ESPN News Services
Oct 18, 2025, 07:59 PM ET
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- UAB upset No. 22 Memphis 31-24 on Saturday in the debut of interim coach Alex Mortensen, the son of late ESPN NFL Insider Chris Mortensen.
The Blazers fired Trent Dilfer on Sunday.
Memphis (6-1, 2-1 American Athletic Conference) reached the 1-yard line twice in the final minute as it looked for the tying touchdown, but two false starts and one delay-of-game penalty stalled the drive. Memphis threw an incomplete pass into the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 11.
"He would be excited for our team and program," Alex Mortensen said when asked about his late father in an on-field interview with ESPN. "He covered football for a long time. He's always sensitive to coaches losing their jobs. I know he would understand how hard it was what these guys went through this week."
Alex Mortensen, in his first game as interim head coach at UAB, guided the Blazers to a 31-24 upset of No. 22 Memphis, handing the Tigers their first loss of the season. Wes Hale/Getty Images
UAB entered the game as a 23.5-point underdog, making it the biggest upset of a ranked team in AAC history. It was the second-biggest upset in all of FBS this season, behind only UCLA stunning Penn State as a 24.5-point underdog.
The Blazers' offense was stellar with Mortensen and new starting quarterback Ryder Burton in charge, surpassing 450 yards against an FBS opponent for the first time this year.
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Burton completed 20 of his 27 passes for 351 yards and 3 touchdowns -- all to Iverson Hooks, who caught 11 passes for 172 yards. The Blazers (3-4, 1-3) also ran for over 200 yards against an FBS opponent for the first time since 2023.
The Tigers lost all margin for error as it relates to the American Athletic Conference championship game and the College Football Playoff. The Tigers entered the day with a 43% chance to make the College Football Playoff, which was the best of any Group of 5 program, but saw that fall to 19% with the loss.
Memphis will need to win out to have a chance at either, beginning with a matchup against No. 19 South Florida next week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.