BOCA RATON, Fla. — Mekhi Anderson registered his first career 100-yard receiving game, but UTSA saw its five-game winning streak snapped by Florida Atlantic in a 60-29 setback in American Conference action Thursday night at Flagler Credit Union Stadium.
The Roadrunners moved to 7-2 overall and 4-1 in the league with their first loss since Sept. 19 to then-No. 1 Texas. The Owls improved to 6-3 and 3-2 with their fourth win in six meetings against UTSA.
Anderson caught six passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns to help lead an offense that passed for 272 yards behind the arm of Owen McCown, who completed 20 of 35 passes for 265 yards and three TDs. A’Marion Peterson paced the ground game with 77 yards and a score on six carries, good for an average of 12.8 yards per attempt.
FAU totaled 563 yards, the most by a UTSA opponent this season, including 339 rushing yards. Leonard Farrow led the way with 126 yards on 12 rushes, while Ethan Ervin added 92 yards on 15 totes. Caden Veltkamp threw for 210 yards and four touchdowns on 17-of-25 passing, with Easton Messer catching seven for 85 yards and three scores.
The Owls struck first after getting a short field following a 33-yard punt return by Messer to the 6-yard line. Three plays later, Veltkamp found Messer open in the end zone on a 6-yard touchdown pass.
The Roadrunners responded with an 11-play drive that covered 75 yards and resulted in a 20-yard touchdown reception by Anderson.
FAU scored on back-to-back possessions later in the opening quarter to build a 21-7 advantage. Messer tossed a 14-yard pass to Antonio Johnson after a lateral and then caught his second TD pass of the frame on a 15-yard throw from Veltkamp at the 1:11 mark.
UTSA pulled back to within a touchdown early in the second stanza when Peterson broke loose for a 52-yard dash straight up the middle. The extra point was no good, leaving the score at 21-13.
The Owls then pushed their lead back to two scores with a six-play, 82-yard march that ended on a 4-yard rush up the middle by Johnson.
UTSA cut into the FAU lead on its next possession, as Anderson turned a short catch over the middle into a 45-yard touchdown. The two-point attempt was unsuccessful, making it 28-19 with 10:03 left to play until halftime.
The defense came up with a fourth-down stop late in the first half, as Jusiah Sampleton’s tackle on Johnson at the 1-yard line gave the ball back to the Roadrunners with a little more than three minutes remaining.
FAU did find the end zone on its next possession as Veltkamp connected with Farrow on an 18-yard pass with 50 seconds left in the half.
The Roadrunners made it 35-22 at the break when Michael Petro matched the program record with a 54-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
FAU took advantage of a fumble recovery deep in UTSA territory on the opening possession of the second half. Johnson scored on a 4-yard rush up the middle and then the Owls converted a two-point attempt to make it 43-22.
UTSA pulled back to within two scores on the next drive after converting a second fourth-down attempt of the night. Facing fourth and inches, McCown found Isaiah Butler-Tanner open for a 26-yard TD pass. Petro’s PAT made it 43-29 at the 11:49 mark of the third.
After the two teams traded a pair of punts each, FAU padded its lead on a 59-yard rush up the middle by Farrow with a little more than a minute remaining in the third quarter.
The Owls tacked on 10 points in the fourth quarter on a 6-yard touchdown catch by Messer and a 37-yard field goal by Alex Grace.
The Roadrunners will return home to host North Texas for Homecoming on Saturday, Nov. 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Alamodome, and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU. Tickets for all home games are on sale by visiting goUTSA.com/tickets or by calling the UTSA Ticket Office at 210-458-UTSA (8872). Current UTSA students receive free admission to all home games by downloading tickets via their Account Manager. The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive exclusive homecoming jerseys, courtesy of Firstmark Credit Union.
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