SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros football team played in front of 33,403 fans at the Alamodome Saturday, including a full visiting side that had Vaqueros fans in the third deck as it fell, 45-16, to the UTSA Roadrunners in the first game against a FBS opponent in program history.
Garret Rangel got the start at quarterback and led UTRGV (1-1) going 19-for-32 with 152 passing yards.
Aidan Jakobsohn was 6-for-11 with 91 yards and two interceptions.
Atzel Chavez Jr. played the fourth quarter and scored his first career touchdown and the lone Vaqueros touchdown of the day, taking a QB keeper one yard for the score.
Corey Holmes had 68 receiving yards on seven catches and
Jaydon Smith finished with 68 receiving yards.
Spencer Rich and
Jaiden Haygood led the defensive effort with 10 and seven tackles, respectively. Rich led all defenders in tackles and had three solo stops.
Owen McCown was 22-for-27 with 275 passing yards and three touchdowns for UTSA (1-0).
DJ Allen racked up 116 receiving yards with one touchdown. The Roadrunners rushed for 250 yards, led by
Will Henderson III and
A'Marion Peterson who had 99 and 96 yards on the ground, respectively.
The Vaqueros trailed 7-0 after a first quarter that showed glimpses of excellence on both sides of the ball. Rangel had two clutch scrambles on the opening drive. He ran to his right for eight yards on a third-down play, showing some burst to get around the edge. Five plays later, he escaped heavy pressure and maintained his balance with a defender in his face to find four yards and a first down. The drive was stumped by a missed field goal from 34 yards out.
The defense looked sharp to start the game.
Nathan Huerta got through the big offensive line and got to McCown, but a personal foul penalty negated the play and set up a score for the Roadrunners. McCown hit
AJ Wilson for a 36-yard touchdown pass with 6:51 on the clock for the only points of the first quarter.
UTRGV forced a punt on UTSA's next possession behind tremendous play from the front seven. Huerta and Rich bulldozed through the line to force negative plays for the Roadrunners on the strong defensive series.
Dorian Blackwell stuck tight to his man and broke up a deep pass attempt, resulting in the punt.
Jakobsohn went under center on UTRGV's third possession and immediately connected with Holmes for a 24-yard gain. The Vaqueros tried establishing the run with four consecutive carries for
TJ Dement, including on 4th and 1, but they turned it over on downs.
UTSA scored four times in the second quarter to hold a 31-6 lead at halftime. The Roadrunners opened the frame with a seven-yard touchdown pass from McCown to
Brandon Young Jr. in the back of the end zone.
Ahamad Chapman intercepted a Jakobsohn pass and returned it 49-yards to extend the lead to 21-0.
Rangel hit four different receivers on the next drive to set up UTRGV's first score. The Vaqueros were working the margins and Rangel delivered passes on the sidelines to get the offense moving.
Brysen Gardner was true from 44 to make it 21-3 before Henderson took the first play of the next drive 75-yards for a touchdown.
The Roadrunners were rolling again late in the second quarter before UTRGV's red zone defense went to work.
Nicholas Peace had a nice pass breakup in the end zone, winning a one-on-one battle to knock away a would-be score and force a field goal.
Michael Petro was good on the 30-yard kick to extend UTSA's lead.
Jakobsohn and Smith connected for a 53-yard gain in the final minute of play, igniting the packed UTRGV sideline. Gardner ended the half with a 24-yard field goal.
UTRGV limited the Roadrunners to 82 yards in the third quarter, forcing one punt and one turnover on downs. Haygood had two solo tackles on UTSA's first drive, including one that resulted in a negative play to force the punt.
Carter Hewitthad a QB hurry to open the fourth and help force a field goal attempt which UTSA missed.
The Roadrunners increased their lead to 38-6 with 10:41 in the fourth quarter off a 62-yard passing touchdown from McCown to Allen. UTSA tacked on a 53-yard rushing touchdown by Peterson to make it 45-9 with 2:56 to play.
Broderick Taylor had a 54-yard rush that saw him elude defenders and set up UTRGV's late score. Chavez took the keeper to his right and leapt straight to the end zone to close the game on a positive note.
UTRGV's next game is Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. at Nicholls to open Southland Conference (SLC) play.
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