SAN ANTONIO — Quarterbacks Eric Soza, John Simmons and Travis Menn combined to complete 14-of-22 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns, as the UTSA passing attack highlighted action in the team's fifth scrimmage on Wednesday night at Dub Farris Stadium.
Soza, a redshirt freshman from Beeville, was 8-of-12 for 136 yards and both scores, while Simmons, a freshman from New Braunfels, completed 4-of-5 passes for 51 yards and also rushed three times for 16 yards. Menn, a freshman from San Antonio Roosevelt, was 2-for-5 for 47 yards.
Freshman Jake Wanamaker hauled in four receptions for 61 yards and a score to lead the receiving corps, while freshman Marcellus Mack caught three for 73 yards, including a long of 52. Freshmen Brooks Blakemore, Kam Jones and Earon Holmes found themselves on the receiving end of a pair of passes each for 47, 22 and 16 yards, respectively.
Freshman lineman Darius Anderson led the defense with six tackles, while freshman defensive back Justin Rogers added five stops. Freshman defensive lineman John Roper posted a sack, another tackle for loss and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
After a short goal-line situation drill in which the offense scored on all five attempts from inside the five-yard line, the defense began the scrimmage on a strong note by forcing back-to-back three-and-outs.
Soza then led the offense on a six-play, 58-yard scoring march for the first score of the evening. After executing a perfect play-action fake, he found sophomore running back Evans Okotcha all alone on a wheel route along the right sideline for six points.
Simmons matched Soza by taking the white jerseys on a nine-play, 70-yard drive. He was 3-for-3 for 44 yards through the air, connecting with Wanamaker on 21- and 14-yard passing plays to help set up a four-yard touchdown jaunt by freshman running back David Glasco II.
The defense forced another punt and then Roper helped the blue jerseys get on the board by stripping the ball from Menn and recovering it in the end zone.
Menn responded by leading the offense to paydirt on the next possession. He found Blakemore on the sideline for 26 yards to help set up a six-yard touchdown run by junior running back Richard Mendoza, which capped an 11-play, 70-yard drive.
Soza connected with Mack down the seam for 52 yards to highlight the next drive that ended when freshman place-kicker Hunter Boelhauf split the uprights from 30 yards out. Two possessions later, Soza hooked up with Wanamaker from 11 yards out for the final score of the evening.
The team will take next week off before returning to practice on Sunday, Oct. 31.
