For most college football fans, UAB’s heartfelt victory over BYU No. 12 was one of the most defining accomplishments of the 2021-22 bowling season. Despite UAB’s record 84 and strong finish on its conference roster, he entered the Independence Bowl with a losing touchdown.
A perhaps overlooked advantage UAB had going into the game was the Blazers’ advantage in data and analysis. UAB Athletic Performance Director for Football, Lyle Henley, spearheaded the implementation of cutting-edge player tracking of KINEXON technology – technology that currently dominates the basketball market but is only scratching the surface in college and professional football.
Throughout the season, UAB has amassed valuable data points on player speed, acceleration/deceleration, miles per hour and more to better inform training decisions in real time. These charges proved invaluable to manager Henley and the rest of the staff when it came to securing his training, the athletes gave their best in the most crucial moments of the season.
With the Blazers down 2,824 in the fourth quarter of the Independence Bowl, quarterback Dylan Hopkins threw a 14-yard touchdown off wide receiver Trea Shropshire on the 4th and 7th, which created a separation on the BYU defense , to regain command. The 15-game drive, which lasted more than eight minutes, was the defining moment of the Blazers’ season.
The UAB defense forced a turnover on BYU’s subsequent possession and so their offense may have run out of time. UAB did what its staff set out to do before the season: perform at the highest level when it mattered most. With the help of KINEXON, the Blazers peaked at the right time and earned the highest win in program history.