SAN ANTONIO — UTSA rallied from a 17-0 deficit behind a season high in total yards, but North Texas held on for a 24-21 win in the season finale on Saturday night at the Alamodome.
The Roadrunners (3-9, 2-6 Conference USA) tallied 400 yards of offense behind a record-setting receiving performance from senior wide receiver Greg Campbell Jr. who hauled in 11 passes for 186 yards, both program records.
The Mean Green (9-3, 5-3) raced out to a 17-0 lead through the first 20 minutes, but UTSA cut the deficit to three at halftime and again with just over eight minutes left to play when quarterback Bryce Rivers connected with wide receiver Tariq Woolen on an 8-yard touchdown pass. Jared Sackett's extra point cut the North Texas lead to 24-21.
UTSA came up with a turnover on downs on the next possession when senior defensive tackle Kevin Strong Jr. stuffed DeAndre Torrey for a two-yard loss on fourth down and one from the UTSA 32-yard line.
The Roadrunners took over with 2:28 left on the clock and advanced all the way to the Mean Green 17 after a 25-yard pass from Rivers to Campbell on fourth-and-16, which helped Campbell finish with a school single season-record 58 receptions.
However, an incomplete pass, a delay of game penalty and a sack forced a 48-yard field goal attempt that sailed wide left as time expired, securing the win for the visitors.
Rivers completed 20-of-32 passes for a season-high 269 yards and a touchdown, and the sophomore also ran for a score in his first start of the season.
True freshman Brenden Brady paced the ground game with a season-best 89 rushing yards on 11 carries, while senior Jalen Rhodes added 44 yards and finished his career with 1,996 to rank second in program history.
Defensively, Josiah Tauaefa led the way with a season-high 14 tackles for his sixth double-digit outing of the linebacker's junior season. C.J. Levine pitched in with 11 stops, his fifth game of 10-plus this fall.
North Texas struck first midway through the first quarter when quarterback Mason Fine escaped the UTSA pass rush and found Michael Lawrence open on a 49-yard TD pass. Fine finished with 320 yards passing and a pair of TDs.
On their next possession, the Mean Green drove nearly the length of the field and first-and-goal at the 1-yard line. UTSA stuffed Torrey, who rushed for a game-high 155 yards, on three consecutive runs up the middle and forced a 20-yard field goal by Cole Hedlund that made it 10-0 23 seconds left in the opening stanza.
Fine hit Kelvin Smith on a 3-yard touchdown pass to cap a 10-play, 85-yard drive. Hedlund's extra point increased the visitors' advantage to 17-0.
UTSA responded with a scoring drive of its own, a five-play, 90-yard march that was highlighted by a 44-yard pass from Rivers to Campbell and a 27-yard dash by Brady and capped by a 1-yard plunge by Brady. Sackett's extra point made it 17-7 with 8:33 left to play in the half.
With time winding down in the half, Solomon Wise blocked a punt to hand the ball to the offense at the UNT 28-yard line. A sideline pass from Rivers to Woolen and short passes over the middle to Campbell and Sheldon Jones helped set up the Roadrunners with a fourth-and-one at the 4-yard line with less than 30 seconds left. Halen Steward plowed through the line for the first down and two plays later, Rivers scored on a keeper around the left side as time ran out. Sackett's PAT made it a three-point contest at the break.
Torrey's 3-yard scamper with 4:21 left in the third quarter helped put the Mean Green back up by 10.
The Roadrunners will open the 2019 campaign when they host UIW on Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Alamodome.
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