Top Traylor Games: Game 8

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EDITORS NOTE: This is the fourth story in a series of stories counting down the best games in the Jeff Traylor era at UTSA

Previously in the Series: HONORABLE MENTION GAMES | GAME 10 | GAME 9

The eighth-best game in the Traylor era is also the most recent football game for UTSA. It was just six months ago in December 2023 that Traylor and the Roadrunners beat Marshall in the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl for the first bowl win in program history.

Both UTSA and Marshall went into the 2023 Frisco Bowl amid bowl streaks. For UTSA it was the fourth bowl in a row under Jeff Traylor. Marshall's trip to Frisco was the seventh consecutive bowl and 10th bowl in the last 11 seasons for the Thundering Herd.

UTSA went into the Frisco Bowl with an 8-4 record after falling short of a trip to the AAC championship game by losing to Tulane in the regular season finale. After three straight bowl games against ranked opponents, UTSA would face an unranked Marshall team in the Frisco Bowl. Marshall was coming in with a 6-6 record. The Thundering Herd had started the season 4-0 before losing six of their last eight.

Marshall also entered the bowl game with a new quarterback after their starting quarterback Cam Fancher entered the transfer portal just 13 days before the bowl game. Cole Pennington would get the start for Marshall in the bowl game.

UTSA played QB poker in the lead-up to the game. Frank Harris had gotten injured in the second half of the game against Tulane, and it was not until about two hours before kickoff that the team announced Harris would not be able to play in the bowl game. The Roadrunners, who were 0-4 in their first four bowl trips, would have to try to win number one without Frank Harris. Instead, it was Owen McCown who earned the start.

Both teams got off to slow starts in the bowl game. Marshall took advantage of a McCown interception to start their second possession at the UTSA seven-yard line. On the second play of the drive, Ethan Payne scored from one yard out to give Marshall a 7-0 lead.

Marshall doubled their lead on the first play of the second quarter when Rasheen Ali ran for a Frisco Bowl-record 64-yard touchdown. With 14:48 left in the second quarter, UTSA trailed 14-0 and Roadrunner fans must have been wondering if the team's bad luck with bowl games was going to strike again.

UTSA overcame its slow start and cut the lead in half on the next drive when Robert Henry scored a touchdown after a three-yard run. Chase Allen added the extra point and the score sat at 14-7 in favor of Marshall with 11:26 left in the second quarter.

The Roadrunners were able to tie the score two and a half minutes later when McCown connected with Joshua Cephus for a 44-yard touchdown pass at the 8:53 mark.

Marshall retook the lead on their next drive when Rece Verhoff kicked a 44-yard field goal with 5:12 on the clock. Verhoff's field goal was the second longest in the history of the Frisco Bowl.

UTSA responded on its next drive by taking 4:25 off the clock and retaking the lead, 21-17, with a one-yard touchdown run by Robert Henry with 47 seconds left in the first half.

THE ROADRUNNERS GET THE FIRST BOWL WIN

In the second half, UTSA's defense clamped down on Marshall and kept the Thundering Herd off the scoreboard.

Marshall had a chance to cut into UTSA's lead on its first drive of the third quarter but the Thundering Herd missed what would have been a bowl-record length 53-yard field goal. The Thundering Herds other drives in the third quarter ended in a turnover on downs and a punt.

UTSA pushed its lead to 28-17 with 4:49 left in the third quarter when McCown threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to David Amador II.

The Thundering Herd had another chance to cut into UTSA's lead early in the fourth quarter but Verhoff missed a 34-yard field goal attempt with 14:10 left in the quarter.

In the early minutes of the fourth quarter, it appeared UTSA might have to hang on to its 11-point margin while withstanding Marshall's offense. That changed with about nine minutes to play when Marshall was driving into UTSA territory. Kam Alexander intercepted a pass at the UTSA 26-yard line and returned it 57 yards to the Marshall 17-yard line.

One play later Rocko Griffin took the handoff and gave UTSA the 35-17 lead with a 17-yard score at the 8:39 mark of the fourth quarter.

The Roadrunners kept the Thundering herd off the board on two more drives before the end of the game although Marshall got to the UTSA 4 on the last play of the game.

As the clock moved to zeros the long-awaited bowl victory celebration began on the UTSA sideline. Despite his best efforts to avoid it, Traylor was doused with a cooler of coffee in the Frisco Bowl's version of a Gatorade bath.

With the win in the Bowl UTSA notched its ninth win of the season, the third season in a row that UTSA reached nine wins after not reaching that total any in the first nine seasons of the program.

It took UTSA until its fifth bowl game to get the first win. The wait was worth it. However, because of how many great wins had come before the first bowl win found its way to the eighth-place spot in the Traylor era.

Next Week: Top Traylor Game Number 7

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