UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas – Owen McCown threw three touchdown passes, Will Henderson III scored three times, and UTSA defeated Florida International 57-20 on Friday night at the First Responder Bowl.
UTSA (7-6) was making its seventh consecutive bowl appearance — eighth overall — and has won three in a row. FIU (7-6) ended a bowl drought dating to 2019.
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FIU had an early lead on a touchdown pass by Joe Pesansky and the Panthers made it 14-0 on Maguire Anderson’s 97-yard punt return.
UTSA then scored the next 38 points.
Trailing 14-0, Henderson scored on a 2-yard run then tied the score when he caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from McCown. After a field goal, McCown connected with Devin McCuin on a 23-yard touchdown pass.
A’Marion Peterson capped the first-half scoring with a 10-yard touchdown run and a 31-14 lead for the Roadrunners.
UTSA had a 310-93 advantage in total yards in the first half, with 50 yards of FIU’s total coming on a late second-quarter drive that ended on a fourth-down sack of Pesansky.
In the third quarter, Henderson ran five yards for a touchdown to make it 38-14, then Pesansky connected with Dallas Payne for a 22-yard touchdown pass. However, Pesansky’s two-point conversion pass was intercepted and returned for two points by Ahamad Chapman.
UTSA added a McCown touchdown pass and a TD run by Bryson Donnell in the fourth quarter.
McCown completed 18 of 28 passes for 295 yards.
Pesansky was 11-for-31 passing for 102 yards with two touchdowns.
UTSA had 481 total yards compared to 255 for FIU.