Memphis turned a three-point halftime deficit into a 38-13 win over UAB on Saturday night, scoring four unanswered touchdowns after the break at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Jaylin Carter ran for 132 yards and two scores, and Marcus Stokes threw two touchdown passes as the Tigers improved to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the American.
UAB had earned its 13-10 halftime advantage through a productive opening possession and Jonah Delange's kicking. The Blazers received no second-half points to go with it. Memphis took the ball away three times, avoided turnovers itself and finished with 230 rushing yards, giving the Tigers a reliable way to move beyond the uneven first half.
Carter put Memphis ahead for good with a 24-yard touchdown run at the end of a nine-play, 81-yard drive. The score made it 17-13 with 9:33 left in the third quarter. On the next Tigers possession, Stokes found Tychaun Chapman for a 45-yard touchdown, completing an 86-yard drive in five plays and extending the lead to 24-13.
Those two possessions changed the demands on UAB's offense. The Blazers had been able to trade modest gains and field goals while the score stayed close. After Memphis struck twice, UAB needed to reach the end zone against a defense that was already creating turnovers and limiting third-down conversions.
The Blazers moved into Memphis territory following Chapman's touchdown, but Delange missed a 53-yard field-goal attempt. A fourth-quarter UAB fumble then left Memphis with a short field. Hunter Tipton's one-yard touchdown run finished that possession with 10:22 remaining, increasing the lead to 31-13. Stokes added an 11-yard touchdown pass to Aidan O'Callaghan with 5:04 left.
UAB coach Alex Mortensen addressed the 38-13 loss in the team’s postgame press conference.
