UTSA scraped by Navy in a nail-biter Saturday, pulling out a 38-34 win in the Alamodome, but the real story is how the Roadrunners got it done. Quarterback Owen McCown was scrambling under duress, seeing blitzes Navy hadn’t shown on film, and despite an unexpected 73 offensive snaps, the Roadrunners’ veteran crew had to figure it out on the fly. And boy, did they.
McCown Went Back to School (Between Drives!) To Outsmart Navy
McCown himself admitted they were “learning from our mistakes early on” and “did a great job learning as the game went.” Talk about in-game adjustments! Head coach Jeff Traylor knew McCown, now in his third year as UTSA’s starter, and the offensive line would adapt. And they did exactly that. They switched up the O-line protection and started hammering short perimeter passes. It was a complete mid-game offensive overhaul that saved their bacon. Traylor was right, this team is a “veteran group,” they’ve “played together a long time,” and they’ve got that “great belief in each other.” Smart kids, for sure.
The Run Game Disappeared, But Peterson Stepped Up BIG
Here’s the wild part: Traylor pretty much knew UTSA’s rushing attack wouldn’t cut it against Navy’s front. And he was right. They ended up with just 110 rushing yards, their lowest total of the year outside of a meager 72 yards against then-No. 1 Texas. So what did they do? They got their running backs involved in the *short passing game*. Will Henderson, Brandon High, and A’Marion Peterson combined for six receptions, making that offensive shift undeniable. Peterson, man, he delivered the game-winning score with less than three minutes to play. He lined up at receiver, caught a short hitch route, slipped past two defenders, and was gone for a 41-yard sprint to the end zone! Traylor said they were “very intentional of trying to find ways to get our best players the football when we didn’t know if we were going to be able to hand it off.” McCown ended the day 28-of-38 passing for 359 yards and three touchdowns, with the stats showing he was money on those short perimeter routes: 20-of-27 for 179 yards on passes to the short left or right. Even tight end Brandon Young got in on the action, lining up at fullback and catching a 14-yard touchdown in the right flat after hurdling a defender. Traylor said it all: “They just kept changing up their looks. They were giving us trouble with certain things they were doing. We didn’t have answers. We got some answers. We had a really good answer there late. Kids made adjustments.”
This is the kind of win that makes a statement. UTSA showed they can take a punch, reassess, and come back swinging with a completely different game plan. That adaptability is going to be huge for them moving forward this season.
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.
Leave a Reply