UAB player takes cheap shot at Tennessee kicker in ugly first-quarter moment
By David Wasson
Published:
The UAB Blazers may have entered the weekend 2-1, but life on Rocky Top on Saturday wasn’t going well even before one of their players violated the cardinal rule of being not very smart in broad daylight.
Tennessee had just scored its third touchdown of the first quarter via a DeSean Bishop 3-yard run to take a 21-0 lead when UAB redshirt senior Sirad Bryant decided to take out his frustrations. Bryant appears to briefly engage with PAT holder Jackson Ross before intentionally cleating Tennessee kicker Max Gilbert after the PAT.
“Ah, that’s bush,” SEC Network analyst Matt Stinchcomb said on the broadcast.
The result was a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the ensuing kickoff – which was probably light given the possible outcome of targeting a kicker’s leg. But Bryant did stay in the game, avoiding ejection.
You can judge for yourself if Bryant should have faced ejection here:
Tennessee is looking for a bounce-back victory after falling to Georgia in overtime last weekend in Knoxville. This is the Vols’ penultimate nonconference game of the year. They will face New Mexico State on Nov. 15.
Tennessee is 5-0 all-time against UAB entering this matchup.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
