San Antonio, TX—-UTSA has played three in-state foes in three weeks to start the season, and Saturday afternoon’s 48-20 win against the University of Incarnate Word proved that the third time really is a charm.
The Roadrunners, now 1-2, kept the Cardinals (1-2, 0-1) scoreless through the first half to earn the first win of the season and bragging rights for superiority in the all-San Antonio “Hometown Showdown” at the Alamodome.
The Cardinals struggled to find an offensive rhythm or find a defensive solution until the game was out of reach due to the diligent preparation of UTSA after starting the season 0-2 against all-too-familiar adversaries.
UTSA earned a crucial first win after the defense pestered UIW, forcing four turnovers while scoring six touchdowns, trusting that the process would allow everything to come together.
UTSA’s head coach Jeff Traylor spoke last week about how challenging the team’s schedule was because after “starting the season off with three rivalry games” and how deflated they felt in the moment but that they would use those emotional losses as motivation and as ways to grow.
And they did just that.
“I thought our plan was good. And we had identified some opportunities that we thought we might have. Those opportunities showed up, and our guys took advantage of it,” said coach Traylor.
“ I’m happy that we got that stink off of us. It’s just been a long time. When you’re a basketball coach, you get to play in two or three more days. In football, you have to listen to the firing squad for seven straight days.”
UTSA sophomore safety Jimmy Wyrick recovered a UIW fumble and the Roadrunner offense took the field at UIW’s 33-yard line in the fourth play of the game. This led to quarterback Owen McCown’s 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Devin McCuin who broke to the middle of the field and burst into the end zone untouched.
With just over eight minutes to go in the second quarter senior safety Jermarius Lewis popped a UIW rusher as he turned into the middle of the field, forcing a fumble. UTSA’s linebacker Shad Banks Jr. recovered the ball at the four-yard line, which turned into a touchdown pass to redshirt senior tight end Dan Dishman, stretching the lead to 24-0. The Roadrunner defense registered four turnovers, including two interceptions on the evening.
Then UTSA senior running back Robert Henry Jr., who finished with two touchdowns and 144 rushing yards, ran the ball 74 yards up the middle of the field, splitting two defenders, spinning into the end zone to balloon the lead 31-0 to start the second half.
The crowd of mostly orange and blue screamed “U-T-S-A” as they threw up the bird signal, a hang-ten sign.
The Cardinals earned the team’s first points of the game after switching the quarterback to redshirt freshman EJ Colson, who slid to the left, while directing his men toward the end zone and finding junior wide receiver Chedon James with a 38-yard pass at the 9 yard line, and he ran it to the house.
The Roadrunners struck right back as McCowen found AJ Wilson, who had a step on his man, in the middle of the field, who then evaded the last-second effort to bring him down by grabbing at his feet, and stumbling into the endzone for a 77-yard reception that gave his team the 38-7 lead. In less than three minutes, three touchdowns were scored to begin the second half.
Colson gave life to the stale Cardinal offense and finished with two more touchdowns, including gliding a 36-yard dart to James into the far-left corner of the end zone. He ended the game 17-24, 213 yards, with three touchdowns, and zero turnovers.
The game was too far gone, and the Roadrunners were on a streak.
McCown would find Devin McCuin down the right sideline for a 24-yard touchdown, the final score of the game.
“He’s good, that sucker’s good. I’d been telling my guys about him all week, said coach Traylor. He did a good job with his arm and with his feet.”
For the Roadrunners, Wilson finished the game with four catches for 99 yards and a score. McCuin finished with 7 catches, 51 yards, and two touchdowns.
McCown threw 29-35, 238 yards, and four touchdowns. Shad Banks Jr. added five solo tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery to round things out on defense for the Roadrunners.
“We’re very excited to get the win. We responded great as a group, obviously, when you lose a rival game, it means a lot, but we responded [today with the win],” said McCown.
“It’s exciting, we have a lot more coming. It’s good to get one under our belt,” said Jimmy Wyrick
“I knew what my teammates are capable of, what my coaches are capable of. I think when we finish putting everything together, the sky’s the limit,” said Banks.
“We always talk about when you have a great culture, your teams always give you what you emphasize. And those were what we emphasized this week, and that showed,” said coach Traylor.
UP NEXT:
The Roadrunners will pay a visit to Colorado State (1-1) next Saturday at 8:30 p.m. CST.
Cardinals will travel to Northern Arizona University (1-1) next Saturday at 4 p.m. CST.
