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SAN ANTONIO — A trio of quarterbacks combined to go 26-for-40 for 318 yards and a touchdown and the White team held off the Blue squad, 44-42, in the second annual UTSA Football Fiesta Spring Game presented by Health Texas on Sunday before 4,736 fans at the Alamodome.
Junior Eric Soza went 6-of-8 for 101 yards, classmate Tucker Carter was 11-of-19 for 121 and redshirt freshman Ryan Polite completed 9-of-13 for 96 yards to help the White (offense) rack up 363 yards through the air and 488 of total offense. Thirteen different players caught a pass, led by sophomore Josiah Monroe’s six for 60 yards. Sophomore Seth Grubb hauled in five for 49, while fellow soph Marcellus Mack grabbed four for a team-high 68 yards.
Sophomore David Glasco II led a ground attack that rushed for 125 yards and a score with 58 on 11 carries, while junior Evans Okotcha compiled 27 yards and a TD on nine totes.
On the opening drive, Soza found redshirt freshman Kenny Bias wide open over the middle for a 55-yard connection that helped set up a six-yard touchdown plunge off the left edge by Okotcha. Combined with three first downs worth one point each and the extra point by sophomore Sean Ianno, the White took a 10-0 advantage after one possession.
The Blue forced two consecutive stops (three points each) to make it 13-6 early in the second quarter before quarterback sophomore John Simmons guided the offense down the field for three first downs and then a 23-yard field goal by Ianno to make it 20-6 with 6:44 left before halftime.
Polite then found Monroe down the left sideline for a 30-yard gain to help set up a 25-yard field goal by Ianno with 44 seconds left in the second quarter.
Carter led the White down to the 34-yard line behind a 30-yard pass to Mack, but junior Steven Kurfehs blocked Ianno’s 51-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the first half, making the score 28-12 in favor of the White.
The four QBs were a combined 21-for-31 for 271 yards in the half.
Carter and the offense added 10 more points on the initial drive of the third quarter, as they tallied four first downs before sophomore David Morgan hauled in a 9-yard pass over the middle to help increase the White’s lead to 39-12, the largest of the game.
The Blue turned the tide, as they came up with three stops and interceptions by junior Cody Berry and sophomore Darrien Starling to pull to with 42-31 with less than 10 minutes remaining.
Two more stops made it 42-37 with time winding down. However, Soza led the White to a pair of first downs before a late pick by Berry on the final play provided the final two-point margin.
Sophomore Mauricio Sanchez led the Blue with eight tackles, while classmate Cody Rogers and senior Marlon Smith posted seven apiece. Sophomores Triston Wade and Ashaad Mabry joined Kurfehs with six stops each.
UTSA will open the 2012 season at South Alabama on Thursday, Aug. 30.