UTSA recaptures comeback magic, rallying to beat USF in final minute

As UTSA coach Jeff Traylor was guiding the program's rise to Conference USA championships in 2021 and 2022, he often fell back on a familiar motto: "A champion has the ability to play one play longer than the opponent."

Through his first three seasons, UTSA proved him right week after week, going 18-7 in games that were within a one-score margin at any point during the fourth quarter.

As UTSA slipped back to earth with 7-6 records the past two seasons, that magic often seemed to be lost, as the Roadrunners went just 2-6 in games that were decided by one score.

But when he stepped into the locker room at halftime facing yet another deficit Thursday against South Florida, Traylor could sense a different reaction from a roster that was built by prioritizing maturity and composure over talent and athleticism.

This UTSA group is one "you're going to have to kill," Traylor said, and after USF scored with less than two minutes remaining to take a lead, the Roadrunners proved him right yet again.

UTSA surged down the field behind explosive runs from Owen McCown and Will Henderson, setting up A'Marion Peterson for his third rushing touchdown of the game with 15 seconds remaining to spur a 31-24 win against USF on Thursday in the Alamodome.

"We're calm in the moment, and our kids listen," Traylor said. "You can tell they really believe every word we tell them, and they go out there and execute. You don't get groups like that very much, man. They're just special, special humans."

All four of UTSA's games against Group of Six competition this year have been played within a one-score margin in the final quarter, and all four have ended in Roadrunners' wins.

Thursday's victory continues UTSA's best start since 2021, as the Roadrunners moved to 5-1 and 2-0 in the American Conference. UTSA also improved to 36-5 in the Alamodome under Traylor, including a 26-1 mark against conference opponents.

UTSA found a way Thursday against a South Florida team that reportedly spent close to the $20 million revenue sharing cap to rebuild its roster, boasting a payroll about four to five times UTSA's total.

But Traylor sees a formula to close the gap with the "Triangle of Toughness" culture he's preached since day one, meshed with this year's new mantra "Ubuntu," meaning "I am because we are."

He understands how cliche the whole thing sounds, but he believes every word.

"It's going to give us a fighting chance," Traylor said. "In the new rev share era where everybody's about getting another agent, getting more money and getting out. If you can get a group to believe - and I know it's corny as hell, I sound like Ted Lasso right now - we've got to out-culture people. We've got to beat them with our culture."

Facing a 17-10 deficit at halftime, UTSA's offense came alive with scores on all four second-half drives, sustaining long series to hold the ball for nearly 20 minutes. The Roadrunners outgained the Bulls 271-87 after halftime and finished with 277 total rushing yards to mark the highest total since 2024.

The Roadrunners' defense held the Bulls to 15 yards and a pair of punts to open the half, but USF found one final push. The Bulls drove 75 yards over more than six minutes to set up an 11-yard touchdown pass from Michael Van Buren to DJ Crowther, going up 24-23 with less than two minutes to play.

As the Roadrunners retook the field, McCown said the group exchanged knowing nods in place of any kind of pep talk, having already come through in a similar situation this year with a last-minute touchdown to beat Texas State.

McCown sparked the series with a 19-yard scramble on third-and-5, showing off the rushing ability that was dormant as he played through injury last year. He finished the game 22-of-31 passing for 209 yards and added a season-high 52 yards on the ground.

"Man, I feel super great, super healthy," McCown said. "To be able to be myself like I know I can be, and the athlete that I am, is super comforting."

Henderson followed with a 26-yard burst to move the ball to the 1-yard line, and Peterson punched in the score with a direct snap play out of a jumbo package that accounted for all three UTSA touchdowns.

As the Roadrunners sealed the win, senior linebacker Owen Pewee said he was reminded of the 2022 championship team he played on as a true freshman, seeing a group that trusts in each other to deliver.

"I feel like we're made for this," Pewee said. "This is a different team this year, so I feel like it was going to be good. We had a lot of confidence going into this game."

With only a few days to prepare for Thursday's kickoff following Saturday's 16-14 win at Rice, Traylor kept the group out of pads in practice this week, holding light walkthroughs. UTSA found all the necessary motivation from USF coach Brian Hartline, who on Monday raised old questions about the authenticity of the Alamodome's crowd noise .

Traylor made sure the Roadrunners heard every word, understanding the message the comments send about the program UTSA has built.

"My former players take it as a challenge for everything we've done here. It's all been bogus," Traylor said. "It's almost like they're telling us we don't deserve that. That's how we take that."

Traylor said some of the Roadrunners were disappointed to see so many empty seats in the announced crowd of 17,632, though he also noted the students in particular "showed up and showed out," creating a loud atmosphere.

Entering a long week of preparation for another home matchup against Navy at 7 p.m. on Oct. 17, Traylor described the Roadrunners as "not even good yet," with plenty of areas still to iron out. He expects the fan support to continue improving right along with them.

"I had some kids that were pretty upset, not mad at anybody, but they like to play in front of a big crowd," Traylor said. "I told them, 'Win tonight, and watch the city get hopping at seven o'clock next Saturday night.'"