The Next Level: Perry lifts UAB to first win
The Next Level is a weekly Recruiting Report feature that focuses on natives of Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County and Howard County who appear on NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision rosters. Chris Eckard, a senior at the University of Maryland and Baltimore Sun sports department intern, is your author.
With a starting quarterback in and out with various injuries this season, UAB has looked to sophomore quarterback Jonathan Perry (Dunbar) several times this season for a spark in the offense. He provided one Saturday against Central Florida.
Passing for 327 yards and a pair of touchdowns, Perry led the Blazers to their first win of the season, after they started 0-6. He went 31-for-42 and threw a pair of interceptions, but his ability to make plays through the air and with his feet (33 rushing yards) gave the Blazers just enough against the nation’s No. 3 defense.
“The satisfaction of winning a football game is mighty big for us,” coach Neil Callaway said in his news conference after the game.
For giving his team a much-needed lift and getting UAB's first win of the season, Perry is this week’s Next Level Player of the Week. He has thrown for 842 yards and rushed for 119 this season.
Honorable Mention
• North Carolina senior linebacker Zach Brown (Wilde Lake) had a pair of sacks and five solo tackles (seven total) in the Tar Heels’ 59-38 loss to No. 8 Clemson.
• Temple junior running back Matt Brown (Peddie School, New Jersey) led the team in rushing with 124 yards on 22 carries in the Owls’ 13-10 loss to Bowling Green. Brown also returned three punts for a total of 46 yards and three kickoffs for a total of 75 yards. Temple senior quarterback Chester Stewart (DeMatha) went 6-for-14 passing for 66 yards and added 14 yards on the ground.
• Syracuse wide receiver Alec Lemon (Arundel) had three receptions for 29 yards as his Orange cruised past West Virginia, 49-23. Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin (Dunbar) had 120 all-purpose yards, including 60 receiving yards, while junior safety Terrence Garvin (Loyola) had four solo tackles (five total) in the loss.
Other Contributions
• Arkansas State senior cornerback Darron Edwards (Dunbar) had two solo tackles (three total) in the Red Wolves’ 34-16 win against Florida International.
• East Carolina sophomore defensive end Derrell Johnson (Cardinal Gibbons) had a solo tackle (two total) in a 38-35 win against Navy.
• Maryland junior defensive tackle A.J. Francis (Gonzaga) recorded a sack and four total tackles in the Terps’ 41-16 loss to Florida State. Other Maryland performers: Sophomore offensive lineman Cody Blue (Wilde Lake) had a tackle, junior safety Eric Franklin (Archbishop Curley ) had two solo tackles (five total) and sophomore defensive end David Mackall (Edmondson) had three solo tackles.
• New Mexico freshman safety Zach Dancel (Good Counsel) had three solo tackles (five total) in a 69-0 blowout loss to TCU.
• Penn State freshman safety Adrian Amos (Calvert Hall) had a 26-yard kick return, two solo tackles and a pass breakup in the Nittany Lions’ 34-24 win against Northwestern.
• UTEP sophomore defensive lineman Horace Miller (Dunbar) had a solo tackle (four total) and a 7-yard sack in a 31-17 win against Colorado State. Colorado State sophomore linebacker Shaq Barrett (Boy’s Town, Neb.) had five tackles in the loss.
• Virginia wide receiver Darius Jennings (Gilman) had a 1-yard reception, and senior defensive tackle Nick Jenkins (Good Counsel) had two tackles in the Cavaliers’ 28-14 loss to North Carolina State.
• Virginia Tech sophomore cornerback Kyle Fuller (Mount St. Joseph) had four solo tackles (five total), including one for a loss, as the No. 16 Hokies beat Boston College, 30-14.
• Wake Forest sophomore wide receiver Michael Campanaro (River Hill) had 46 yards on four catches and 5 rushing yards in the Demon Deacons’ 24-23 win against Duke. Wake Forest junior linebacker Joey Ehrmann (Gilman) had four solo tackles (seven total) in the win.
