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For the first time since Eric Soza suited up for the Roadrunners UTSA has come out with more points than Louisiana Tech in a football game. On Saturday night in the Alamodome it took a fourth quarter comeback of 14 unanswered points spurred on by the running of Sincere McCormick and a Roadrunner defense that held the Bulldogs to 35 yards in the second half.

Regardless of how it happened UTSA came out with a 27-26 win. It was the Roadrunners first win over Louisiana Tech since November 30, 2013. Though anyone who saw the first half might have wondered if this would be the year that UTSA ended the losing streak.

"It was a tale of two halves," UTSA Head Coach Jeff Traylor said. "As elated as I am right now, that's how disappointed I was in the first half. This is the first time I've had to get after my kids at halftime. I challenged them."

On Saturday night it was the worst of halves. It was the best of halves. For UTSA the worst of halves was the first half. Louisiana Tech racked up 212 yards of offense to UTSA's 116 yards. The second half was better for UTSA as they outgained the Bulldogs 269 to 35.

The second half hero was Sincere McCormick. The leading runner in the nation carried the ball a school-record 37 times for 165 yards and three touchdowns. McCormick scored all three of his touchdowns in the second half. Two of those coming in the fourth quarter. The one that turned out to be the winner was a 45 yarder with 6:16 left in the game. The winning point came on the extra point by Hunter Duplessis.

"I didn't know," McCormick said after the game when asked if he knew he'd carried the ball so many times. "I just kept going, kept finding. I was surprised. I'll feel it tomorrow. The ice tub will be my best friend tomorrow."

A local kid, McCormick has a lot of fans in the San Antonio area, including his quarterback Frank Harris.

"He's the best player I've ever played with," Harris said. "I'm probably his number one fan. That guy is special. He makes it look easy. Anytime you hand the ball off to him he can break it. We are blessed to have him."

Duplessis was the bright spot in the first half as he made both field goals he attempted to push his streak to 22 straight and 13 of 13 on the season. Duplessis made all three extra points in the second half but had a field goal attempt blocked in the fourth quarter to have is consecutive make streak snapped.

Saturday's contest began as a kicker fest. Louisiana Tech started with the ball first after UTSA won the coin toss and deferred their decision to the second half. The Bulldogs drove down the field in 13 plays and took 6:10 off the clock but the Roadrunner defense kept them out of the endzone. Jacob Barnes booted a 27 yard field goal at the 8:50 mark of the first quarter to take a 3-0 lead.

UTSA answered on their opening drive. Harris drove the Roadrunners down the field in 14 plays and took 5:46 off the clock. The Roadrunner offense also ran out of gas in the red zone and had to settle for a 21 yard field goal from Duplessis. The 12th consecutive make this season by Duplessis tied the score at 3-3 with 3:04 left in the first quarter.

Louisiana Tech had to punt on their next possession but UTSA didn't have any luck on their second possession as it ended with the first interception thrown by Frank Harris. The Bulldogs would take advantage of that interception by turning it into a field goal and retaking the lead, 6-3, with 14:03 left in the second quarter.

The Roadrunners went three and out on their next possession and Lucas Dean got his first action of the night. Louisiana Tech drove to the UTSA four yard line but were only able to get a field goal to go up 9-3 with 9:22 left before halftime.

UTSA went 55 yards on their next drive but stalled at the Louisiana Tech 20. Duplessis stepped in and kicked a 37 yard field goal that cut the deficit to 9-6 with 6:36 on the clock.

Louisiana Tech scored the first touchdown of the night at the 3:43 mark of the second quarter on a 13 yard pass on 4th and 2. The Bulldogs added a field goal with 29 seconds left in the half to take a 19-6 lead into the locker room at halftime.

During the intermission Traylor got into the team in the locker room to try and inspire them to play better in the second half.

"He said we have to get tougher," Harris said of Traylor's message at halftime.

In the second half the Roadrunners accepted the challenge from Traylor.

On the first drive of the third quarter UTSA started on their own 25 and proceeded to drive 75 yards. On first and goal from the Bulldog two, McCormick scored his first touchdown of the night after accounting for 45 of the yards on the drive. Duplessis added the extra point and UTSA was within six points, 19-13, with 9:36 left in the third quarter.

Louisiana Tech had to punt on their next possession and it seemed like momentum was beginning to shift toward the Roadrunners.

Then on the next Roadrunner drive Harris threw an interception on the third play of the drive. Louisiana Tech's Ezekiel Barnett returned it 60 yards for a touchdown and the Bulldogs went ahead 26-13 with 6:32 left in the third quarter.

"Coach always says stay the course," Harris said. "We were down two scores but the offense stayed with it and we found a way to win."

Harris finished the night with 18 completions out of 33 attempts for 189 yards. Harris also ran 10 times for five yards and had one catch for eight yards on a trick play pass from Julon Williams.

The pick six proved to be the high water mark for Louisiana Tech. The fourth quarter belonged to the Roadrunners.

On their second drive of the fourth quarter the Roadrunners went 71 yards in three plays. The drive paid off with a six yard touchdown by McCormick that had been set up by a 54 yard pass from Harris to Tykee Ogle-Kellogg. Ogle-Kellogg finished the night with a team leading 96 yards on four catches. The McCormick touchdown cut the deficit to 26-20 with 10:28 left in the fourth quarter.

UTSA forced Louisiana Tech into a three and out on their next drive. The Roadrunner offense took over at their own 20 with 8:59 left to play. Harris and McCormick led the Roadrunners down the field. On third and two from the Bulldog 45 Harris handed off to McCormick. McCormick hit the hole and burst into the open field for a touchdown that tied the score at 26. Duplessis added the extra point and UTSA held their first lead of the night with 6:16 left to play.

"I trusted my blocks," McCormick said. "Thankful for Spencer (Burford) for being able to hold the guy up, linebacker missed a fit and I just took off. I saw ocean, wide open ocean. Just had to run it."

Things got interesting in the final few minutes but as Louisiana Tech drove, threatening to get in field goal range their hopes were dashed when Antonio Parks intercepted the Bulldogs pass with 45 seconds to play. UTSA took two knees and for only the second time in nine meetings got to celebrate a win over Louisiana Tech.

"We're really fired up to beat a football team that's beaten us six times in a row," Traylor said. "It's hard to get over that hump. We finally got over that hump."

With the red and blue monkey off their back the Roadrunners will now turn their attention to a trip to Boca Raton next week to face Florida Atlantic.

That and the ice tub are for tomorrow. For one night the Roadrunners can celebrate a victory over Louisiana Tech.

Somewhere Eric Soza is smiling. Frank Harris has joined him in the exclusive club of Roadrunner quarterbacks who have defeated Louisiana Tech. Thanks in large part to the defense and a running back named Sincere McCormick.

NEXT WEEK: UTSA (4-3, 2-1 Conference USA) at Florida Atlantic (1-1, 1-1 Conference USA). Saturday October 31. 11 a.m.

FORUMS: UTSA Boulevard | Roadrunner Way