After a hot start to the year, a headline brought up the idea of UTSA finishing 11-0 on the year. That dream was broken Saturday night at the Alamodome as the Roadrunners fell in a nail-biter to Southern Miss 31-29 in their C-USA opener.
After trailing the Golden Eagles 7-3 in the first quarter, cornerback Devron Davis changed the momentum of the game, yanking the ball away near the Roadrunners’ end zone that was immediately scooped up by La’Kel Bell.
Later in the drive, quarterback Dalton Sturm sensed mounting pressure backed up on third down and dropped a 21-yard dime to Josh Stewart for a diving touchdown. UTSA led 13-7 heading into the locker room.
The third quarter was advantage Southern Miss; the UTSA defense had to hold, they were successful, but big plays doomed the Roadrunners from getting back into the game.
Faced with a 28-13 deficit, the Roadrunners began scurrying back into contention during the fourth quarter. Sturm proved his worth as one of the most accurate passers in the FBS, connecting with Marquez McNair for a pair of scores from 28 and 24 yards respectively.
An attempted two point conversion was botched and a desperate onside kick was fumbled from the outstretched hand of a Roadrunner and went out of bounds, dooming UTSA’s comeback chances.
“We didn’t do the things necessary to win the football game,” head coach Frank Wilson said following the game, “We had opportunities, but we didn’t do the things required to win the games. When you’re in this position, you’ve got to make those plays.”
Sturm completed 27-of-43 passes for 367 yards and three touchdowns; the sole interception marked his first of the season. Eight receivers brought in receptions and Glen Campbell Jr. and Josh Stewart each compiled over 100 yards through the air.
A week after being clobbered by North Texas, the Golden Eagles limited UTSA’s ground attack to just 102 yards on the night.
The Roadrunners will have their chance to bounce back as they travel to Denton to take on North Texas next Saturday.
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