FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Nnanna Anyanwu posted three sacks and Robert Henry Jr. turned in his sixth straight 100-yard rushing game to help UTSA hold off Colorado State, 17-16, on Saturday night at Canvas Stadium.
What began as a low-scoring affair ended in thrilling fashion. After the Rams (1-2) tied the score at 10-10 with under seven minutes left to play, the Roadrunners (2-2) grabbed the lead again after Henry broke free for a 74-yard touchdown reception.
Colorado State would not go away though, as Jackson Brousseau spearheaded a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a TD pass to Rocky Beers with 29 seconds remaining. Initially, CSU tied the score with a successful extra-point attempt by Isaiah Hankins. However, UTSA was called for offsides on the try and the Rams decided to accept the penalty and go for a potential game-winning two-point conversion. Another Rams quarterback, Tahj Bullock, entered the game and rolled to his right, but his pass sailed incomplete out of bounds due to tight coverage from the Roadrunners. The ensuing onside kick went out of bounds and UTSA ran out the clock to claim victory in the series for the first time in three meetings.
Anyanwu was responsible for four of the Roadrunners’ five tackles for loss on a defense that held the Rams to 223 yards of offense through the first three quarters. Making his first career start, he became the seventh UTSA player to record three-or-more sacks in a game and just the sixth to log four-plus TFLs.
Meanwhile, Henry rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and he added 76 receiving yards to give him 220 all-purpose yards on the night, the fifth-best single-game performance in program history. He extended his school-record streak of 100-yard rushing games to six, a stretch that has seen him register a rush of at least 74 yards in each contest.
After a scoreless first quarter, UTSA struck first thanks to another long touchdown run from Henry. Facing a third down and three from their own 24-yard line, the senior running back broke free for a 76-yard dash to paydirt to put the Roadrunners on the board first.
The Rams responded with a seven-play, 69-yard drive that was capped with a 23-yard field goal from Hankins at the 7:04 mark of the second stanza.
UTSA added a field goal in the final minute of the opening half when Michael Petro split the uprights from 40 yards to hand the visitors a 10-3 advantage at the break.
Both defenses proved tough to gain yards against in the third quarter, as the teams combined for 46 yards of offense in the frame.
Colorado State put together a game-tying drive midway through the fourth. Tahj Bullock’s 10-yard quarterback keeper put an end to a nine-play, 67-yard march and Hankins’ extra point knotted the score with 6:19 left to play, setting up the thrilling final minutes.
Shad Banks Jr. and Jimmy Wyrick paced the UTSA defense with 11 tackles apiece, the first time two Roadrunners have made double-digit stops in the same game since the 2022 season opener.
Following their first idle week of the season, the Roadrunners will open American Conference play on Saturday, Oct. 4, against Temple in Philadelphia.
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