Courtesy of UAB Athletics Quarterback Jalen Kitna and running back Jevon Jackson spearheaded an impressive offensive performance in leading the UAB football team to a season-opening 52- 42 victory over Alabama State on Thursday, August 28, 2025 at Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham. UAB (1-0) put up 520 total yards, led by Jackson with 166 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including a 46- yard score. Solomon Beebe rushed eight times for 51 yards and two touchdowns, all of which were career highs. Isaiah Jacobs also rushed eight times for 42 yards and recorded one touchdown as those three combined for 259 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Overall UAB rushed for 273 yards. Kitna completed 18-of-23 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns and found his top targets in Corri Milliner (5- 98-1) and Iverson Hooks (7-73-1). Defensively, Sirad Bryant led UAB with eight tackles, while new Blazers Devin Hightower, Amorie Morrison and Pierre Royster each contributed six. Hightower also had a TFL and a fumble recovery. However, the Blazers had a hard time containing ASU quarterback Andrew Body who threw 312 yards and four touchdowns while adding 119 rushing yards and a score. Alabama State was 13-of-15 on third down conversions and tallied 514 yards of total offense. Jonah Delange capped UAB’s opening drive with a 42- yard field goal, but Alabama State responded on its opening drive with a 60-yard touchdown run from Body to take a 7-3 lead. The Blazers struck right back by marching 73 yards in 11 plays which was capped by Kitna finding Hooks for an 8-yard touchdown for a 10-7 lead with 6:23 left in the first. ASU retook the lead with an 81-yard drive that ate up 6:04 and connected on a 14-yard pass to open the second quarter for a 14-10 advantage. Milliner’s 49-yard touchdown reception 54 seconds later gave UAB a 17-14 lead, but ASU scored a 31-yard touchdown with five seconds left in the half to take a 21-17 advantage in the locker room. ASU received the ball to start the second half and scored on its opening possession to build an 11-point lead (28-17), but then the Blazers dominated the remainder of the third quarter and scored 21-unanswered points, all rushing with two from Jackson and one from Beebe. Alabama State rushed for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to trail by three (38-35). The Blazers went back up by 10 when Jacobs found the end zone for his first touchdown of the season. ASU was able to answer back and again trail by three at 45-42 and a 69-yard touchdown reception with 4:18 left in the contest. Once again, the Blazers responded and Beebe put the game away with 1:19 on the clock when he scored his second touchdown of the night for the final tally of 52-42. UAB Football Wins Season Opener Alabama Ledger www.AlabamaLedger.com
The Sports Ledger www.TheSportsLedger.com
PAGE 2B September 2025 E-Edition
Alabama Wide Receiver Ryan Williams (2) carries the football during the program's season opener on Saturday, August 30, 2025 against Florida State University at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. Crimson Tide fans were hoping that this would be a breakout year for Alabama, which is under the direction of second year head coach Kalen DeBoer. However, that was not the case, as the eighth ranked Crimson Tide fell to unranked FSU 31-17. The Seminoles entered the week two AP Poll at No. 14. Alabama scored first, before giving up 24 straight points to the Seminoles and eventually losing the program's first season opener in 23 years. The last season opening loss for the Crimson Tide was in 2001 against UCLA. Against FSU, Williams only had five catches for 30 yards. As a team, No. 8 Alabama (now No. 21) had 87 total rushing yards, and 257 passing yards, for a total of 341 offensive yards. Florida State ran for 230 yards and passed for 152 yards, to finish the season opener with 382 total yards on offense. Florida State Shocks Crimson Tide Photo Courtesy of Alabama Athletics
University of Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar hands off the football to Vols running back Peyton Lewis during the 2025 Aflac Kickoff game against Syracuse at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, August 30. The Vols opened the first quarter with 17 unanswered points and went on to roll past Syracuse 45-26. Aguilar completed 16 of 28 pass attempts for 247 yards and three touchdowns in his debut at quarterback for the Vols. Lewis ran for 38 yards and a touchdown in the win. As a team, No. 22 Tennessee rushed for 246 yards and had 493 total yards on offense. The Vols defense limited Syracuse to only 103 rushing yards. Read more about the Vols victory on The Sports Ledger's web site at www.thesportsledger.com. Tennessee Rolls Past Syracuse Photo by Kate Luffman, Tennessee Athletics
C OLLINSVILLE D RUGS Brandon Boswell h Pharmacist/Owner h 256-524-2981 “Caring for You Like Family” Valley Head's Tytan Blevins (#5) runs the football during the Tigers recent game against Section. Blevins completed 7-of-15 passes for 83 yards in the win. He threw a 38 yard touchdown pass to Ben Johnson and he rushed for a seven yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal the win. However, he threw three interceptions in the game. Valley Head Defeats Section Submitted Photo
Albertville Varsity Cheerleaders Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
588 South Valley Avenue P.O. Box 498 Collinsville, AL 35961 (256) 524-2981 (256) 524-2987
“Caring for you Like Family” Brandon Boswell, PharmD Pharmacist/Owner
Made with FlippingBook Digital Proposal Creator