UTSA football returned to the Alamodome and continued its home-field advantage win streak to beat Houston Christian University 45-7 on Saturday.
“I was happy for the kids,” coach Jeff Traylor said on the team’s win. “They’ve had three weeks of rough, negative stuff, which we all deserved. Our kids handled it correctly, but it’s hard. Football is a tough game.”
Coming off a 49-point loss to The University of Texas and their first recorded loss to Texas State University, the ‘Runners were slated to battle their third consecutive Texas-based university. Unlike their previous two matchups, the Roadrunners dominated.
The ‘Runners scored three touchdowns during the second quarter to take a 31-7 lead over the Huskies. After suffering low-scoring first halfs, the Roadrunners were able to shrug off the dry spell that they faced in previous matchups due to heavy, defensive opponents.
“I know they had a chip on their shoulder coming in,” redshirt sophomore quarterback Owen McCown said about UTSA’s offensive line. “All we can ask for is progress, and those guys played their butts off.”
Houston Christian kicker Reed Chandley stepped up to attempt a 36-yard field goal. Junior cornerback Denver Harris towered over the ball’s upward trajectory and blocked it. The ball shifted behind him and moved up the field but was recovered by Harris himself at the 50-yard line.
Harris’s block was the first successful field goal block by UTSA since Tariq Woolen denied one back in 2018 against Marshall.
The Roadrunner offensive line held back every Husky lineman they could before one broke through and charged McCown head-on, though McCown had located his target long before that. 40 yards separated McCown and senior wide receiver Willie McCoy, yet the two ‘Runners connected as McCoy caught the ball and ran it straight into the end zone for a 59-yard rush touchdown.
“I think a big emphasis this game was running the ball, it helped open up the pass game,” McCown said. “Willie ran a great little double move route, it was a great call by coach Burke and Willie executed really well.”
Redshirt freshman running back Brandon High took on an expanded role against the Huskies. High ran up the middle for a 4-yard rush followed by another 2-yard rush. As UTSA moved closer toward the Huskies’ end zone, McCown found High for a third time. High caught the ball and was blockaded by Houston Christian linemen but broke through the barrier, ball in hand, to score the first touchdown of his collegiate career. Senior running back Robert Henry Jr. also scored a touchdown to create a three-touchdown lead for the ‘Runners.
Despite two road losses, the Roadrunners were able to maintain their win streak at home, which currently stands at six, dating back to their win against University of Alabama at Birmingham last October.
Redshirt senior and outside linebacker, Jimmori Robinson, started off the game with a sack that resulted in an 8-yard loss. Robinson also forced a recovery for UTSA which led to a scoring drive.
“Everyone was so happy for me and excited,” Robinson said about his first-quarter sack. “I wanted to do anything to bring the team up and to keep them going.”
UTSA will enter conference play against East Carolina University at 3 p.m. Saturday at Dowdy Ficklen Stadium.
