UTSA rebounds in second game, wins Battle of I-35

September 9, 2023

SAN ANTONIO – After a disappointing season opener against the Houston Cougars, the Roadrunners have fought their way back into the win column with a 20-13 win over Texas State on Saturday afternoon at the Alamodome. Quarterback Frank Harris had a bounce back performance, completing 26 of 37 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown.

After a slow start from the UTSA offense, the Roadrunners (1-1) struck late in the first quarter with a 46-yard field goal from kicker Chase Allen. The first touchdown wouldn’t come until the second quarter when Vanderbilt transfer Rocko Griffin showed off his electric speed and took it 20 yards to the house to put UTSA up 10-0.

Later in the second quarter, UTSA fans held their breath as Harris went down twice and was unable to finish out the half. Harris’s backup, Eddie Lee Marbuger, came in and had no success trying to run the offense. Texas State capitalized on the change in momentum and scored twice to tie the game at 10 going into the break.

Both offenses struggled to move the ball in the second half until Harris found JUCO transfer Willie Mccoy for an acrobatic 20-yard touchdown catch. With the lead and a packed Alamodome behind them, the UTSA defense held strong throughout the rest of the afternoon only allowing a single field goal. Despite star receiver De’corian Clark not playing and Harris fighting through injuries, the Roadrunners were able to scrape by with a 20-13 win.

“There was grit by a lot of people today,” UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor said after the game.

Saturday’s win over the Bobcats (1-1) took a whole team effort. Running back Kevorian Barnes rushed for 103 yards on 26 carries while Tykee Ogle-Kellogg led the UTSA receivers with 78 yards. The defense, led by Trey Moore who totaled three sacks, and the 49,342 fans showed up and rallied around Frank Harris who is still trying to find his footing early on this season.

The Roadrunners will have a short week to prepare for the visiting Army Black Knights who gave them a good fight last year at West Point. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Friday, at the Alamodome.

Leave a Comment

About the Contributors

Rylan Renteria, Distribution Manager

Rylan is a psychology major in his junior year at UTSA, and is entering his second semester as a writer for The Paisano. As a major fan of both the Seattle Seahawks and Mariners, Rylan is also very supportive of the San Antonio Spurs and all UTSA Athletics which can be shown in his commentary writing pieces. Aside from watching sports, Rylan enjoys watching horror movies, playing video games and playing intramural sports.

Stephen Saenz, Photographer

Stephen is a first-year mechanical engineering major with a minor in business administration. Stephen is from McAllen, TX, but has lived in San Antonio for about 9 years now. This is his first-year shooting for The Paisano, however, Stephen has loved film and photography since he was around 10-11 years old and has actively been pursuing freelance photography for about a year now. While photograph is not his major, Stephen is currently focused on growing his name in the industry by focusing on his photography business, however, if it’s not editing or taking photos, he is either listening to music, watching movies, in a coffee shop or finding a good spot to eat. Stephen is a part of other organizations like Engineers Without Borders and works for a non-profit in San Antonio called Kinetic Kids.

Comments (0)

The Paisano intends for this area to be used to foster healthy, thought-provoking discussion. Comments are expected to adhere to our standards and to be respectful and constructive. As such, we do not permit the use of profanity, foul language, personal attacks, or the use of language that might be interpreted as libelous. Comments are reviewed and approved by a moderator to ensure that they meet these standards. The Paisano does not allow anonymous comments, and The Paisano requires a valid email address. The email address will not be displayed but will be used to confirm your comments.

Share your thoughts...

All The Paisano Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest