Kevorian Barnes #4 of the UTSA Roadrunners runs the ball against the Texas State Bobcats at the Alamodome on September 9, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas. Photo: Ronald Cortes / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
Trey Moore registered three sacks and Frank Harris passed for 214 yards to help lead UTSA to a 20-13 victory over Texas State in front of 49,342 fans on Saturday afternoon at the Alamodome.
With the win, the Roadrunners improved to 1-1 on the season and notched their first victory as a member of the American Athletic Conference in front of the second-largest home crowd in program history, trailing only the inaugural game attendance of 56,743.
Moore totaled seven tackles and his three sacks are tied for the second most recorded by a Roadrunner in a game. The outside linebacker from Smithson Valley High School helped lead a defense that limited the Bobcats to 242 total yards, including just 31 rushing yards.
UTSA posted 10 total tackles for loss including a school record-tying six sacks, as Nick Booker-Brown, Avery Morris and Jimmori Robinson contributed one apiece.
Meanwhile, Harris fought back from an injury in the second quarter to help guide UTSA to its seventh straight home win and keep the Roadrunners perfect against Texas State (0-1) in five meetings. The senior quarterback completed 26 of 37 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown.
Kevorian Barnes rushed for 103 yards on 26 carries to push his career total over the 1,000-yard mark to 1,067. Tykee Ogle-Kellogg grabbed six passes for 78 yards and Joshua Cephus added six catches for 38 yards, as UTSA piled up 372 yards of offense.
The Roadrunners took a 10-0 lead in the first half only to see the Bobcats rally to tie things up by halftime.
UTSA grabbed the lead for good when Willie McCoy made a highlight-reel catch on the sideline for a 20-yard touchdown reception with 3:14 left to play in the third quarter. Chase Allen’s extra point made it 17-10 in favor of the Roadrunners.
Texas State cut it to 17-13 on a 43-yard field goal from Mason Shipley with 10:37 left to play, but UTSA answered with a 43-yard field goal from Allen at the 5:47 mark of the fourth quarter.
The UTSA defense forced a punt on the Bobcats’ next possession and the Roadrunners ran out the clock with a pair of first downs to seal the win.
TJ Finley completed 16 of 30 passes for 211 yards to lead Texas State’s offense, while Brian Holloway paced all players with 16 tackles.
Allen put UTSA on the board first when he split the uprights from 46 yards at the 3:01 mark of the opening period.
Rocko Griffin helped the Roadrunners pad their lead with a 20-yard dash to paydirt early in the second stanza to cap a six-play, 57-yard drive.
Texas State pulled within 10-7 on Jahmyl Jeter’s 3-yard plunge that ended an 11-play, 66-yard march.
A pair of UTSA starters went down with injuries on the ensuing possession, and the home team was forced to punt the ball back to the visitors with 1:28 left in the half. The Bobcats drove 64 yards in eight plays, the last a 42-yard field goal by Shipley that knotted the score with fewer than 20 seconds left in the half.
The Roadrunners will host Army West Point (1-1) next Friday, Sept. 15. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at the Alamodome and the game will air on ESPN and Ticket 760.