The I-35 rivalry was concocted by clever debates by both school’s student fanbase on social media. The rivalry — named after the freeway that connects UTSA to Texas State — didn’t really have much history going in (the Roadrunners beat the Bobcats in their first and only previous matchup), but the hype was palpable for the 31,333 fans in attendance — fourth largest in Bobcat Stadium history.
The Roadrunners were business as usual in their follow-up meeting with the Bobcats, clobbering San Marcos 44-14 behind a relentless run game that accounted for 357 rushing yards and eight yards per carry.
The beatdown on the Bobcats was the fifth straight opponent that they held beneath 300 yards, rendering their opponent’s ground game to desperate scampers for a measly 56 yards. The defensive smothering was spearheaded by defensive end Marcus Davenport, who broke UTSA’s all-time record for sacks and tackles for loss in the first half of the game.
After a first quarter that saw UTSA outgain Texas State 312-153 in total offense, the third quarter was a relatively quiet affair with the Roadrunners dominating time of possession. A 14-play, 89-yard drive that lasted nearly seven minutes resulted in a 27-yard Jared Sackett field goal. The booted extra points were the third converted field-goal attempt for the game, with Sackett launching a career high 43-yard field goal before the half.
The fourth quarter saw tailback Jalen Rhodes score his second touchdown of the game on a 36-yard run, before retiring to the bench with a career-high 174 yards on 15 carries; his first score went for 67 yards and put the Roadrunners ahead 17-7 in the first half.
Heading into the game with only eight incompletions on one and a half contests, Dalton Sturm continued his ability to spread the field with flawless decision making. The senior finished the game equalling his former season total of incompletions, but maintained his high accuracy with 17-of-25 passes for 212 yards and an additional 37 yards on foot.
UTSA has made their presence known in the state of Texas, handling Baylor during their first contest; the Bears went on to put up 41 points on the No. 3 ranked Oklahoma Saturday.
San Antonio opens their C-USA schedule this weekend against Southern Miss at the Alamodome at 6pm.
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