SAN ANTONIO — A’Marion Peterson’s 41-yard touchdown reception in the final minutes helped lift UTSA to a 38-34 victory over Navy and remain undefeated in American Conference action Saturday night at the Alamodome.
Peterson took a short pass from Owen McCown and raced down the right sideline for the go-ahead score. Michael Petro’s extra point made it a four-point contest with 2:24 left to play.
The UTSA defense then turned up the pressure on the Midshipmen’s ensuing possession, taking advantage of a holding penalty and a false start to force the visitors into second down and 25 yards to gain. Following an 11-yard gain by Navy quarterback Jackson Gutierrez, Owen Pewee came up with a tackle for a 2-yard loss on third down and then pressured Gutierrez into an incomplete pass on fourth down, giving the ball back to the Roadrunners with 1:50 remaining.
UTSA burned enough clock before turning it back over to Navy (2-4, 1-3) on downs with eight seconds on the clock. The Roadrunners forced an incomplete pass as time expired to run their record to 6-1 overall and a perfect 3-0 in the league, becoming bowl eligible for the seventh straight season in the process.
The inaugural matchup between the two teams turned into a back-and-forth affair in the fourth quarter as the lead changed hands four times down the stretch.
The Roadrunners entered the final frame with a 24-20 advantage after Petro split the uprights from 36 yards midway through the third quarter to cap a 15-play, 63-yard drive that chewed 6:53 off the clock.
Navy, which led 14-0 out of the gates, reclaimed the lead on a long pass play, as Gutierrez found Jordan Collins open over the middle for a 92-yard touchdown pass. The PAT made it 27-24 with 12:47 left to play.
UTSA went back out in front, 31-27 after Will Henderson III scooted around the right end for a 31-yard touchdown scamper at the 8:17 mark of the fourth. The possession was kept alive by the second fourth-down conversion of the half when McCown found AJ Wilson on a 22-yard connection on fourth and three. Henderson, who rushed for a team-high 78 yards, took a handoff on the next play and raced to the end zone to put the home team ahead.
However, the Midshipmen seized the advantaged once again when Braxton Woodson found paydirt on a 7-yard rush with just under five minutes to play.
McCown then led the Roadrunners on a game-winning drive for the second straight game and third time this season, as UTSA covered 75 yards in just six plays, the last being Peterson’s go-ahead touchdown reception.
McCown finished with a season-high 359 passing yards, completing 28 of 38 passes and tossing three touchdown passes. Amador hauled in a team-best seven passes for 71 yards, while DJ Allen Jr. had six catches for 56 yards, as the offense piled up 469 yards on the night.
Defensively, Darion White paced the Roadrunners with nine tackles, including a half-tackle for loss, while Brandon Tucker added seven stops and Bryce Grays pitched in with six.
Navy took a 14-0 lead after a pair of rushing touchdowns by Gutierrez, the second a 5-yard score at the 14:11 mark of the second quarter.
The Roadrunners responded with 21-0 unanswered points over the next seven-plus minutes.
Mekhi Anderson got UTSA on the board with a 48-yard grab on a pass from McCown. That TD pass capped a quick 75-yard drive in just three plays, including a 23-yard reception by Allen.
The defense then forced a punt, giving the ball back to the home team at its own 13-yard line. From there, UTSA marched 87 yards in 11 plays, the last a 14-yard touchdown catch by Brandon Young Jr., who hurdled a defender at the goal line en route to his third score of the season.
The Roadrunners then successfully recovered an onside kick attempt at the Navy 49. McCown found Amador for a 36-yard connection to set up a 1-yard TD rush by Peterson. Petro’s extra point made it 21-14 with 3:56 remaining in the half.
The Midshipmen answered with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Gutierrez to Collins. However, the extra-point attempt clanked off the right upright, leaving score at 21-20 with 1:03 left until halftime.
Gutierrez rushed for 139 yards and passed for 120 to lead Navy’s offense, which posted 477 yards.
The Roadrunners will return to action next Saturday, Oct. 24, when they face Tulane (3-3, 1-1) in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Yulman Stadium and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
-UTSA-