UTSA opens 2026 season with 45-16 win over UTRGV

SAN ANTONIO — UTSA didn't need much time to turn a close season opener into a rout.

After holding a four-point lead through the first quarter, the Roadrunners erupted in the second and rolled to a 45-16 win over UTRGV on Saturday at the Alamodome.

UTSA scored three touchdowns in the second quarter, including a 49-yard interception return and a 75-yard run, to build a 31-6 halftime lead and remove much of the suspense from the first meeting between the two South Texas programs.

The victory gave UTSA a 1-0 start to its 16th season and improved the Roadrunners to 11-5 all-time in season openers.

The big picture: Saturday offered an early glimpse at the explosiveness UTSA hopes will define its offense this fall.

The Roadrunners finished with 525 yards and produced five offensive plays of at least 30 yards, spreading the production among a group of playmakers around quarterback Owen McCown.

McCown was efficient in his season debut, completing 22 of 27 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns.

His first touchdown came on a 36-yard pass to AJ Wilson Jr. late in the first quarter, giving UTSA a 7-3 lead after UTRGV opened the scoring with a field goal.

The Roadrunners began creating separation in the second.

McCown connected with Brandon Young Jr. for a 7-yard touchdown before defensive back Ahamad Chapman intercepted UTRGV quarterback Garrett Rangel and returned it 49 yards for a score.

Then came one of the night's biggest plays.

Will Henderson III broke free for a 75-yard touchdown run, pushing UTSA's advantage to 28-3 and putting the Roadrunners firmly in control.

A balanced attack: Henderson finished one yard shy of 100 despite receiving only nine carries. A'Marion Peterson nearly joined him, rushing for 96 yards on eight attempts and scoring on a 53-yard run in the fourth quarter.

DJ Allen Jr. provided the biggest receiving performance of the night.

Allen caught four passes for a career-high 116 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown from McCown early in the fourth quarter.

The production gave UTSA multiple sources of explosive offense rather than forcing McCown to carry the load himself — an encouraging development with more difficult opponents still ahead.

On the other side: UTSA's defense largely kept UTRGV from matching those big plays.

The Vaqueros settled for three field goals before finally reaching the end zone on a 1-yard run by Atzel Chavez Jr. with four seconds remaining.

UTSA intercepted Rangel twice. Chapman turned his into six points, while Nate Robinson Jr. recorded his first interception as a Roadrunner.

Joel Rogers led UTSA with seven tackles, and James Walley Jr. recorded six tackles and a sack.

Between the lines: There are limits to what can be learned from the opener.

UTRGV is only in its second season of football and competes at the FCS level, while UTSA has spent the past several years establishing itself as one of San Antonio's most prominent sports programs.

The Roadrunners were supposed to win Saturday.

What stood out was how decisively they eventually did it.

After a relatively quiet opening quarter, UTSA used its speed and depth to overwhelm the Vaqueros, scoring from 36, 49 and 75 yards during a stretch that transformed the game before halftime.

The bottom line: UTSA's first test wasn't its toughest, but it provided the kind of opening night the Roadrunners needed.

McCown looked comfortable. The running game produced two backs on the doorstep of 100 yards. The defense forced turnovers. And UTSA showed it has several players capable of changing a game with one play.

The questions about how that translates against stronger competition will come soon enough.

For one night at the Alamodome, the Roadrunners looked ready for them.