SAN ANTONIO, TX — Colorado State came out firing Saturday afternoon, stunning the Alamodome crowd with two touchdowns in the opening minutes.
UTSA answered with a scoring barrage of its own.
The Roadrunners scored five consecutive touchdowns after falling behind early, turning a 14-point deficit into a lead and eventually holding off Colorado State 59-45 in the final nonconference game for both teams before league play begins.
UTSA improved to 3-1, while Colorado State dropped to 2-2.
Six different Roadrunners found the end zone as UTSA’s offense repeatedly exploited the Colorado State defense.
“They all want the ball and they all deserve it. And there’s only one ball. There’s so many good players on our team,” UTSA coach Traylor said.
A’Marion Peterson led the Roadrunners with two rushing touchdowns. Will Henderson III, Brandon High Jr., D.J. Allen Jr., Mekhi Anderson and David Amador II each added a touchdown.
Colorado State Strikes First
The Rams needed only a few minutes to silence the Alamodome.
Running back Mel Brown broke through the left side on the opening kickoff, sprinting 94 yards while breaking two tackles before reaching the end zone.
The touchdown immediately changed the atmosphere inside the stadium.
Colorado State then added to its advantage after a UTSA punt.
Backup quarterback K’saan Farrar, making the most of his opportunity, delivered a strike to Terrance Smith, who had beaten two defenders. Smith split the coverage and raced 74 yards for another touchdown.
The Rams suddenly had a 14-0 lead with 13:16 still remaining in the opening quarter.
UTSA, however, showed no signs of panic.
Roadrunners Flip the Game
The comeback began with High Jr.
The redshirt junior took the handoff and raced 16 yards down the left sideline for UTSA’s first touchdown with 9:03 remaining in the quarter.
Henderson III followed shortly afterward, breaking loose for a 13-yard touchdown run that tied the game at 14 with 5:12 left in the first.
The Roadrunners had completely erased Colorado State’s early advantage.
Then Amador II gave UTSA the lead.
McCown hit the redshirt junior receiver with a short pass, and Amador turned the catch into a 27-yard touchdown by breaking two tackles and racing through the middle of the field.
UTSA led 21-14 with just over two minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
The scoring continued.
McCown found Allen Jr. on a short completion, and Allen changed direction before sprinting 47 yards for another touchdown.
Peterson then powered through the middle for a 5-yard touchdown, giving UTSA five straight scores after the Rams had jumped out to their early lead.
Farrar Keeps Colorado State Within Reach
Colorado State refused to fold.
Farrar, a redshirt freshman and UConn transfer, showed plenty of composure while directing the Rams’ offense.
He completed 29 of 46 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns. He also made plays with his legs, keeping Colorado State within striking distance for much of the second half.
Farrar connected with tight end Nader Chirchi for a touchdown, finding him in the middle of the end zone over the top of his defender.
Later, running back Durell Robinson punched in a 1-yard touchdown after the Rams put together four consecutive rushing plays following a UTSA punt.
That score cut the Roadrunners’ advantage to 35-28 with 11:44 remaining in the third quarter.
UTSA Answers With Special Teams
Just when Colorado State appeared ready to seize momentum, UTSA’s special teams delivered.
Anderson fielded the ensuing kickoff in the middle of the end zone and found a lane through the defense.
He accelerated down the left sideline, escaped the final defender and completed a spectacular 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, restoring momentum for the Roadrunners.
The teams continued trading touchdowns in a game that became a showcase for both offenses.
UTSA quarterback McCown finished 20 of 30 for 303 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
Roadrunners Finish Strong
Colorado State continued to fight into the final minutes.
UTSA kicker Michael Petro connected on a 46-yard field goal with just under five minutes remaining, pushing the Roadrunners ahead 52-42.
The Rams answered when Kali Nguma drilled a 51-yard field goal with 2:09 remaining, cutting the deficit to 52-45.
Colorado State attempted an onside kick, but UTSA recovered.
That gave Peterson another opportunity to finish the game.
He broke through the middle and raced 47 yards for his second touchdown of the afternoon, extending the Roadrunners’ lead to 59-45.
The final Colorado State threat ended when Farrar scrambled out of the pocket and attempted to find a receiver along the right sideline.
UTSA safety Joel Rogers read the play, intercepted the pass and managed to keep both feet in bounds as he secured the turnover with 1:31 remaining.
The Roadrunners had officially completed their comeback.
Offense Carries the Day
UTSA’s defense had delivered an impressive performance against No. 1 Texas the previous week.
This time, it was the offense that stole the spotlight.
The Roadrunners produced explosive plays throughout the afternoon and received touchdowns from six different players.
Darion White led UTSA with 11 tackles, while Brandon Tucker added eight.
The performance also demonstrated the depth of UTSA’s offensive attack, with McCown distributing the football while the running game repeatedly found openings.
“Ubuntu is our word — ‘I am because we are,’” McCown said. “That’s the definition. It’s our team motto. The defense is having a great day, and they’re picking us up, and vice versa, like it was today.”
What’s Next:
UTSA now begins American Conference play with a road trip to Rice next Saturday at 6 p.m. CST.
Colorado State will enter conference play as part of the relaunched Pac-12, hosting Oregon State next Saturday at 4 p.m. CST.
The matchup will mark Colorado State’s first football game outside the Mountain West since 1999.
For UTSA, the challenge is to carry Saturday’s offensive explosion into conference play.
For Colorado State, the goal will be to turn the positives from a high-scoring offensive performance into a complete four-quarter effort.
