Fourth Quarter Rally Fails Pirates, 36-29
November 16, 2002 | Football
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Darrell Hackney threw for 424 yards and three touchdowns to lead UAB to a 36-29 victory over East Carolina on Saturday. The win kept UAB`s bowl hopes alive and dealt a serious blow to ECU`s chances for postseason play.
Hackney, a redshirt freshman, directed an 89-yard game-winning scoring drive in the final four minutes.
Kendal Gibson scored on a 1-yard one with a minute left to provide the winning points for UAB (5-5, 4-2 Conference USA).
``That game was typical for us,`` said UAB coach Watson Brown. ``When we win, we just find some way to do it. I told the offense tonight that they needed to step up for us to win and they did it.``
East Carolina (3-6, 3-2) trailed 29-17 entering the fourth quarter. But the Pirates came back to tie the game behind quarterback Desmond Robinson, who relieved starter Paul Troth and played the entire second half. Troth suffered a helmet-to-helmet hit late in the first half and was held out after being diagnosed with a concussion.
East Carolina`s comeback started when the Pirates drove 79 yards in 14 plays to score on a 4-yard pass from Robinson to Art Brown, cutting UAB`s lead to 29-24 with 10:38 left in the game. A 15-yard pass from Robinson to Ben Thomas from the UAB 39 was a key play of the drive.
On UAB`s next possession, Hackney fumbled while trying to pass under pressure and East Carolina`s Ja`Waren Blair recovered at the Blazer 39-yard line. UAB`s defense held, but Pirates punter Jarad Preston kicked the ball out of bounds at the UAB 2.
On the Blazers` first play, East Carolina safety Antwane Yelverton knifed through to tackle UAB running black Theron Dudley in the end zone for a safety, making it 29-26.
East Carolina returned a UAB free kick to the Blazers` 42-yard line. The Pirates drove to the 14 before settling for a 31-yard field goal by Kevin Miller, tying the game 29-29 with 4:09 left.
Hackney then sparked the Blazer offense, completing a 15-yard pass to Roddy White and a 12-yarder to Bernard Anderson before Gibson ran 25 yards to the East Carolina 37.
A 13-yard run by Dudley and runs of 9 and 4 yards by Dan Burks gave UAB a first down at the East Carolina 11 with 1:56 left. Three plays later, Gibson ran into the end zone from the 1 for the game-winning points.
East Carolina drove to near midfield but Robinson`s long pass was intercepted by Sentell Winston at the 2-yard line with five seconds left.
Hackney was 20 of 34 for 424 yards and three touchdowns. White had eight catches for 159 yards and a touchdown for UAB. Willie Quinnie caught three passes for 121 yards, including a 94-yard scoring catch in the second quarter, the second longest offensive play in school history.
Nick Hayes kicked field goals of 46, 34 and 33 yards for UAB. But he missed a 37-yarder late in the first half, breaking his streak of 15 consecutive field goals dating back to last season.
Robinson completed 12 of 20 passes for 115 yards and one touchdown for East Carolina. Brown ran for 84 yards on 16 carries.
