UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor during the NCAA college football game at Tennessee on Saturday, September 23, 2023 in Knoxville, Tenn.

UTSA throttles Coastal Carolina to win Myrtle Beach Bowl

Owen McCown completed 23 of 30 passes for 254 yards and UTSA rolled up 257 yards on the ground in a 44-15 demolition of Coastal Carolina to win the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Monday in Conway, S.C.

Will Henderson III led the rushing attack with 81 yards and a touchdown on five carries. McCown added a 35-yard rushing touchdown while throwing one TD and one interception for the Roadrunners (7-6), who won a bowl game for the second straight year.

Chris Carpenter ripped off a 93-yard kick return touchdown for UTSA to seal the deal.

Tad Hudson went 17-for-26 passing for 173 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns for Coastal Carolina (6-7), which was playing in the bowl game hosted on its campus for the first time. Hudson made his first collegiate start after quarterbacks Ethan Vasko and Noah Kim entered the transfer portal.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Hudson sailed a pass to a wide-open Bryson Graves for a 50-yard score that finally put the Chanticleers on the board, cutting the margin to 27-7.

But on the ensuing kickoff, Carpenter started to his left, veered right and had nothing but daylight for his third career kick return touchdown.

With Coastal trailing 37-7, Hudson hit Senika McKie for a 9-yard TD and completed a two-point conversion pass to Brooks Johnson with 4:43 to go.

UTSA responded again, as on the next play from scrimmage Henderson broke off a 51-yard sprint to the end zone.

In the first minute of the second quarter, UTSA running back Brandon High got help from his linemen on a 9-yard touchdown push. On the Roadrunners’ next drive, McCown kept the ball on an option and chugged down the right sideline, scoring just his third rushing touchdown of the season.

UTSA ripped off runs of 19 and 16 yards on its following possession, which lasted just 1:04. Using play-action, McCown tossed a 6-yard touchdown to a wide-open Patrick Overmyer for a 21-0 lead.

Before halftime, Coastal Carolina marched down to UTSA’s 4-yard line, but on a would-be halfback pass on fourth-and-goal, the Roadrunners disrupted the play and kept Braydon Bennett out of the end zone.

UTSA’s Tate Sandell made field goals from 38 and 27 yards to account for the third-quarter scoring. He kicked a 29-yarder during the fourth.

–Field Level Media

Sep 2, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA;  Coastal Carolina Chanticleers head coach Tim Beck looks on from the sidelines in the first half against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Coastal Carolina preps untested QB for UTSA, Myrtle Beach Bowl

Coastal Carolina will enjoy an extra home game of sorts when it faces UTSA on Monday in the Myrtle Beach Bowl in Conway, S.C.

It marks the Chanticleers’ (6-6) first appearance in the bowl game held on their campus. But they’ll do so without their first- and second-string quarterbacks, Ethan Vasko and Noah Kim, who both entered the transfer portal.

Coastal Carolina coach Tim Beck said redshirt freshman Tad Hudson likely is the next man up. Hudson has not appeared in a game this season.

“Tad Hudson will probably be the starter. We have Alex Walker as well,” Beck told reporters, “and then after this meeting, I’m taking all of you outside for tryouts.”

It was an opportunity for Beck to say college football “free agency” makes it impossible to build a program in the current age; instead, coaches are building a new team each year.

“There was a lot of excitement at practice because there are a lot of guys that haven’t played a lot that know they are going to,” Beck added.

With Hudson under center, the Chanticleers may lean on their rushing offense that ranked 46th in the country with 178.7 yards per game. Braydon Bennett led with 727 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, and Christian Washington added 537 and five.

UTSA (6-6) has far fewer defections to deal with than its opponent.

“Our kids intend to play and we are rooting and hoping that everybody passes their classes, stays healthy and chooses to play in the bowl game,” coach Jeff Traylor said.

The Roadrunners recovered from a 3-5 start to the season and won three straight home conference games in November to become bowl-eligible.

“The world is telling (players) to collect (social media) posts and collect more offers and collect more attention,” Traylor said. “Our guys want to collect bowl wins, so I’m very excited to be coaching these guys.”

Owen McCown powered the offense by throwing for 3,170 yards on a 62 percent completion rate, with 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Eleven different players caught a touchdown over the course of the season.

Anchoring the UTSA defense is Brandon Brown, a defensive tackle who declared for the NFL draft but is not electing to skip the bowl game.

“I know people consider not playing, but it didn’t even cross my mind,” Brown said. “Some people may not want you to play, but I always wanted to play for my brothers. That’s who I came in with, and that’s who I want to finish with.”

Brown had 24 tackles with two sacks this season. Jimmori Robinson racked up a team-high 10.5 sacks.

Both programs, which transitioned up to the FBS level during the 2010s, are making their fifth straight bowl appearance. UTSA lost three straight before capturing last year’s Frisco Bowl for its first bowl win in program history. Overall, UTSA is 1-4 in bowl games, while Coastal Carolina is 2-2.

This will be the first meeting between the programs.

–Field Level Media

Oct 13, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Tigers linebacker Chandler Martin (11) against Tulane Green Wave offensive linemen Rashad Green (69) during the second half at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Memphis, South Florida, UTSA, Tulane pledge to stay in American

The next spin on the conference realignment carousel won’t include Memphis, South Florida, UTSA or Tulane.

The American Athletic Conference released a statement Monday saying those four schools are committed to remaining in the league, following reports that they could be targets of the rebuilding Pac-12 Conference.

At the same time, all 15 member institutions published graphics on social media that plotted their locations on a map, with one word prominently featured: “Committed.”

“We are the American Athletic Conference. A conference that prioritizes student-athlete welfare, has proud academic institutions, produces fierce competition at the highest level, and has outstanding linear and direct-to-consumer national media partners,” the AAC’s statement read.

“Together, we are committed to continuing to build the American brand, exploring new opportunities for exposure and value, and developing innovative economic resources — all in service of our student-athletes.”

The statement acknowledged that some of its member institutions received interest from “other conferences.” Though the schools weren’t named, the corresponding social media post featured the logos of Memphis, South Florida, UTSA and Tulane across the top.

The AAC said it was “in our individual and collective best interests to uphold our commitment to each other.”

The Pac-12 began a regrowth of sorts two weeks ago when it was announced the league would add Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State from the Mountain West in 2026. Joining Oregon State and Washington State, that would bring the league to six members, with eight the minimum required for the league to be recognized as an FBS conference once again.

Memphis, Tulane and others were reported to be among the Pac-12’s next targets.

“The landscape of college athletics has shifted dramatically in the past few years,” the University of Memphis said in its own statement. “With that, our focus has remained on ensuring our student-athletes are given the best possible environment to perform their sports and academics at the highest level. After considering other potential options, we have decided our current partnership with the American Athletic Conference is in the best interest of our student-athletes and the future of our University.”

The AAC has 14 football-playing members after losing SMU to the ACC but adding Army ahead of the 2024 season. Army and Navy are football-only members, while Wichita State plays most of its sports in the AAC but does not field a football team.

–Field Level Media

Texas Longhorns running back Jerick Gibson (9) runs into UTSA safety Jimmy Wyrick (18) during the game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024.

Arch Manning stars after Quinn Ewers’ injury as No. 2 Texas rolls

Arch Manning passed for four touchdowns and ran 67 yards for another in relief of the injured Quinn Ewers as No. 2 Texas flew past UTSA 56-7 on Saturday night in Austin, Texas.

Manning went 9 of 12 for 223 yards in about two quarters of play in the most extensive action of the highly touted redshirt freshman’s career as the Longhorns (3-0) dominated from start to finish.

Ewers was 14 of 16 passing for 185 yards, two TDs and an interception in just over a quarter of play before sustaining a strained abdomen. He spent about 15 minutes in the Longhorns’ medical tent before going to the Texas locker room and returning to the field in street clothes before halftime.

That set the stage for Manning, and he impressed. Texas rang up a 614-260 advantage in total yardage.

Owen McCown led UTSA (1-2) with 132 yards passing while Robert Henry Jr. had 65 yards rushing on six carries.

Ewers led the Longhorns to a pair of touchdown drives in the first quarter while connecting with eight different receivers. The first ended in a 7-yard TD pass to Isaiah Bond with 9:27 left in the quarter and he later tossed a 19-yard scoring strike to Johntay Cook II and a 14-0 lead with six seconds remaining.

Ewers left the game early in the second quarter with a strained abdomen one snap after throwing a 49-yard pass to tight end Gunnar Helm. Manning went right to work, hitting DeAndre Moore Jr. with a 19-yard touchdown pass on his first snap from scrimmage to move the Texas lead to 21-0 with 12:10 to play before halftime.

Henry Jr. answered for the Roadrunners on the ensuing possession with a 53-yard TD run. Manning then ripped off a 67-yard scoring run to push Texas back in front by three touchdowns.

Manning flexed in the first four minutes of the third quarter, passing 51 yards to Bond for a score on Texas’ first possession and opening the second with a 75-yard TD pass to Ryan Wingo.

Bond finished the game with 103 yards receiving on five catches. Freshman Jerrick Gibson ran for 75 yards in 13 carries to lead the Longhorns.

The Longhorns added to their lead early in the fourth quarter with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Cook and finished the scoring with a 30-yard pick-six by defensive end Ethan Burke.

–Field Level Media

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) celebrates a touchdown against Michigan during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, September 7, 2024.

No. 2 Texas guarding against complacency vs. UTSA

Yes, No. 2 Texas’ win on the road over defending national champion Michigan last Saturday was uber-impressive and more than passed the eye test.

But the Longhorns are determined to keep their collective focus on a much bigger prize — a repeat spot in the College Football Playoff and more — heading into Saturday’s game against Texas-San Antonio in Austin.

The Longhorns (2-0) dominated Michigan 31-12 and were rewarded with a move up in the latest AP poll from third to second behind Georgia. Texas swamped the Wolverines behind Quinn Ewers’ 246 passing yards and three TD tosses, Gunnar Helm’s seven catches for 98 yards and a score and Matthew Golden’s six receptions including a touchdown.

Texas could have easily been ahead 35-0 at halftime but settled for a 24-3 lead. The Longhorns turned over things to their defense after the break and held Michigan to just 284 total yards of offense.

“As good as we think we played, in my humble opinion, we’re going to need to play better to go try to accomplish some of the goals that we have for the season,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday.

The Longhorns have scored on all 11 of their trips to the red zone through their first two games, including 10 touchdowns, and are plus-4 in turnover margin.

“There are things that we need to clean up still, too,” Sarkisian said.

Sarkisian added that his goal is to make sure his team is not complacent, showing the Longhorns players a clip of Northern Illinois’ upset win over Notre Dame last Saturday as a “good reminder that we’re entitled to nothing.”

“We’re capable of anything,” Sarkisian said. “We’ve got a really good team, but we’re entitled to nothing, and we’re going to have to earn everything we get.”

The Roadrunners (1-1) were waylaid in their annual I-35 rivalry game with Texas State, losing on the road 49-10 last Saturday.

UTSA had two quarterbacks combine to pass for 252 yards, with Owen McCown playing the first half and completing 10 passes for 105 yards. Eddie Lee Marburger got the call after halftime, racking up 170 combined yards (147 of those passing) and the Roadrunners’ only TD.

“You find out a lot about yourself when you play in a big game,” UTSA coach Jeff Traylor said Monday. “Obviously what we found out from the Texas State we did not like. But we like what we learned after the game and in the two days since. We have a culture here that we are proud of. We went right back to work.”

Traylor, a member of Texas’ coaching staff in 2015-16, remarked that there have been four instances in his five-year tenure with the Roadrunners that his team “had their teeth kicked in. We’ve responded well every time.

“But the difference is we didn’t have the University of Texas football team waiting for us,” Traylor added. “Texas is talented up and down the roster — they are massive and they are very fast. We will be facing the best team we’ve ever faced since I’ve been (at UTSA). We will have to be a lot better to compete on Saturday.”

The Longhorns won the only other previous meeting, rolling to a 41-20 victory in 2022 in Austin.

–Field Level Media

Nov 24, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; UTSA Roadrunners quarterback Frank Harris (0) throws a pass during the first half against the Tulane Green Wave at Yulman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

A Frisco Bowl win would carry extra meaning for Marshall, UTSA

Marshall had to survive a five-game losing streak in order to clinch bowl eligibility, but the Thundering Herd aren’t through the adversity just yet.

The program will turn to redshirt freshman quarterback Cole Pennington when Marshall takes on UTSA in the Frisco Bowl on Tuesday in Frisco, Texas.

Marshall (6-6) ended its skid by winning two of its last three games, including a 35-21 triumph over Arkansas State in the regular-season finale, to reach the important six-win plateau.

Starting quarterback Cam Fancher finished his season with 2,162 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and four rushing scores before entering the transfer portal. Marshall coach Charles Huff told a local TV station that Fancher’s decision didn’t surprise him since “there isn’t a lot of money for NIL (at Marshall) and the fans hate him. The kid has been miserable.”

Huff received blowback for the comments, including from Fancher’s mother.

“I was asked a question by a reporter and I inserted my opinion over facts about a situation, which ultimately created a little bit of a sandstorm,” Huff said. “It was truly based on my opinion of a small minority of fans, and I actually generalized the entire fan base. That was wrong. I take full responsibility for that.”

Fans may have been rankled by the coach’s faux pas, but now they will get to root for the son of a program legend. Pennington’s father is Chad Pennington, who parlayed a decorated career at Marshall into a long NFL career.

However, Cole Pennington had a 0-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio in three games filling in for Fancher this season.

“Bowl games are special in themselves,” Pennington said. “They’re just a great way to extend your time with the guys that you built a culture with and a chemistry with the whole season.”

Marshall’s weapons of note are running back Rasheen Ali (1,043 yards, 14 touchdowns) and Jayden Harrison, who has two kick return touchdowns and an FBS-high 31.9 yards per return.

UTSA (8-4) is heading to its fourth straight bowl game under coach Jeff Traylor, but the Roadrunners have yet to win one in the program’s brief FBS history.

The bowl appearance streak includes a trip to the 2021 Frisco Bowl, where No. 24 San Diego State beat UTSA 38-24.

“It’s important for us,” Traylor said. “There’s only a few things left in this program that we haven’t done, and this is one of those things we haven’t done, so for us it takes on a level of importance that’s probably more than most programs.”

UTSA made the move to the American Athletic Conference this season and found immediate success, winning seven straight conference games before a 29-16 loss to Tulane in the regular-season finale.

The Roadrunners offense relies on a pair of first-team All-AAC players, quarterback Frank Harris (2,506 passing yards, 323 rushing yards, 22 combined touchdowns, eight interceptions) and wide receiver Joshua Cephus (82 receptions, 1,049 yards, nine TDs).

“It’s my last (game), you know?” Cephus said. “I’ve been here all my time in college. I can’t miss an opportunity to go out and play with my teammates again. I’ll never have a chance to play college football again, so I’m trying to go out with a bang.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 24, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tulane Green Wave wide receiver Chris Brazzell II (17) runs around UTSA Roadrunners defensive back Ken Robinson (21) for a touchdown during the first half at Yulman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

No. 23 Tulane beats UTSA to return to AAC title game

Makhi Hughes rushed for a season-high 166 yards and a touchdown and No. 23 Tulane claimed a spot in the American Athletic Conference championship game with a 29-16 victory over UTSA on Friday in New Orleans.

Hughes had his seventh 100-yard game of the season and Michael Pratt threw two touchdown passes to Chris Brazzell II for the Green Wave (11-1, 8-0 AAC), who won their 10th consecutive game.

Tulane, which scored 17 points off five UTSA turnovers, will host the AAC title game Dec. 2 with SMU being the most likely opponent.

Frank Harris completed 25 of 38 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown for the Roadrunners (8-4, 7-1).

Tulane led 23-10 after a scoreless third quarter before Pratt and Brazzell teamed on a 3-yard score with 5:18 remaining.

Harris threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Oscar Cardenas to complete the scoring with 1:33 left.

On the second play of the game, Bailey Despanie intercepted a tipped pass from Harris, setting the Green Wave up at the Roadrunners’ 10-yard line. Three plays later, Pratt threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Brazzell.

UTSA got the ball when Pratt fumbled while being sacked by Jamal Ligon, and Donyai Taylor recovered and returned to the Tulane 30. Three plays later, Rocko Griffin ran 23 yards for a touchdown and the score was tied at the end of the first quarter.

On the second play of the second quarter, Chase Allen kicked a 40-yard field goal to give the Roadrunners a 10-7 lead.

The Green Wave tied the score on the ensuing possession when Valentino Ambrosio kicked a 47-yard field goal.

Hughes’ 58-yard run helped set up Ambrosio’s 26-yard field goal that gave Tulane a 13-10 lead.

The Green Wave got the ball back when Eric Hicks Jr. recovered a fumble by Kevorian Barnes at the UTSA 48. That led to Hughes’ 2-yard touchdown run and a 20-10 lead.

Tahir Annoor’s interception of Cardenas at the Roadrunners’ 43 led to Ambrosio’s 23-yard field goal, giving Tulane a 23-10 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

Tulane Green Wave quarterback Michael Pratt (7) warms up before their game against the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes at Yulman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Dobbins-USA TODAY Sports

Prolific passers carry Tulane, UTSA into pivotal AAC showdown

Tulane’s quarterback just became the school’s all-time leading passer, and UTSA’s quarterback is coming off his own historic performance.

The star quarterbacks take center stage when the Green Wave (10-1, 7-0) and the Roadrunners (8-3, 7-0) meet Friday afternoon in New Orleans for a berth in the American Athletic Conference championship game.

“Nobody will think we can win, and we’ll be the underdog on the road,” UTSA coach Jeff Traylor said. “Looking forward to that.”

Tulane is the defending conference champion, but the Roadrunners have been surging as quarterback Frank Harris has gotten healthier.

Green Wave quarterback Michael Pratt has had injury issues of his own, including a gimpy knee. But that didn’t slow him down much in a 24-8 road victory against Florida Atlantic last Saturday.

Pratt completed 21 of 28 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the game with 9,239 career passing yards, breaking Patrick Ramsey’s school record. Pratt, who surpassed Ramsey’s career touchdown record earlier in the season, got the latest record despite the absence of injured starting wide receivers Jha’Quan Jackson and Lawrence Keys III.

“He’s the greatest quarterback in Tulane history,” head coach Willie Fritz said. “He really is. We’ve had great quarterbacks here. I’m not trying to diminish that. But when you put in his statistics plus the wins that he’s got, he’s done a tremendous job.”

Pratt is 20-2 as a starter over the last seasons. The Green Wave have continued to win and stay in contention for a New Year’s 6 berth for a second consecutive season.

Tulane has won 10 games in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history. The Green Wave’s 22 victories since the start of the 2022 season are the third most in the country behind only Georgia (26) and Michigan (24).

But recently the wins haven’t come easily. Tulane had four straight wins in one-score games (by a total of 14 points) before last week’s 16-point margin.

“For us, after the last few weeks,” Fritz quipped, “that’s kind of a blowout.”

The Roadrunners had a legitimate blowout when they defeated visiting South Florida 49-21 on Nov. 17. They set a school record with 643 yards of total offense.

Harris passed for 523 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 112 yards and three touchdowns. Traylor said he and his staff have been “calling the games to take care of” Harris, who suffered a turf toe injury early in the season.

But, Traylor added, he turned Harris loose last week so he could “go out in style” on Senior Night and to see what he could expect from the quarterback against the Green Wave.

“He looked like the old Frank Harris to me,” Traylor said.

Harris missed two games as UTSA started the season 1-3, but after he returned and has gotten healthier the Roadrunners have won by an average of 18.9 points during their win streak.

“Healthy teams don’t win championships,” Traylor said. “Tough ones do.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2023; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Dylan Sampson (6) runs the ball against the UTSA Roadrunners during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

No. 23 Tennessee dominates against UTSA

On the game’s first snap, Tennessee’s Joe Milton III bolted 81 yards untouched to the checkered end zone and the No. 23 Volunteers were on their way to a 45-14 romp over visiting UTSA Saturday in Knoxville.

Coming off a loss at Florida last week, the Volunteers (3-1) dominated the first half, rolling to a 31-0 lead.

Milton, a target of criticism after the Florida defeat, rebounded with 18 completions in 31 attempts for 209 yards and two touchdowns.

Tennessee thrived on the ground despite an injury to Jaylen Wright, who entered as the second-leading rusher in the SEC but sat out the second half after carrying for 16 yards on four rushes.

Dylan Sampson carried the load in reserve, rushing 11 times for a career-high 139 yards and two touchdowns. Jabari Small added 61 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.

Injury-riddled UTSA (1-3) was without its Heisman preseason candidate, quarterback Frank Harris (turf toe). The Roadrunners had the ball in Volunteers’ territory only once in the first half and the drive ended at the Tennessee 19 on a fourth-down incompletion.

Owen McCown came off the bench and sparked the Roadrunners, completing his first 10 passes to fuel touchdown drives on UTSA’s first two possessions of the second half. McCown finished with 18 completions in 20 attempts for 170 yards and one interception.

McCown, a Colorado transfer and the son of former NFL quarterback Josh McCown, got UTSA on the board with a 3-yard scoring pass to Joshua Cephus. Then he fired a 43-yard touchdown pass to Tykee Ogle-Kellogg to cut Tennessee’s lead to 31-14.

But Tennessee resumed control in the fourth quarter, getting touchdown runs from Sampson and Small.

The Volunteers scored on their first two possessions of the game. After Milton raced 81 yards on a read-option play, Sampson followed with a 10-yard touchdown run for a 14-0 lead.

On Tennessee’s first two possessions of the second quarter, Milton finished quick-strike drives with touchdown passes of 18 yards on a crossing route to Kaleb Webb and 48 yards to Ramel Keyton.

But after hitting on 14 of his first 16 passes, Milton suddenly went cold, completing just one of his next 12 attempts.

–Field Level Media

Sep 2, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Donovan Smith (1) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the UTSA Roadrunners at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Houston wins low-scoring battle with UTSA

Donovan Smith threw for two scores, the Houston defense stymied UTSA’s high-powered offense, and the Cougars won their first game as a Big 12 member by toppling the in-state Roadrunners 17-14 Saturday in Houston.

In the season opener for both teams, Smith, a junior, completed 22 of 34 for 233 yards without a turnover. He outdueled UTSA’s seventh-year southpaw quarterback Frank Harris.

Samuel Brown caught six passes for 106 yards. Joseph Manjack IV snared six for 67 yards and a touchdown.

Sporting light blue jerseys similar to the ones made famous by the hometown Houston Oilers, the Cougars intercepted Harris three times in the third quarter while leading 10-7.

In their first game as a member of the American Athletic Conference, the Roadrunners (0-1) saw Harris go 18 of 36 for 209 yards with a touchdown pass and rush for 45 yards.

Kevorian Barnes rushed for 103 yards on 16 carries and one score. Joshua Cephus recorded a career-high 123 yards on nine receptions with a touchdown.

Both teams averaged over 36 points per game in 2022, but with such explosive expectations in the matchup, the contest was dictated mostly by defense and special teams.

Houston set itself up on its third series after Malik Fleming’s 48-yard punt return to the UTSA 22 midway through the first quarter.

Three plays later, Smith struck Manjack over the middle from 8 yards for a 7-0 lead at 6:54.

But UTSA’s offense cranked up on its third possession, traveling 80 yards in eight plays before Barnes bulled in on a 4-yard run at 3:26 for a 7-all tie.

After missing from 51 yards earlier, Houston’s Jack Martin redeemed himself with a 31-yard field goal to end the half after the drive was aided by a late hit on the previous play.

Treylin Payne thwarted the second half’s first drive with a diving interception of Harris at the Houston 17. Fleming added two more picks of Harris, with the second setting up Matthew Golden’s 6-yard touchdown catch at 3:54 to make it 17-7.

Cephus’ 20-yard TD grab with 5:42 remaining capped a 94-yard drive to make it 17-14, but the Cougars ran out the clock.

–Field Level Media