SAN ANTONIO — Jimmori Robinson set school records for sacks and tackles for loss, Zah Frazier had two interceptions for the third time this season and UTSA piled up 529 yards of offense in a 51-27 victory over Temple in American Athletic Conference action on Friday night at the Alamodome.
With the win, the Roadrunners became bowl eligible for the fifth straight season, running their record to 6-5 overall and 4-3 in the league. UTSA also won its school-record-tying 10th in a row at home to improve to 29-3 at the Alamodome under fifth-year head coach Jeff Traylor, who is now 16-2 in the month of November — including a perfect 10-0 at home — and 31-7 in regular season conference games.
Robinson registered 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks as part of a seven-tackle showing. The senior outside linebacker also had three quarterback hurries on a night where he eclipsed Robert Singletary’s previous school standard of 4.5 TFLs from 2014 and matched Marlon Smith’s four-sack effort in the program’s second game in 2011.
Robinson’s performance helped UTSA break the school record for tackles for loss in a game with 16, bettering the previous mark of 15 posted against Tulsa last month.
Meanwhile, Frazier picked off two passes for the second straight game and third time overall this season. The cornerback bested Clifford Chattman’s program mark of five interceptions from the 2022 campaign.
UTSA also pushed its streak of consecutive games with both a sack and takeaway to 21.
Offensively, the Roadrunners racked up 529 yards of offense, topping the 500-yard mark for the second straight game and fourth time this fall. UTSA rushed for 309 yards, notching the first back-to-back 300-yard games on the ground in school history after posting 302 in last week’s win versus North Texas.
Robert Henry Jr. paced the ground attack with 178 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. The senior running back averaged 11.1 yards per attempt and busted runs of 88 — the second-longest rush in program annals — and 40 yards while turning in the seventh-most rushing yards in a game by a Roadrunner.
Owen McCown completed 20 of 27 passes for 220 yards and a TD and also had a 75-yard touchdown scamper in the first half, marking the longest run by a UTSA quarterback in school history.
Chris Carpenter also made history on Friday night, as the senior from Jacksonville returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. That matched his 97-yard kickoff return TD against Texas Southern two years ago, the first and only other one in program history.
UTSA struck first, as Henry got loose for a 40-yard touchdown dash around the right end on the home team’s first possession of the night.
Temple got on the board after taking advantage of a muffed punt at the UTSA 41-yard line that helped set up a Maddux Trujillo 37-yard field goal.
McCown broke loose for his long run early in the second quarter, racing 75 yards down the right sideline to help push the lead to 14-3.
The Owls cut the deficit to 14-10 late in the second quarter when Evan Simon found Dante Wright open in the back of the end zone for a 9-yard TD pass.
The Roadrunners responded quickly as Carpenter returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. Tate Sandell’s extra point made it 21-10 with 4:24 left in the half.
UTSA pushed the lead to 28-10 after Henry broke loose for an 88-yard dash up the middle to set up his 8-yard TD run.
Temple pulled to within 11 at the break thanks to a TD rush by Antwain Littleton in the final minute.
The Owls attempted an onside kick to start the second half, but UTSA recovered and then drove 44 yards to set up a 23-yard field goal by Chase Allen.
Temple answered with a 61-yard touchdown pass from Simon to Wright and Trujillo’s PAT made it 31-24 midway through the third quarter.
Frazier’s first interception of the night set up UTSA’s next score, as Willie McCoy hauled in a 40-yard pass from McCown down to the Temple 3-yard line and then caught a 3-yard pass for his fourth TD of the year.
Trujillo booted his second field goal of the night with a 33-yarder that made it 38-27 early in the fourth, but the Roadrunners opened up the game from there.
Sandell drilled field goals of 47 and 42 yards to push the lead to 44-27 and Brandon High’s 3-yard touchdown rush with 2:29 left to play provided the final margin, as UTSA topped 50 points for the first time since a 51-7 win over Louisiana Tech in 2022.
The Roadrunners will close out the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 30, when they travel to West Point, New York, to face Army. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT at Michie Stadium and the game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
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