SAN ANTONIO — UTSA registered 542 yards of offense and scored the second-most points in a game in program history, holding off Colorado State, 59-45, in the nonconference final on Saturday at the Alamodome.
The Roadrunners rallied from a 14-0 deficit early in the contest with 35 unanswered points to take the lead for good, keeping the Rams (2-2) at bay while running their record to 3-1, their best four-game start since 2021. UTSA passed for a season-high 303 yards and rushed for 239 in coming up just two points shy of the school record of 61 points set last year against Rice.
The two teams combined for 104 points, the most in any UTSA game, and both squads had a kickoff return for a touchdown, also a first in program history.
Six different Roadrunners reached the end zone, paced by Mekhi Anderson and A’Marion Peterson with two apiece. Anderson became the first UTSA player not named Chris Carpenter — who had three — to return a kickoff for a touchdown with his 100-yard score in the third quarter, and he also had a 14-yard touchdown reception in the fourth. Peterson had a pair of scores on the ground, including a 47-yard dash with two minutes left to play that helped seal the win.
Owen McCown completed 20 of 30 passes for 303 yards and three TDs, while all three running backs rushed for at least 60 yards and a score. Will Henderson III led the way with 89 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts, Brandon High Jr. added 76 and a TD on 14 carries and Peterson had 60 and two TDs on only six totes.
DJ Allen Jr. paced the receivers with five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown, AJ Wilson Jr. caught three passes for 62 yards, Anderson had three grabs for 51 yards and David Amador II hauled in three passes for 44 yards.
Defensively, Darion White logged his first double-digit tackles game with 10 stops, including two tackles for loss. Owen Pewee posted eight tackles, including two TFLs and a sack, while Brandon Tucker pitched in with eight stops and a pass breakup.
The Rams struck quickly, as Mel Brown returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown to get the visitors on the board.
After a missed field goal, CSU took a two-touchdown lead after K’saan Farrar found Terrence Smith open over the middle for a 74-yard touchdown pass. The extra point gave the Rams a 14-0 lead with fewer than two minutes elapsed in the game.
The Roadrunners got on the board on their next possession, marching 75 yards in 12 plays, capped by a 16-yard TD dash around left end by High. An 18-yard pass from McCown to Wilson on third down and 10 near midfield kept the drive alive.
Following a three-and-out forced by the defense, UTSA knotted the score with a 51-yard drive that needed only five plays, the last a 13-yard dash to paydirt by Henderson. Michael Petro’s PAT made it 14-all at the 5:12 mark of the opening quarter.
The Roadrunners took the lead late in the first after Amador turned a short pass over the middle into a 27-yard score.
Allen then stretched the advantage to 28-14 after he raced 58 yards to the end zone early in the second quarter behind a key downfield block from Anderson.
Peterson added to the lead midway through the second stanza when he scored from five yards out to cap a 10-play, 59-yard drive.
The Rams cut it to 35-21 late in the first half after Nader Chirchi’s 5-yard touchdown catch at the 1:55 mark.
CSU made it a one-score game again on its first possession of the second half, as Brown’s 59-yard rush set up a 1-yard scoring plunge by Durell Robinson on fourth down and goal.
UTSA answered quickly, as Anderson took the ensuing kickoff and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown to make it 42-28.
The Rams once again pulled to within seven after a 15-play, 75-yard drive that took 7:21 off the clock and resulted in a 3-yard TD run by Robinson.
Anderson’s 14-yard TD grab early in the fourth pushed the lead back out to 14, only to see CSU answer with an 18-yard touchdown rush on a reverse by Reginald Vick Jr. with 8:55 remaining.
Petro split the uprights from 46 yards — a career long — with 4:56 left to give the home team a 52-42 cushion, but Kali Nguma made a 51-yards field goal at the 2:09 mark to make it 52-45 Roadrunners.
The Rams tried an onside kick, but Amador recovered it at the CSU 47-yard line. On the next play, Peterson broke loose for his 47-yard touchdown dash to put UTSA up by 14.
CSU had one more possession, but Joel Rogers intercepted a pass near midfield to seal the victory.
Farrar completed 29 of 46 passes for 344 yards and two TDs, Brown rushed for 90 yards to pace the ground game and Smith had a game-high 102 receiving yards on six catches for the Rams.
The Roadrunners will open American Conference play on the road against Rice on Saturday, Oct. 3. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN+ and Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket.
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