Alabama-Birmingham Blazers vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Match Player Stats On Oct 04, 2014

Alabama Birmingham (3-2, 1-1 Conference USA), which overcame three turnovers and won for only the second time in its last 10 road games, also received a 22-of-25, 300-yard, two-touchdown passing performance from Cody Clements. The Blazers trailed 27-14 at halftime but scored 28 points and rolled up 381 yards, including 213 on the ground, in the second half.

Anthony Wales ran for a career-high 138 yards and three TDs for Western Kentucky (2-3, 0-2), the former Sun Belt Conference program which lost its Conference USA home debut. Brandon Doughty, who entered the contest as the FBS total offense leader at 458 yards per game, was 25-of-37 for 319 yards and two touchdowns and rushed three times for 16 yards.

Howard scored on a 1-yard run to finish UAB’s opening drive of the second half, and Clements capped the team’s ensuing two possessions with a 5-yard TD run and a 75-yard scoring strike to Josh Magee to give the Blazers a 35-27 lead with 5:52 remaining in the third quarter. The Hilltoppers stormed back in front, 39-35, on a 24-yard Doughty-to-Antwane Grant scoring pass and an 85-yard interception return by safety Ricardo Singh, but Howard capped the Blazers’ ensuing 86-yard drive with a 15-yard scoring run and UAB ran out the final 4:03 after stopping Western Kentucky’s last drive at the Blazers’ 33-yard line.

J.J. Nelson got the Blazers off to a roaring start, returning the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, but the Hilltoppers responded with a touchdown reception by Taywan Taylor and Wales’ first TD, a 2-yard run. UAB tied it at 14 on Clements’ 24-yard scoring toss to Kennard Backman, but Wales closed out the first-half scoring with 75- and 21-yard scoring bursts to put the hosts ahead 27-14 at the half.