UTSA was down 14-0 less than two minutes into their Saturday game against Colorado State, a two-touchdown hole before the clock even hit 11:20 a.m. But these Roadrunners ain’t built to quit, roaring back with five straight touchdown drives before halftime in a wild 59-45 win that closed their nonconference season.
Early Kickoff, Early Trouble
It was a nightmare start for UTSA in the Alamodome. Coach Jeff Traylor, in his seventh season, noted it was only the second 11 a.m. kickoff of his tenure, and Colorado State seemed to catch them completely off guard. The Rams wasted no time, returning the opening kick 94 yards for a touchdown. After UTSA’s Michael Petro missed a field goal, Colorado State’s K’Saan Farrar dropped a 74-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Smith on their very first offensive play. That’s how you find yourself in a 14-0 hole before most people have finished their first cup of coffee on a Saturday.
The Unblinking Comeback
But rather than folding, UTSA showed why Traylor’s been working to build an “older and more mature team.” They responded by firing off five straight touchdown drives in a span of just 17 minutes and 15 seconds of game time, turning that 14-0 deficit into a commanding 35-14 lead before halftime. Quarterback Owen McCown admitted the early deficit was “a little bit of a shock at first,” but added, “we just don’t blink.” He knows his squad responded big time. Even though Colorado State kept pushing in the second half, cutting the margin to 7 points four different times, UTSA held firm.
What This Win Means For UTSA
This team has shown serious grit. They’ve already rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit on the road against Texas State and battled with the No. 1 team in the country, Texas, just last week. Traylor summed it up perfectly: “These guys just, they keep working. They just keep doing their jobs, and they’re fun to coach. We got a lot to work on, but we’re freaking 3-1 working on it, and it’s a whole lot better to coach football at 3-1.” Coming out of nonconference play at 3-1, McCown certainly can’t complain. This UTSA team has proved they can take a punch and punch back harder, and that kind of resilience is exactly what you want heading into the meat of your schedule.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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