SAN ANTONIO — UTSA reeled off 24 consecutive points to open the game en route to a 52-31 victory against UAB in front of a Homecoming crowd of 25,391 fans at the Alamodome on Saturday.
The Roadrunners (3-5, 2-2 C-USA) racked up a school-record 523 yards of total offense, including a record 331 in the first half, and UTSA’s 52 points were its most-ever against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent.
Eric Soza completed 14-of-21 passes for 235 yards and he found 11 different receivers. Kenny Bias led all pass catchers with two receptions for 54 yards, while Brandon Armstrong added a career-best 51 yards. David Glasco II led all rushers by gaining 73 yards on 11 carries.
UTSA’s defense was led by Nic Johnston, who finished with 10 tackles and he also recorded the team’s first interception of the season and a forced fumble that led to a touchdown.
The Roadrunners struck first when Armstrong rushed around the right end for 22 yards and a score.
Codie Brooks sacked Austin Brown for a loss of nine yards on the defense’s first play of the game and, three plays later, Johnston returned his pick 13 yards to UAB’s 33-yard line.
Glasco II ran up the middle for 18 yards on second down, setting the Roadrunners up at the UAB 9-yard line. Two plays later, Kam Jones took a jet sweep around the left side and dove into the end zone from one yard out to give the Roadrunners a 14-point lead.
Sean Ianno's 30-yard field goal on the next drive pushed the lead to 17-0.
Johnston forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff return by Darius Powell and Crosby Adams III scooped it up and returned it for a 16-yard touchdown. That gave UTSA a 24-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, which were the most points scored in an opening quarter in program history.
The Blazers (2-5, 1-2 C-USA) got on the board in the second quarter with a 50-yard field goal by Ty Long.
On the following possession, UTSA’s Earon Holmes hauled in a 17-yard touchdown pass from Soza to give the Roadrunners a 28-point lead.
UAB scored its first touchdown of the game when Jonathan Perry hit Darrin Reaves with a 21-yard pass to cut UTSA’s lead to 31-10.
The Roadrunners answered with their fifth touchdown of the half on a 27-yard rush up the left sideline by Jones to give him his first career multiple-score contest and the home team took a 38-10 advantage into the locker room.
UAB opened up the second half with the ball, but Adams III intercepted a pass down the middle from Perry at the UTSA 40-yard line.
Three plays later, Bias hauled in a 51-yard pass from Soza and Evans Okotcha punched it in from 10 yards out to make it 45-10.
UTSA’s final touchdown came on a 51-yard seam pass from Soza to Armstrong to give the Roadrunners a 52-17 lead early in the fourth.
The Blazers added two late TDs on a 28-yard pass from Perry to Jamarcus Nelson and an 18-yard run by Reaves.
The Roadrunners will travel to Tulsa (2-5, 1-2 C-USA) for 2:30 p.m. game next Saturday, Nov. 2.