McReynolds breaks free late as UAB beats Navy 24-20

UAB trailed Navy entering the fourth quarter Friday, then got the one long run it needed to win. Bam McReynolds broke a 48-yard touchdown with 10:36 left, putting the Blazers ahead 24-20 at Protective Stadium. The final play log records no further points. McReynolds scored twice on only eight carries, turning a close American Conference opener into a UAB victory.

The first half swung repeatedly. McReynolds opened the scoring with a 10-yard run early in the second quarter. Navy quarterback Jackson Gutierrez answered from four yards out to tie it. Jonah Delange's 44-yard field goal gave UAB another lead, and Nolan Bartley's 34-yard kick tied the score again. Ryder Burton then connected with Ty Mims on a 56-yard touchdown pass, giving UAB a 17-10 edge. Bartley's 31-yard field goal in the final seconds of the half cut it to 17-13.

Navy took its only lead in the third when Vic Listorti scored on a seven-yard run and Bartley converted the extra point. The Midshipmen were up 20-17 with a quarter still to play. McReynolds's 48-yard run reversed that score, and UAB's defense preserved the four-point edge. The two McReynolds touchdowns were different kinds of plays: a short run to start the scoring and a breakaway that settled it.

Gutierrez shouldered Navy's ground game, carrying 34 times for 134 yards and a touchdown. He completed four of 13 passes for 104 yards. Burton went 13 of 20 for 174 yards, one touchdown and one interception for UAB. Mims caught three passes for 76 yards, including the 56-yard score. McReynolds finished with 71 yards on eight rushes, so his two scoring runs accounted for most of his production. Those lines come from the final box score.

The UAB game guide framed this as a Friday night Salute to Service game. On the field, the decisive detail was simpler: Navy gained a three-point lead in the third, and UAB needed one more touchdown. McReynolds delivered it with the longest scoring run in this game, leaving Navy unable to answer in the remaining 10 minutes.

The final quarter offered no matching Navy scoring play after UAB regained the lead, despite the narrow margin.