UTSA's Third Greatest Conference Game

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Previously in the series: Honorable Mention | Game 10 | Game 9 | Game 8 | Game 7 | Game 6 | Game 5 | Game 4

The 2012 season marked the UTSA Roadrunners first football season as members of a conference. It was part of a quick rise by the UTSA football team. In 2011 they had been FCS Independents. In 2012 UTSA played one year in the WAC before joining Conference USA in 2013.

UTSA was joined in their one season as members of the WAC by I-35 rivals Texas State. The Roadrunners and Bobcats got the Saturday after Thanksgiving spot for their first ever meeting on the football field.

Both teams were nearing the end of their season. In UTSA's case it would be the final game of the 2012 season. Texas State had one more game to play after visiting the Alamodome. UTSA had started the season 5-0 before losing four straight. The Roadrunners were riding a two-game win streak and an overall record of 7-4 leading up to the game against Texas State.

The Bobcats had started the season with a 30-13 win over the Houston Cougars at Robertson Stadium in Houston. Since that win against the Cougars the Bobcats had gone 2-7 in the nine games between the season opener and their visit to the Alamodome.

ROADRUNNERS SCORE EARLY

Texas State won the coin toss and deferred their option to the second half. UTSA fielded the kickoff at their own seven and returned it 23 yards to the Roadrunner 30. UTSA Quarterback Eric Soza led the Roadrunners to the Texas State 18 yard line before the drive stalled. Sean Ianno came on and kicked a 35-yard field goal to give UTSA a 3-0 lead with 11:00 left in the first quarter.

The Bobcats first drive of offense only lasted three plays before they had to send the punter out to kick from the Texas State 20. Kenny Harrison fielded the punt at the UTSA 21 yard line and found an opening. Harrison scored the first punt return touchdown in program history. UTSA's lead climbed to 10-0 with 8:41 left in the first quarter.

Texas State got on the board on their next possession with a 57-yard touchdown pass. The Bobcats added the extra point and cut UTSA's lead to 10-7 with 6:24 left in the first quarter.

UTSA was quick to respond and push the lead back up to 10. The Roadrunners scored on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Soza to Cole Hubble. There was 3:18 left in the first quarter and the Roadrunners lead was up to 17-7.

The Roadrunners had a chance to go up 20-7 in the second quarter but Ianno's attempt from 30-yards out was no good. Texas State took advantage of the missed field goal by scoring a touchdown on their next drive. The Bobcats cut the deficit to 17-14 with 2:46 left in the second quarter.

As they had done before in the first half UTSA was able to increase their lead back to 10 on the very next drive. The Roadrunners scored on a five yard passing touchdown from Soza to Kenny Bias with 29 seconds left in the second quarter. UTSA took the 24-14 lead into the locker room at halftime.

UTSA HOLDS ON IN THE SECOND HALF

Texas State began the second half with the ball but the Bobcats didn't hold it for very long as they fumbled on their own 34 and UTSA recovered at the Bobcat 30. The Roadrunners only needed four plays to cover the 30 yards and increase their lead. Soza scored on a two-yard run and UTSA increased its lead to 31-14 with 12:42 left in the third quarter.

UTSA kept Texas State off the board on the Bobcats next possession. The Roadrunners chance to add to their lead was ended when Soza's pass was intercepted. Before the interception, Soza had at the time a nation-leading streak of 256 consecutive passes without an interception.

The Bobcats took advantage of the takeaway with a drive that resulted in a made field goal. With 4:54 left in the third quarter the Roadrunner lead had been trimmed to 31-17.

Texas State inched even closer to the Roadrunners when they scored a touchdown with 2:34 left in the third quarter. The Bobcats touchdown cut UTSA's lead down to 31-24. It remained on that score when the third quarter ended.

UTSA were quick to push the lead back to double digits in the fourth quarter. The Roadrunners scored on a 34-yard pass from Soza to Jeremiah Moeller with 14:37 left in the fourth quarter. Just 23 seconds into the final quarter UTSA was up 38-24.

The Bobcats cut the lead to seven with a touchdown at the 1:40 mark of the fourth quarter. UTSA was able to hold on for the 38-31 win to finish their lone season in the WAC with a 3-3 conference mark and 8-4 overall

ROADRUNNERS TAKE BRAGGING RIGHTS IN I-35 RIVALRY

After the clock struck zero the UTSA fans in attendance departed the Alamodome in a celebratory mood. UTSA had defeated the schools oldest rival in football. To this day it remains the only time the two schools met as conference mates. UTSA joined Conference USA in 2013. Texas State found its way to the Sun Belt.

By beating Texas State in 2012 the Roadrunners were able to go into their first year in Conference USA with added confidence. It would be five years before UTSA and Texas State met again, in 2017 in San Marcos. UTSA won that game as well as the contests in 2019 and 2020. The two rivals are scheduled to meet in a non-conference in 2023.

The non-conference wins over Texas State have boosted the Roadrunners in each of those years but none of them compare to beating the Bobcats in the only conference game between the two. There was still more history made by UTSA in the win over Texas State on November 24, 2012.

The win over Texas State was the Roadrunners first against an FBS opponent in the Alamodome.

NEXT WEEK: The second greatest conference game in UTSA football history

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