game, a running attack that produces when it isn't predictable and an inability to generate chunk plays through the air. Those aren't correctable in a week. The margin for error against good teams is thin. The first half proved UAB can compete with anyone in this conference. The second half proved it can't afford to beat itself when it does.

THE TURNING POINT

The teams exchanged three-and-out punts to open the second half, and for a moment it looked like the game might stay tight. Then Memphis got the ball back at its own 19 and needed nine plays to take the lead for good. Jaylin Carter capped the 81-yard drive with a 24-yard touchdown run to make it 17-13. On the next Memphis possession — five plays, 86 yards — Tychaun Chapman beat UAB's secondary for a 45-yard touchdown catch from Marcus Stokes. The lead was 24-13 with 6:07 left in the third quarter. Memphis scored 14 points in that quarter — more than UAB's defense had allowed in the last four second halves combined.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

Good: Delange hit from 49 and 57 yards in the second quarter — the 57-yarder a program record and his third career make of 50 yards or longer. He accounted for all six of UAB's second-quarter points and is now 14-for-16 on field goals this season. Jo'Tavion Pierce posted a career-high 12 tackles with two pass breakups. Oliver Straw landed all three punts inside the 20 — his third consecutive game with multiple punts inside the 20. And Ja'Vin Simpkins scored his first career UAB touchdown on an 11-yard run that gave the Blazers an early 7-0 lead.

Bad: Ryder Burton finished 10-of-20 for 131 yards with no touchdowns, an interception and three sacks. Three completions went to Ty Mims (79 yards). Nobody else had more than 24 receiving yards. Burton crossed 1,500 career passing yards, but the stat line reflects a passing game that couldn't create separation or give the quarterback time. UAB reached the red zone twice and scored one touchdown.

Ugly: UAB committed three turnovers. Memphis committed zero. The worst came on UAB's second possession: the Blazers drove 12 plays and 67 yards to the Memphis 7-yard line before Burton fumbled, forced by Jabari Ishmael. In the first quarter's final minute, Burton's pass was intercepted by Dylan Smith and returned to the UAB 35, setting up a Memphis field goal. In the fourth quarter, Roderick Robinson II fumbled at the UAB 28, forced by J'Mond Tapp, and Memphis turned it into a Hunter Tipton 1-yard touchdown run. Memphis scored 10 of its 38 points directly off those giveaways. "The turnover margin is a huge deal," Mortensen said. "We gave it to them three times and one of which we were in scoring position and so that's very challenging to overcome."

THE STATS THAT MATTER

3-for-15 on third down — Memphis converted 7 of 14. That gap is the game. UAB held the ball for 33:42 — more than seven minutes longer than Memphis — but couldn't capitalize because drives stalled on third down. After halftime, the Blazers went 0-for-9 on third and fourth down combined. Memphis kept possessions alive. UAB didn't.

Stokes: 11-of-21, 164 yards — The UAB defense did what it was supposed to do. Stokes entered averaging 274 passing yards per game with a .732 completion rate. He completed 52 percent Saturday and finished 110 yards below his average. The defense held up its end. The final score doesn't reflect it.

Carter: 19 carries, 132 yards, 6.9 YPC — Memphis didn't beat UAB through the air. Carter ran for more yards than Stokes threw for. He had zero carries that went for a loss. UAB's rush defense, which had been a concern all season at 183 yards allowed per game, gave up 230 on 46 carries.

WHAT THEY SAID

Alex Mortensen, UAB head coach:

"Right now we're 1-1 in the conference and we got to focus on, one, obviously continue to develop and get better, but we got to move fast and turn the page. We're playing on a short week. We got East Carolina at home on Thursday, big conference game. So, we probably are all frustrated with this one for a lot of reasons, and at the same time, not a lot of time to wallow in self-pity. We got to go look at it, get better, and get to work."

"I expect our staff to lead well, but player leadership goes a long way. I know a lot of these guys are going to be disappointed, but it's going to be important that they stay motivated, stay positive and stay together."

3 STARS

1. Jaylin Carter, RB, Memphis — 19 carries, 132 yards, 2 touchdowns, long of 24. Zero carries for a loss. Carter's two second-half scores — the 24-yarder that gave Memphis the lead and the ground work that set up Tipton's fourth-quarter touchdown — broke the game open.

2. Jonah Delange, K, UAB — 2-of-3 on field goals (49 and 57 yards), 7 points. The program-record 57-yarder gave UAB a halftime lead.

3. Jo'Tavion Pierce, S, UAB — Career-high 12 tackles, 2 pass breakups. The most active defender on the field for either team.

FINAL TAKEAWAYS

Marlin Dean entered this game with five sacks and eight tackles for loss. He had zero of either Saturday. Braden Sullivan's sack in the fourth quarter was UAB's only one. Memphis' offensive line neutralized the Blazers' best pass rusher.

The offensive problems feed each other. UAB rushed for 121 yards in the first quarter, then Memphis adjusted and the Blazers managed 58 over the final three. When the run stalled, the pass became predictable. When the pass wasn't a threat, Memphis sold out to stop the run. Burton had no room to operate in the second half — three sacks, defenders in his face on conversion downs, no space for play-action. The line couldn't hold up against Memphis' front after halftime and the receivers couldn't generate separation. That cycle is structural, not situational.

The correctable part: the turnovers killed scoring opportunities UAB earned. A 12-play drive to the Memphis 7 that ended with a fumble instead of points. An interception that gave Memphis the ball at the UAB 35 and led to a field goal. Those are self-inflicted. The offense created the opportunities. It gave them away.

The harder question: whether this offense can sustain production once a good defense adjusts to what it does. That's the gap between competing and winning. UAB answered the first question Saturday night. It ran into the second.

NEXT UP

UAB hosts East Carolina on Thursday, Oct. 15, at Protective Stadium. Kickoff at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.