SAN ANTONIO — A’Marion Peterson rushed for 179 yards and a school-record four touchdowns and the UTSA defense held North Texas, which entered the game with the nation’s No. 1 offense statistically, to season lows in points and yards in a 35-16 victory in American Conference action Saturday night at the Alamodome.
Peterson scored two of his four touchdowns in the fourth quarter to help the Roadrunners pull away from the Mean Green, moving to 8-2 overall and claiming a share of first place in the conference standings at 5-1 along with UNT and Memphis. After the visitors had pulled to within 21-16 midway through the fourth quarter, Peterson ripped off TD runs of 38 and 46 yards to secure the win.
Meanwhile, UTSA’s defense limited the Mean Green (8-2) to 304 total yards, their fewest since 367 in the season-opening 52-16 loss to Indiana. UNT entered the contest averaging an FBS-best 534.7 yards as well as 44.7 points per contest, the second-best average in the country. The Roadrunners yielded only 109 rushing yards, holding Jahiem White to just 32 yards.
UTSA came up with a pair of takeaways — an interception by R.J. Lester Jr and a fumble recovery by Ahamad Chapman — and converted both into touchdowns. Darion White paced the unit with eight tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, while Owen Pewee had seven stops, one TFL, a quarterback hurry and a key forced fumble. Bryce Grays also logged seven tackles and 1.5 TFLs, while Joel Rogers and Brandon Tucker pitched in with five stops apiece.
Lester got the Roadrunners on the board first when he picked off a pass that was bobbled by a UNT player and returned it nine yards for a touchdown at the 9:33 mark of the first quarter. That would end up being the only score of the opening frame.
Dominic De Freitas made it a 7-3 game when he split the uprights from 31 yards early in the second stanza. That kick capped a 16-play, 83-yard drive for the Mean Green that took more than seven minutes off the clock.
UTSA pushed its lead out to 14-3 on the next possession, as Peterson spun out of two attempted tackles and raced to a 47-yard touchdown.
Peterson reached paydirt again late in the first half, scoring on a 2-yard dive up the middle with 35 seconds left until the intermission. Michael Petro’s extra point gave the home side a 21-3 advantage at the break.
UNT cut into the UTSA lead with a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half, marching 75 yards in 13 plays, the last a 16-yard TD pass from backup quarterback Chris Jimerson to Max Reese. The PAT pulled the visitors within 21-10 at the 8:49 mark of the third quarter.
The Mean Green made it a one-score game with 8:32 left to play when Jimerson got loose on a keeper up the middle for a 9-yard touchdown. Trailing by five, UNT went for two points, but the pass was incomplete, leaving the score at 21-16.
UNT got the ball back and drove to near midfield, but Elijah Baldwin and Bryce Grays combined for a sack on fourth down with just under five minutes left to give the ball back to the offense.
Peterson then reached the end zone on a 38-yard dash to help extend the lead back to two scores.
Following another fourth-down stop by the defense, Peterson broke loose for his record-setting TD, a 46-yard sprint up the middle with one minute on the clock.
Will Henderson III added 70 yards on the ground, while David Amador II caught a team-high five passes, as UTSA posted 326 yards of offense on the night.
Tayven Jackson passed for 125 yards before leaving the game with an injury in the second half. Jimerson came off the bench to throw for 70 and rush for 33. Reese had a team-high six receptions for 50 yards.
The Roadrunners will return to action next Saturday, Nov. 21, against UAB (6-4, 4-2).
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