December 12, 2020 GMT
HOUSTON (AP) Tyler Johnston III passed for 217 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, and UAB beat Rice 21-16 on Saturday to claim the Conference USA West Division for the third consecutive season.
UAB (5-3) will face Marshall for the conference championship. The Thundering Herd had their game canceled this week against Charlotte.
UAB scored on its first two possessions of the second half - in just seven plays. Myron Mitchell got behind the defense on UAB’s first play after halftime for a 63-yard score. Samario Rudolph caught another long pass in traffic along the left side and he dove into the end zone for a 21-13 lead.
Tyler Johnston, depleted roster, power UAB to 21-16 win over Rice
Updated Dec 12, 2020;
Posted Dec 12, 2020
Trea Shropshire celebrates a 54-yard reception during UAB s 21-16 win over Rice, Saturday, Dec. 12, at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas. (UAB Athletics)
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No games played in more than a month? A slow start that snowballed into a second-half masterpiece.
Only 42 scholarship payers available, due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing, and the top receiver leaving the team before the end of the season? Dip into a deep running back pool and watch a walk-on receiver reel in a 42-yard touchdown catch for his first career reception to take an 8-point lead midway through the third quarter.
Rice claims Conference USA s West for 3rd straight season | Taiwan News taiwannews.com.tw - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from taiwannews.com.tw Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
UAB defeats Rice, 21-16, to win third-straight C-USA West division title
Blazers earn the victory in their first game in 42 days thanks to Tyler Johnston’s strong afternoon.
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UAB’s revival under Bill Clark took another impressive leap in Houston on Saturday.
Uncertainty lurked in the atmosphere surrounding a Blazers team taking the field for the first time since October. But UAB overcame a halftime deficit to dispatch Rice 21-16. The Blazers clinched their third consecutive C-USA West division title, and have become an annual staple in the conference championship. UAB (5-3, 3-1 C-USA) ousted UTSA (7-4, 5-2 C-USA) in the division race due to winning percentage and will face Marshall in Huntington, WV next Friday.