Following a second-straight loss by double digits, UAB head coach Trent Dilfer had a simple note for his team heading into hostile SEC territory.

Get better or someone else will.

Amare Thomas and Ricky Lee II received the message loud and clear as the two true freshmen stepped up with big plays for an improving UAB team, despite the Blazers dropping a 49-21 decision to two-time defending national champion and No. 1 Georgia, Saturday, Sept. 23, at Sanford Stadium in Athens.

UAB drops to 1-3 overall but the team was more focused and executed at a higher level than in the previous two outings.

“Another disappointing loss but I do think we got better this week,” Dilfer said. “That was the theme of the week, us versus us, and we definitely did that. Now saying that, I don’t believe in more victories. I don’t want anybody to think this is the expectation that you come and you compete well with a great team and you feel good about it. I do feel good about the improvements we made and hopefully they carry over to conference play.”

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Georgia quickly flexed its offensive muscle, scoring on its first drive following a defensive pass interference call on third-and-long, but could not expound on its advantage through the opening frame.

The Blazers went three-and-out on their third possession but linebacker Michael Moore forced a fumble on the ensuing punt return and reserve running back Lee Beebe recovered for UAB at the 36-yard line of the Bulldogs. Thomas caught his first pass of the game on the following possession to set up a Jacob Zeno touchdown pass to Bryce Damous but the 7-7 tie lasted all of 4:09 as Georgia responded to retake the lead for good.

Zeno finished 32-of-51 for 250 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while also adding 22 yards and a score on the ground. He was sacked once in the game.

“He (Zeno) competed at a really high level and had a very hard job tonight,” Dilfer said. “Every quarterback that plays against that defense plays in a great deal of duress. For the most part, he had really quiet eyes, took what the defense gave him and avoided negative plays.”

Georgia added two more touchdowns before halftime but Thomas showcased the skills that made him an Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game selection a year ago in his final season at Pinson Valley (Ala.).

Zeno was picked off before half, resulting in a 21-7 lead for the Bulldogs, but guided the Blazers on a 1:12 scoring drive, highlighted by a 19-yard pass to Thomas along the sideline, who advanced the ball a few yards before stepping out at the 2-yard line of Georgia.

Thomas, who finished with nine receptions for 60 yards, scored the first touchdown of his career two plays later on a 2-yard pass from Zeno.

“Amare has been making plays since he got here,” Zeno said. “He’s starting to be a guy that’s reliable, that you can count on to make those tough contested catches, and proved it out there today. We have to keep building on this and move on to Tulane.”

UAB went cold to open the second half, giving up possession on all three drives in the third quarter and punting back to the Bulldogs, who extended the lead to 42-14 on a quarterback sneak and a touchdown pass to All-American tight end Brock Bowers.

“I’m most disappointed in how we started the second half offensively,” Dilfer said. “We had a bad decision on the kickoff return, horrible series and put our defense in a terrible situation with a short field on the road. If we execute there, we scored in the first half and we score with the first possession in the second half, that adds some anxiety, right? To not do that, it’s incredibly disappointing.”

Thomas once more found success in the final frame, hauling in two passes on a drive that ultimately came to an end at the Georgia 26-yard line, and Lee picked off his first career interception – the second UAB true freshman defensive back (Chris Bracy) to do so in consecutive weeks — following a 3-yard Zeno touchdown run that trimmed the final deficit to four scores.

“People ask a lot about how we recruited and we recruited at a very high level to the point where we have two freshmen that are competing for playing time and now making plays on the biggest stage in college football,” Dilfer said. “We feel good about our young guys. It’s not that we don’t feel good about our old guys, but practice is highly competitive and it’s very matter-of-fact. If you make plays in practice, we believe you can make plays in the game and our freshmen did that tonight.”

After disastrous performances in consecutive games against peer programs, UAB moved the needle, if ever so slightly, against the top-ranked team in the land and did not blink in the face of a potential playoff contender. Georgia’s depth and talent were ultimately too much to handle but the Blazers were not without guilt in committing correctible mistakes in critical situations.

“I am pleased that our team is coming together, I am pleased that we got better,” Dilfer said. “I am extremely disappointed that we continue to make mistakes that beat ourselves. It’s probably the most notes I’ve ever taken in the game on self-inflicted wounds. Until we fix that, playing hard and coming together doesn’t really matter that much. You’re not going to win a lot of games until you fix that.”