Hopkins, UAB beat No. 12 BYU 31-28 in Independence Bowl – Cache Valley Daily
UAB tight end Gerrit Prince (20) scores a touchdown against BYU defensive back D’Angelo Mandell (5) during the first half of the Independence Bowl NCAA college football game in Shreveport, La., Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton) SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — Dylan Hopkins broke the Independence Bowl record for completion percentage in wind and driving rain, connecting on 19 of 23 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns in UAB’s 31-28 victory over No. 12 BYU on Saturday. With UAB (9-4) facing fourth-and-7 with six minutes remaining, coach Bill Clark passed on a field-goal attempt, and Hopkins threw a 14-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass to Trea Shropshire, the only player from Louisiana on either roster. “We knew to win the game we had to go for it,” Hopkins said. BYU (10-3) appeared to be in good position to at least tie it, but Samson Nacua fumbled after making a catch inside UAB’s 25 with 3:36 remaining. The Blazers ran nine straight running plays to exhaust the remaining time. “What a way to finish the game,” Ckark said. “We protected the ball. To win the game at the end — running the ball when they knew it was coming.” DeWayne McBride
