HIGHLIGHTS:
SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA Roadrunners earned their first win of the 2018 season in thrilling fashion, a 25-21 victory over the Texas State Bobcats (1-3) in front of 29,205 fans at the Alamodome on Saturday night.
The victory snaps a three-game losing streak for UTSA and is their first win of the 2018 season.
“I thought our team played fast and physical; to just see the smiles on their faces,” UTSA Head Coach Frank Wilson said. “The vindication of hard work coming to fruition is a beautiful thing. There is nothing more gratifying to see out of your student-athletes.”
The Roadrunners opened the first quarter in dominating fashion, opting to run the ball on their first six plays. It was the defense that opened the scoring after Lorenzo Dantzler recovered a fumble and returned it 27 yards for the score.
“It’s huge,” UTSA linebacker Josiah Tauaefa said of the win. “It’s huge for our football team. We come in the locker room in obviously a much better mood than when you lose.”
Back on offense, quarterback Cordale Grundy found Tykee Ogle-Kellogg for the seven-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone to put UTSA up 14-0 in the first quarter, capping off a 10 play, 58-yard drive.
Texas State would cut into the Roadrunners’ lead when Tyler Vitt sneaked in the end zone for a score. UTSA would add a field goal with 40 seconds remaining in the first half to lead 17-7 going into the locker room.
The Bobcats clawed back in the third quarter when Vitt scrambled to find Keenen Brown for a 21-yard touchdown pass, making it a 17-14 ball game. After another two field goals from UTSA to make it 23-14, Texas State answered back with a touchdown to make it 23-21 with just under two minutes to go in the game.
UTSA’s defense stepped up and stuffed Vitt for the safety and the 25-21 win. The timing could not be better for the Roadrunners, who enter conference play next week.
“So to get the first one of this season is big for our football team, for their morale, for their esteem, for their confidence going into, again, next week in a conference rivalry yet again at UTEP,” Wilson said. “We have some of our administration that worked at UTEP. So it’ll be big for us. It’ll be fun to have them at our venue and compete against a quality team.”
UP NEXT:
The UTSA Roadrunners are now 1-3 on the season and will return to the field next Saturday when they welcome the UTEP Miners (0-4) to the Alamodome at 6 p.m. CT to open Conference USA play.
