Birmingham, AL (Sports Network) - Darrin Reaves rushed for 184 yards and a
pair of touchdowns as the UAB Blazers held on for a 38-31 win over the
Marshall Thundering Herd in Conference USA action at Legion Field
Reaves carried the ball 32 times in the game for UAB (3-7, 2-4 C-USA) which
has won back-to-back games for the first time this season. Austin Brown threw
for 197 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted three times in a
20-for-34 passing effort. Eight different receivers caught passes for UAB.
Rakeem Cato threw for 216 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while
completing 25-of-34 pass attempts for Marshall (4-5, 3-3). Kevin Grooms paced
the Herd on the ground with 75 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Tommy
Shuler had a team-highs in receptions (5) and yards (77).
Marshall got on the board first on a two-yard touchdown run from Remi Watson.
From there UAB erupted for 31 unanswered points. First Jackie Williams
returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown. Reaves added a four yard touchdown
run before the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter Patrick Hearn hauled in a 33-yard touchdown pass from
Brown and Ty Long hit a 27-yard field goal with less than a minute before the
half.
The Blazers scored first in the second half when Brown threw a 32-yard
touchdown pass to Nick Adams. After that scored the Blazers led 31-7.
A 10-yard touchdown pass from Cato to Jazz King on Marshall's next possession
began the Herd's comeback bid.
Grooms then scored on a seven-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth
quarter. After a 38-yard field goal from Justin Haig, the Herd trailed by just
a touchdown, 31-24.
After the score UAB took over with a little more than seven minutes remaining.
From there the Blazers rattled off an 11-play, 80-yard drive that lasted more
than four minutes and ended in a 17-yard touchdown run from Reaves.
Marshall pulled to within a touchdown again with a three-yard touchdown pass
from Cato to Gator Hoskins with a little more than a minute left. However the
Herd didn't have enough timeouts to stop the clock as the Blazers ran out the
clock on their next possession.
UAB made up for its two turnovers by forcing three from Marshall. The Blazers
also held a 406-337 edge in total yards.
GAME NOTES:
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