UTSA rolls past UTRGV in season opener

SAN ANTONIO — The Rick Bowie era in San Antonio is off to a hot start, with UTSA football scoring on four of its first five possessions en route to a 45-16 win over the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on Saturday at the Alamodome.

Senior quarterback Owen McCown and the Roadrunners’ (1-0) offense put the Vaqueros (1-1) on their heels early. Feeling the pressure, UTRGV quarterback Aidan Jakobsohn tossed a pick-six, all but sealing the Vaqueros’ fate in the opening half. UTSA found the end zone three more times before the final whistle, while UTRGV could only manage field goals until the game’s final seconds as the Vaqueros fell in their first matchup against an FBS foe.

“There were some good things. There were some bad things,” coach Jeff Traylor said. “Typical first game. You need to play, but you’re probably not ready to play. A lot of missed tackles. We didn’t break any tackles. We were inconsistent.

“Owen McCown was really, really special. The game [senior wide receiver DJ Allen Jr.] had; the run [junior running back] A’Marion [Peterson]; the game [Sophomore running back] Will Henderson had; [an] unbelievable catch by junior tight end Brandon Young Jr.; there were some positives.”

The Roadrunners dink-and-dunked their way onto the Vaqueros’ side of the field on their opening drive. McCown connected with sophomore wide receiver Mekhi Anderson for three straight short gains, setting up an eventual long bomb. Senior wide receiver AJ Wilson shook UTRGV defensive back Dorian Blackwell with a double move near the boundary, and McCown dropped it in the bucket from 36 yards out for the touchdown. 

A turnover on downs on the Vaqueros’ side of the field gave UTSA a favorable starting position early in the second quarter. Junior running back Brandon High Jr. kickstarted the Roadrunners’ offense with 21 rushing yards on five carries, putting UTSA inside the UTRGV red zone. From the UTRGV 7-yard line, McCown zipped a pass to Young in the back of the end zone. Young contorted his body, adjusting to McCown’s pass that was just a bit behind him, and made a one-handed snag for the score. 

UTSA prepared to face two QBs against UTRGV, and that’s exactly what they got. The Vaqueros started the game with Garrett Rangel and brought in Aidan Jakobsohn late in the first quarter. Hoping for a spark, Jakobsohn ignited a wildfire — just not in the way he’d hoped. Jakobsohn sailed a pass toward his unaware target out of the backfield, and right into the breadbasket of sophomore defensive back Ahamad Chapman, who returned it 49 yards to the house. 

“It felt great,” Chapman said of his score. “I thank God. I knew I was going to get picks and things like that, but a pick-six? I’ve got to thank God.”

On the ensuing Vaqueros’ drive, Rangel returned at QB and led the team’s first scoring drive against an FBS opponent, settling for a 44-yard field goal by Brysen Gardner. 

UTRGV fans who made the trip from the Valley erupted into celebration. The visiting side of the Alamodome continued its celebration through a touchback on the kickoff, but 11 seconds later, they fell silent. Henderson broke free on the first play from scrimmage, toting the rock 75 yards into the end zone. 

“The lineman pushed them out, gave me a big hole and I just ran through it,” Henderson said of his score.

The Roadrunners and the Vaqueros notched field goals before halftime.

The second half wasn’t nearly as exciting as the first. Both sides went scoreless in the third quarter, and it wasn’t until 10:50 in the fourth that UTSA broke the drought. 

McCown hit Allen on a screen pass, and Allen did the rest, outrunning UTRGV defenders for a 62-yard touchdown. Peterson delivered a 53-yard insurance score late in the fourth, putting an exclamation point on a dominant performance from the Roadrunners.

Allen’s touchdown made up a majority of his team-leading 116 receiving yards. Anderson was McCown’s favorite target against the Vaqueros, racking up seven catches for 42 yards. Similar to Allen, a majority of Peterson’s total came on one play; he finished second on the team in rushing yards (96), just behind Henderson (99). McCown finished 22-27 with 275 passing yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, sophomore defensive back Joel Rodgers led the team in tackles with seven, and the Roadrunners picked off Jakobsohn twice. UTSA had one sack as a team.

UTSA will next face Texas State University at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at UFCU Stadium in San Marcos, Texas.