UTSA 34, Rice 24: What We Learned

[caption id="attachment_19363" align="alignright" width="300"]Photo by Mary Scott McNabb Photo by Mary Scott McNabb[/caption] UTSA won its first home game of the season in a 34-24 victory over Rice. It was the fourth time the two programs faced off in football and the first win for the Roadrunners. The victory gives UTSA two straight wins and a chance to equal last year’s total of four with a home game against Middle Tennessee. The loss for Rice makes the Owls ineligible for a bowl berth in 2015. Williams, Morgan break UTSA records. The legs of Jarveon Williams and the catching ability of tight end of David Morgan have been the bright spots for the UTSA offense all season. The Roadrunners offense struggled for consistency all season after an injury to Blake Bogenschutz, but Morgan and Williams bring it every game for UTSA. Morgan, a senior from Marble Falls, set the UTSA single-season record for touchdown receptions with his fifth of the season. Williams, a junior from Converse Judson, already owned the single-season rushing record for the Roadrunners, but he broke 1,000 yards with yet another 100-yard rushing game. He’ll forever be known as the first UTSA player to rush for over 1,000 yards and he’ll easily become the standard for future running backs at UTSA. Dalton Sturm settles in. UTSA lost its three top quarterbacks in 2015. Bogenschutz is out with lingering concussion problems and Austin Robinson and Michigan transfer Russell Bellomy left the program. That left UTSA with two true freshmen – Manny Harris or Jaylon Henderson – or Sturm, a sophomore walk-on. The Roadrunner offense was bad in his first few starts, but he’s really starting to become a player. His ability to make plays with his legs was invaluable for the Roadrunners in the win. Bogenschutz is expected to be gone for the season finale against Middle Tennessee. If Sturm can end the season on a three-game winning streak, it’d be hard to argue he won’t enter spring as the starter on the UTSA depth chart. Rice won’t go bowling. A season full of promise ends without a bowl game for the now 4-7 Rice Owls. Many expected David Baliff’s team to compete for a division title in 2015, but the Owls could never get it together and the reasons were on full display in the loss to UTSA. Rice struggles to create pressure on defense, turn the ball over on offense and aren’t consistent in the running game.