Zeno leads UAB over North Carolina A&T 35-6, gets former NFL QB Dilfer first win as college coach

Updated Aug. 31, 2023 11:38 p.m. ET

Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Jacob Zeno threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, and former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl XXXV Champion Trent Dilfer collected his first win as a college coach as UAB beat North Carolina A&T 35-6 on Thursday night in a season opener.

Zeno completed 38 of 41 passes with a touchdown pass each to T.J. Jones, Tejhaun Palmer and Iverson Hooks. Jermaine Brown Jr. added 47 yards on the ground with a pair of TD runs for UAB.

Owen Daffer kicked field goals from 37 and 33 yards for North Carolina A&T. Wesley Graves had 58 of the Bulldogs' 147 yards rushing. Eli Brickhandler completed just 2 of 8 passes for 16 yards.

Dilfer was named UAB’s head coach on Dec. 2, 2022. He spent the four previous seasons coaching high school at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville.

UAB is entering its first season as a member of the American Athletic Conference and opens its conference slate at Tulane on Sept. 30.

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll