Owen McCown passed for 340 yards and three touchdowns and the UTSA defense held Kennesaw State to 253 total yards in a 28-16 win in the season opener on Saturday in front of 25,911 fans at the Alamodome.
With the win, the Roadrunners notched their 50th all-time home victory and improved to 24-3 in San Antonio under fifth-year head coach Jeff Traylor, who ran his overall record to 40-14.
Making his second start as a Roadrunner, McCown directed three first-half scoring drives that helped UTSA build a 21-3 lead over the Owls in the first meeting between the two teams. The redshirt sophomore connected with 10 different pass-catchers, led by Devin McCuin, who caught a career-high 11 balls for 79 yards and two TDs. Willie McCoy caught four passes for 59 yards with a long of 45, Patrick Overmyer and Houston Thomas had three receptions apiece for 31 and 28 yards, respectively, and Oscar Cardenas surpassed 1,000 career receiving yards with a pair of grabs for 38 yards.
Meanwhile, the defense was near-dominant at times, holding the Owls’ dangerous ground game to only 51 rushing yards and a 1.3-yards-per-carry average. The Roadrunners racked up 10 tackles for loss, including three sacks with one apiece by Jimmori Robinson, Martavius French and James Walley Jr. Ken Robinson led UTSA with seven tackles and a TFL, while Owen Pewee and Elliott Davison made six and five stops, respectively.
UTSA marched 53 yards on the game’s opening possession to put points on the board first. McCown completed passes for 16 yards to McCuin and 18 yards to Thomas on back-to-back plays to help set up a 2-yard TD pass to McCuin. Chase Allen’s extra point made it 7-0.
The Owls answered with a 44-yard field goal by Austin Welch to cap a 44-yard drive that chewed 5:48 off the clock.
The Roadrunners tacked on a second touchdown in the opening frame as McCown found paydirt on a 5-yard run to put an exclamation point on an 11-play, 75-yard march and gave the home side a 14-3 advantage. That drive was highlighted by a 29-yard reception from DJ Allen.
McCown connected with McCuin again for a score early in the second stanza, this time on a 4-yard pass over the middle that extended the lead to 21-3. Robert Henry Jr.’s 61-yard reception down to the 6-yard line keyed the drive.
Welch drilled a 34-yard field in the final minute of the opening half to provide the 21-6 halftime margin.
Welch hit his third field goal of the day with a 31-yarder at the 2:06 mark of a low-scoring third quarter that pulled the visitors within 21-9.
Kennesaw State made things interesting in the fourth quarter when Carson Kent hauled in a 25-yard touchdown pass over the middle. Welch’s PAT pulled the Owls within five points with 9:23 remaining.
UTSA put the game away when McCown found Cardenas wide open in the end zone on a 3-yard pass with 3:52 left to play.
Davis Bryson completed 14 of 28 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown for the Owls, while Baron Hopson recorded a game-best 13 tackles.
The Roadrunners will hit the road to face Texas State next Saturday, Sept. 7, in San Marcos. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.