The Blazers have had their share of headlines this season, but none quite like the controversy that erupted during their clash with Tennessee.

Earlier this year, head coach Trent Dilfer had already stirred discussion by claiming that American Athletic Conference rivals were deliberately poaching UAB players through the transfer portal just to weaken the Blazers' roster. Now, a new flashpoint has fans talking for all the wrong reasons.

Tennessee kicker Max Gilbert appeared to be the victim of an unnecessary, cheap shot when a UAB player stomped directly on his foot. Gilbert immediately went down in pain, clutching his leg, as the video quickly cut off, but not before sparking outrage across social media.

The clip, posted by Vol Report, with the caption ”What in the world?!?! 😭,” spread rapidly, with fans demanding answers and criticizing the lack of sportsmanship displayed.

For Tennessee supporters, the sight of their kicker being targeted in such a reckless way was infuriating. For UAB, it's another headache in a season already filled with distractions.

”Need to punish that guy… on the field,” said @carbonunit63.

”A UAB player kicked Tennessee's kicker? What in the world????” commented @zachTNT.

”Should've been ejected from the game!” another fan, @2UItsNew1, also commented.

Article Continues Below

Trent Dilfer, who has been outspoken about NIL, tampering, and fairness in college football, now finds himself dealing with the fallout from an entirely different kind of controversy, one happening right on the field.

As if the Blazers didn't already have enough to manage, this incident adds more pressure to a program trying to rebuild credibility in a tough conference.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time UAB games have drawn negative attention beyond the scoreboard. Just last season, their matchup with South Florida was marred by an ugly sideline altercation when two Bulls players had to be separated after exchanging punches.

That fight, while unrelated to UAB players directly, symbolized how chippy and chaotic some of these matchups can become. The stomp on Gilbert now joins that list of regrettable incidents.

While there's no word yet on whether the AAC or NCAA will hand down discipline, many believe some accountability is needed. On the bright side for Tennessee, Gilbert is expected to be fine, but the bigger concern is the reputation UAB is building.

Between transfer drama, off-field issues, and now this viral controversy, the Blazers' season is being defined more by headlines than wins.

If Dilfer's goal is to elevate UAB into a respected competitor, cleaning up these kinds of moments will be just as important as fixing depth charts or scheming against opponents.