On a night he set the program record for most completions in a game, UAB quarterback Jacob Zeno saved his best for an ICBM strike to TJ Jones late in the third quarter.

Leading by three scores and facing second down inside opponent territory, Zeno faked a hand-off to Isaiah Jacobs, bounce stepped and unleased a line-crushing dart on a post route.

“First of all, it was a good block by Dallas (Payne), because if not for that block, I don’t get that ball off,” Zeno said. “Secondly, it’s like we have practice. We’ve run that play many times in practice and I’m just doing my job. I saw the DB come down a little bit and I had him.”

Over the shoulder of the defender and into the lightly outstretched hands of Jones for a 34-yard touchdown strike.

“The post for the touchdown, you won’t see a better throw this whole week in college football,” UAB head coach Trent Dilfer said. “TJ did a great job chasing it down.”

Zeno was a man possessed on the field and had a game for the ages in leading the Blazers to a 35-6 season-opening victory over North Carolina A&T, Thursday, Aug. 31, at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium.

RELATED: Rewinding UAB’s 35-6 season-opening win over North Carolina A&T

“I’m really proud of the coaches and kids,” Dilfer said. “Everyone keeps asking me about my emotions and my emotions were about them. A lot goes into college football. I haven’t been surprised by any of that, but the investment these people make is pretty significant and you want to feel very connected to their success. I’m really happy to see them have success and play at a high level in the first game. Is there a lot of room for improvement? Absolutely. We got so many things we got to get better at but super, super happy for them.”

The redshirt junior went the distance for the Blazers and finished 38-of-41 for 291 yards and three touchdowns — setting the UAB single-game record for most completions — and added 31 yards on the ground.

A feat such as that is often reserved for practice scrimmages and 7-on-7 drills and the quantitative experience was not lost on Zeno.

“It didn’t even like feel like it,” he said. “I was out there playing and just giving the guys open space to do what they do.”

On UAB’s initial possession, Zeno was 4-for-5 passing, missing Fred Farrier II on his fourth throw, but his final completion of the drive was the first of a streak of 20 straight completions that extended into the second half. During that stretch, Zeno completed passes to 10 different receivers, 13 overall, and threw two scoring passes — a 4-yard toss to Tejhaun Palmer on UAB’s second drive and the zip-line to Jones.

“I actually told him after both of our scrimmages, I came over to him I said, ‘You look a world of difference,” linebacker Jackson Bratton said. “I feel like he plays more loose out there and he’s more accurate now. He’s gotten better all over the place and I’m happy for him. I think he’s going to have a good year.”

The touchdown pass to Jones was the final completion of the streak, leaving Zeno at 23-of-24 for 177 yards midway through the third frame.

Despite an already immaculate performance, Zeno finished out the game going 15-of-17 for 114 yards and a final touchdown pass on a 4-yard grab by Iverson Hooks with less than a minute remaining.

“It makes my job a whole lot easier,” Zeno said. “I’m just giving it to the playmakers. I’m just a facilitator and I got to keep doing my job in giving it to them.”

Although the Blazers ramped up their passing skills, the rushing attack did not suffer with Zeno, along with Jermaine Brown Jr., Isaiah Jacobs and Lee Beebe, combining for 153 of UAB’s 167 rushing yards with Brown scoring twice on the ground.

Regardless of the chosen attack method, the UAB offense has caught up with the 21st century and is likely to progress into more of a threatening presence as the season unfolds.