What every Blazer fan was thinking Friday night

I'll say what every Blazer fan was thinking as they filed out of Protective Stadium on Friday night.

No way does a Trent Dilfer team win that game.

When Navy's Vic Listorti scored to put the Midshipmen up 20-17 in the third quarter, we knew what was coming. The last two years taught us. A team that folds. A sideline that goes quiet. A stadium that thins out before the fourth quarter starts.

Instead, UAB's defense — something not seen around these parts since about 2021 — knocked Navy's lights out. The Blazers held Navy scoreless in the fourth quarter, forced three fumbles and won 24-20.

Alex Mortensen was the first to say it was just one game.

But it told us a lot about this team.

Navy has had more wins than any program in the American Conference over the past two seasons — 21-5 with back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in school history. Last year the Midshipmen were led by Blake Horvath, a Heisman candidate who accounted for 2,780 yards and 28 touchdowns. Navy had been everything UAB was not — tough, determined, disciplined, resilient. Horvath is gone and this Navy team may not be as good. But those qualities are baked into the culture Brian Newberry built in Annapolis.

This time, UAB matched every one of them.

Afterwards, Mortensen expressed pride in how the Blazers fought to get a tough victory.

"I really like this team," Mortensen said. "I really like these guys, and I want it for them, man. So it's just cool for them to have some success."

That is the difference. A coach who wants it for his players. Who sees the missed assignments and the protection breakdowns on the film but leads with what he sees in their eyes.

And what he sees shows up on the field.

This defense has some ballers now. The front rocked Navy on Friday night. For some perspective: Navy gave up nine sacks in 13 games last season, tied for third-fewest nationally. UAB had six Friday night. Jo'Tavion Pierce, Muaaz Byard, Chris Spencer, Ike Esonwune and Marlin Dean are flying to the football. They are striking people. Playing with controlled aggression. And you can see they still have room to grow.

Mortensen went out of his way to credit the man responsible.

"I'm really glad he's here," Mortensen said of defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. "I'm glad we got him here. I think he's done an outstanding job. And we know there's more, and he knows, we know, we all know there's more work to be done, but I thought he did a great job leading on that side of the ball tonight."

Here are 10 more observations from Friday night at Protective.

1. Marlin Dean. Wow.

I've seen almost every UAB football game ever played. I can count on one hand the number of performances by a UAB defensive player that were on that level of disruptiveness. Dean was everywhere — 12 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. All three forced fumbles came in the fourth quarter. Navy linemen, backs and their quarterback are probably going to have nightmares about No. 4.

2. Speaking of Navy's quarterback.

They probably had to pack Jackson Gutierrez in ice on the flight back to Annapolis. Gutierrez rushed 34 times for 134 yards, was sacked six times and threw 13 passes — all in his first career start after senior Braxton Woodson went down with an ankle injury. That is a beating. That young man took some serious hits Friday night and got right back up every time. Tough kid. Navy fans should feel good about what they saw from him, even in a loss.

3. The field goal decision.

A lot of fans discussed the decision to attempt a 47-yard field goal with under a minute to play, suggesting it might have been better to go for it on fourth-and-2 to close out the game and keep the ball out of Navy's hands. Jonah Delange missed his first field goal attempt of the season. Navy took over with no timeouts but a chance to drive the length of the field. Instead, the UAB defense answered with two sacks, then got to Gutierrez one more time and slapped the ball loose. Marlin Dean's third forced fumble of the fourth quarter ended it.

4. The crowd.

Attendance was announced at 24,647. Navy brought a strong contingent, as you would expect from a military academy with a national alumni network. It was a lively crowd that made its presence known late in the game. I've always felt UAB could draw better on weeknight games than a lot of programs do. It has been a while since that theory could really be tested. If Mortensen keeps this turnaround going, the attendance will follow.

5. The tight ends showed up.

UAB finally got the tight ends involved in the passing game. Sean Persson, Antonio Ferguson and Scott Isacks combined for three catches and 29 yards. Not a stat line that jumps off the page, but significant for an offense that needs to stretch the field in as many ways as it can.

6. The most animated Blazer fan of the night.

The most animated Blazer fan I saw Friday night was head basketball coach and interim athletic director Andy Kennedy. He was so fired up congratulating Mortensen and Grantham after the game that I thought he might headbutt one of them. AK bleeds him some green and gold. That passion is not limited to his basketball team, and it is probably the biggest reason Blazer fans love him. They know he loves this place and he loves them. They know he takes his role as the caretaker of Gene Bartow's program and legacy as a labor of love.

Seriously. AK looked ready to form tackle somebody.

7. Legends in the building.

Former UAB kicker and LA Chargers punter Ty Long and former Falcons wide receiver Roddy White took in the action alongside White's former Atlanta teammate and Alabama star Julio Jones. Ty Mims, who caught the 56-yard touchdown pass from Ryder Burton in the second quarter that gave UAB the halftime lead, was asked what it meant to make that play in front of White — the best receiver in UAB history.

"Man, it mean everything to the world," Mims said. "Like, it mean a lot, bro. Man, just doing it in front of legends, doing it in front of people like that, doing it in front of big screen ESPN, it feels good."

8. Up next: the neighbors.

UAB hosts Samford next week. It will be the first time the two Birmingham schools have played on the football field since Oct. 31, 1992 — UAB's second year of NCAA football, when the Blazers were competing as a Division III independent. Samford was one of the best I-AA programs in the country that year, going 9-3 under coach Terry Bowden before he left for Auburn. The Bulldogs beat UAB 49-3. Samford is also the alma mater for Mortensen, who began his college career at Arkansas before transferring to play quarterback for the Bulldogs.

9. The vibe is different.

The vibe on this team is so much different than the last couple of years. It shows up in the way they play — the toughness, the ability to shake off a setback and move to the next play. Mortensen talks about that a lot. But that culture shows up in ways that don't make the highlight reel. It shows up in the way teammates encourage each other on the sideline. It shows up in the way players walk through the media room after the game and shake the hand of every reporter there and thank them for covering the team. It shows up when they sing the alma mater at full voice after a win.

In this age of the transfer portal and NIL, people wonder if that type of camaraderie and school spirit is gone. I wondered about it a lot watching UAB the last couple of years — watching players who seemed checked out, focused on their individual stats, probably running off to check their DMs for Power 4 offers at halftime.

You don't feel that with this team.

10. I wasn't sure I'd ever see it again.

I'll be honest. After the last three seasons of dysfunction and indifference, I wasn't sure I would ever see this again at UAB. The return from shutdown had this feel — UAB against the world, a bond with the fans for a team literally raised from the dead. The Dilfer era didn't kill UAB football. But it needed shock paddles.

It may have also needed Todd Grantham and a few fireballs on defense.