BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- UAB upset No. 22 Memphis 31-24 on Saturday in the debut of interim coach Alex Mortensen, the son of late ESPN NFL Insider Chris Mortensen.
The Blazers fired Trent Dilfer on Sunday.
Memphis (6-1, 2-1 American Athletic Conference) reached the 1-yard line twice in the final minute as it looked for the tying touchdown, but two false starts and one delay-of-game penalty stalled the drive. Memphis threw an incomplete pass into the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 11.
The Blazers' offense was stellar with Mortensen and new starting quarterback Ryder Burton in charge, surpassing 450 yards against an FBS opponent for the first time this year.
Burton completed 20 of his 27 passes for 351 yards and 3 touchdowns -- all to Iverson Hooks, who caught 11 passes for 172 yards. The Blazers (3-4, 1-3) also ran for over 200 yards against an FBS opponent for the first time since 2023.
The Tigers lost all margin for error as it relates to the American Athletic Conference championship game and the College Football Playoff. Memphis will need to win out to have a chance at either, beginning with a matchup against No. 19 South Florida next week.
