Frank Harris passed for 303 yards, Kevorian Barnes rushed for 128 and Corey Mayfield recorded his fifth career interception, as UTSA raced past FIU 30-10 in Conference USA action on Friday night at FIU Stadium.
Harris completed 24 of 35 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns, while Barnes logged UTSA’s first 100-yard game of the season on the ground to help the Roadrunners tally 433 yards of offense and win their fourth straight game to improve to 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the league.
Mayfield had his first pick of the campaign to go with five total tackles, helping the defense hold the Panthers (2-4, 0-2) to 323 yards. Nick Booker-Brown led the unit with six stops, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack, while Rashad Wisdom added five tackles.
After a scoreless first quarter, Jared Sackett got UTSA on the board first after he drilled a 44-yard field goal just two minutes into the second stanza.
The Roadrunners extended their lead to 10-0 after Zakhari Franklin hauled in a 5-yard touchdown pass from Harris. That scoring play was set up by a 13-yard reception on a screen pass to Barnes.
FIU pulled to within one score after a 41-yard field goal by Chase Gabriel at the 5:37 mark of the second quarter, but UTSA responded with another Harris touchdown pass, this time for 42 yards to Dan Dishman to help give the visitors a 17-3 halftime advantage.
Mayfield Jr. set the Roadrunners up in FIU territory early in the third quarter, coming up with his fifth career interception after a tipped pass. Five plays later, Barnes found the end zone for the first time as a Roadrunner on a 9-yard dash up the middle to push the lead to 24-3.
Barnes scored his second touchdown of the night on a 2-yard plunge early in the fourth quarter to make it 30-3 before FIU added a late score on a 15-yard TD dash by Kejon Owens with less than a minute remaining.
Franklin finished with six receptions for 68 yards, while Joshua Cephus also caught six balls for 55 yards. De’Corian Clark hauled in five passes for 60 yards.
The Roadrunners will return home to host North Texas for Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 22. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. at the Alamodome.