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The game began with an 85 yard touchdown pass from Arizona QB Anu Soloman, and ended on an offensive penalty by UTSA. They were just two of the mistakes made by the Roadrunners that would result in a second straight win slipping away.
UTSA spent the rest if the half after that opening touchdown bomb adjusting to Arizona's team speed and cranking up the defensive pressure. The offense took some time to find their groove, but they gradually started hitting the edges and finding huge holes created by an experienced offensive line, and they traded touchdowns with the Wildcats' field goals to wind up with a 14-13 lead.
This action all culminated with the following wild sequence at the 5:38 mark:
- UTSA lines up to go for it on fourth and 17
- Arizona calls their last time out
- UTSA comes back out to punt, and Arizona puts nobody back to fair catch at the 14, so its downed at the 3.
- This happened
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- Arizona stays in shotgun despite being pinned against their own goal line and gets pressured into a safety that makes it 16-13 UTSA.
But then the Roadrunners get the ball back and suddenly the offense stalls again. They go three and out, then Arizona drives right down and scores, like the previous 15 minutes never happened. It's 20-16 Arizona at the half, with UTSA looking alternately unstoppable and incapable of stopping Arizona. Something had to give. Sadly, it was the UTSA offense.
Of the 14 drives the Roadrunners led throughout the night, eight would last four plays or fewer. Even so, UTSA had an opportunity early in the fourth quarter, on their longest drive of the night, to score three points which would have eventually sent this game into overtime. Sean Ianno missed the 25 yard chip shot, his second shank of the season in as many tries.
The very next drive, Tucker Carter would complete a pair of passes for 25+ yards before UTSA would punch it in with a 3 yard run from David Glasco II, puttng them within three of the Wildcats. But that would be all the scoring for the night.
UTSA still appeared to have life up until the 1:20 mark of the final quarter, when Carter would commit the only turnover on the night for both teams, throwing a short-armed interception to Arizona's Jared Tevis.
Overall, it was another impressive performance for the fledgling Roadrunner program. In only their fourth year of existence, led by a national championship winning coach, UTSA has established itself as a contender for the Conference USA crown. But first, they'll need to put this loss behind them and focus on the long week they have to prepare for Oklahoma State. Hopefully they can't keep the mistakes to a minimum, and not get punched in the mouth again.
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