At the end of the first quarter of Friday’s SERVPRO First Responder Bowl in Dallas, Florida International and UTSA were tied at 14. But it was the Roadrunners of UTSA (7-6) that ended up running up the score and running away with a season-capping victory to get over .500.
UTSA scored 17 points in the second frame to take a 31-14 lead to the locker room and led 40-20 at the end of the third quarter.
UTSA then blanked FIU over the final 15 minutes, resulting in a 57-20 win for head coach Jeff Traylor and the Roadrunners.
UTSA quarterback Owen McCown threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns in the win, while Will Henderson III added two touchdown runs. FIU’s Joe Pesansky completed only 11 of his 31 passes for 102 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while Keyone Jenkins also threw an interception.
The Panthers did get a 97-yard punt return for a touchdown from Maguire Anderson, but not much else went right for FIU.
Where UTSA, FIU stand after bowl game
FIU’s loss snaps a four-game winning streak that saw FIU both claim bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019 and notch seven wins for the first time since 2018.
UTSA’s victory caps an up-and-down season for Traylor. The Roadrunners have gone 7-6 for the second consecutive year under the program’s head coach, who has yet to miss a bowl game at UTSA.
