NEW ORLEANS — UTSA tied school records with six takeaways and six rushing touchdowns in a 42-19 victory over Tulane in American Conference action Saturday night, snapping the Green Wave’s 10-game winning streak at Yulman Stadium.
The Roadrunners recovered four fumbles and picked off two passes in running their record to 7-1 overall while remaining atop the league standings at 4-0. Camron Cooper, RJ Lester Jr., Zach Morris and Elijah Newell all had fumble recoveries, while Morris and Willie Nelson III both had interceptions.
Meanwhile, Will Henderson III logged his second 100-yard game of the season and A’Marion Peterson scored two touchdowns on the ground to help lead a potent ground game that churned out 223 rushing yards and six TDs. Henderson went for 102 yards and a TD on 15 carries en route to his fifth career 100-yard outing. Peterson rushed for 51 yards and his two scores, while Brandon High Jr. added 50 yards and a TD on 12 totes.
Owen McCown passed for 173 yards and rushed for 20, including one score, while Mark Wiepert added a late rushing touchdown to complete the scoring for UTSA, which converted 12 of 16 third downs on the night.
UTSA held Tulane to 332 yards of offense, including 67 rushing. Ahamad Chapman led the defense in tackles with six, including five solo stops, while Owen Pewee posted five tackles, three sacks, three quarterback hurries and a pass breakup. Darion White also tallied five tackles, Jameian Buxton added four to go with his forced fumble while playing in his hometown and Morris totaled four stops and a PBU in addition to his two takeaways.
Despite the Roadrunners’ takeaway parade, it was the Green Wave who logged the first takeaway of the night, doing so on the first play from scrimmage when Anthony Rogers picked off a pass in the flat and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown.
The Roadrunners knotted things up with an eight-play, 56-yard drive that was capped by a 1-yard TD rush by Peterson with eight minutes left in the first quarter.
UTSA took the lead late in the opening frame when Peterson reached paydirt for the second time on a 16-yard dash. That drive was set up by a fumble recovery by Cooper near midfield on an errant option pitch by the Tulane quarterback.
The defense rose to the occasion again early in the second, as Buxton forced a fumble that was recovered by RJ Lester Jr. in the end zone, halting a drive that had reached the 2-yard line.
The Roadrunners pounced on a third fumble of the first half when Morris recovered one at the Tulane 46-yard line that was forced by Eddy Smith. Eight plays later, McCown scored on a 4-yard keeper around the left end and Michael Petro’s extra point gave UTSA a 21-7 advantage with 4:23 left until halftime.
Tulane pulled to within 21-13 at the break after Cooper Helmke made field goals of 38 and 33 yards, the last as time expired in the half.
UTSA padded its lead on its first possession of the second half, driving 72 yards in seven plays, the last a 9-yard sprint to the end zone by Henderson.
High then put an exclamation point on a 13-play, 63-yard march with a 5-yard touchdown rush, pushing the lead to 35-13 with 2:41 left in the third quarter.
Tulane used an 81-yard run by Johnnie Daniels on fourth down deep in their own territory to set up his own 7-yard touchdown rush. The two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the score at 35-19 with 7:37 remaining.
Wiepert’s 1-yard touchdown rush at the 2-minute mark of the fourth quarter put an end to a quick, four-play, 41-yard drive that was set up by a 34-yard scamper from Henderson.
The Roadrunners are off next weekend before returning to action Thursday, Nov. 5, against Florida Atlantic. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT in Boca Raton and the game will be televised nationally on either ESPN or ESPN2.
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