Second Half Struggles Doom UTSA in Loss to East Carolina

© Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The UTSA Roadrunners (2-3, 0-1 American Athletic Conference) lost 30-20 to the East Carolina Pirates (3-2, 1-0) on Sept. 28 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, N.C. Despite outgaining the Pirates in total yards by more than 100, UTSA’s minus-one turnover margin and 12 penalties for 80 yards were too much to overcome to secure a conference road win.

Game Summary

Both teams traded field goals in the first quarter before the Roadrunners were the first to reach the end zone. Quarterback Owen McCown connected with tight end Oscar Cardenas for a 5-yard touchdown pass, giving UTSA a 10-3 lead with 3:43 left in the first quarter. Aided by three UTSA defensive penalties—two pass interference calls and one face mask—East Carolina tied the game with a 3-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jake Garcia on a drive late in the second quarter. The Roadrunners entered halftime with a 13-10 lead.

Building on their touchdown to close the first half, the Pirates added three more scoring drives—two touchdown passes from Garcia and a field goal—scoring 24 unanswered points to take a 27-13 lead with 11:51 remaining in the fourth quarter.

UTSA ended the scoring drought when running back Brandon High raced 66 yards down the sideline for a touchdown on a fourth-and-1 play, cutting the deficit to 27-20 with 10:38 left in the fourth quarter.

Despite a solid first half, McCown struggled in the second half, throwing 2 interceptions, missing open receivers and lacking confidence. UTSA failed to score any more points in the game, while the Pirates added a late field goal to secure a 30-20 victory.

Turning Point for UTSA

On the next ECU possession after High’s touchdown run, cornerback Zah Frazier made a great break on a Garcia pass, securing his second interception of the game. The Roadrunners took over with a first-and-10 at the ECU 25-yard line but managed only seven yards on four plays, turning the ball over on downs. UTSA missed a golden opportunity to tie the game and never got that close to the end zone again.

What It Means

UTSA holds a losing record for the second time this season at 2-3, with all three losses coming on the road. In a postgame interview with JJ Perez from Inside Runners Sports, coach Jeff Traylor said he warned his team about “BCD” behavior internally—blame, complain, and defend. With a bye week ahead, Traylor and his staff will need to self-scout and identify areas for improvement. The team’s biggest issue has been a lack of mental toughness, leading to 10 or more penalties in three of their five games and two of their three losses.

© Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

After blowing double-digit leads in their last two games that were losses, the Pirates showed resolve by not panicking when UTSA had the ball at the ECU 25-yard line following an interception, threatening to erase a 14-point deficit in seconds. Coach Mike Houston's team persevered to held on for the victory, easing some of the pressure on his coaching hot seat. Next up, the Pirates seek revenge in a conference road game against the Charlotte 49ers (2-3, 0-1) after last year’s loss.