SAN MARCOS, Texas – Playing in the first H-E-B I-35 Showdown Series game in front of the fourth-largest home crowd in school history with 31,333 watching, the Texas State football team suffered a 44-14 loss on Saturday night, Sept. 23, at Bobcat Stadium.
 
Texas State couldn't get on track offensively after scoring a pair of touchdowns in the first half and were outgained 569-198 in total yards. The Roadrunners became the first team to have a 100-yard rusher against the Bobcats this season and ended the game with 357 yards rushing as a team.   
 
UTSA scored the first 10 points in the game when Jared Sackett kicked a 21-yard field goal and Josiah Tauaefa recovered a mishandled snap and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown. Sackett also added the extra point.
 
The Bobcats pulled back into contention when they drove 94 yards on 9 plays and scored a touchdown on a two-yard sneak run by Damian Williams. The drive began with Texas State backed up into its own end zone and facing a third and 14 from their own two-yard line. Williams ran for a season-long 30 yards to give Texas State a first down. Then, he completed three consecutive passes. His first going to Mason Hays for 26 yards. Then he threw an 18-yard completion to Elijah King at UTSA's 29-yard line. The Roadrunners were penalized 15 yards on the play to move the ball up to the 14. After a two-yard loss, Williams hit Hays for a 14-yard pass to the two-yard line to set up his touchdown run.
 
The Roadrunners increased their lead to 17-7 when Jalen Rhoades rushed up the middle for a 67-yard touchdown and Sackett tacked on the extra point.
 
Answering right back, Williams found Jeremiah Haydel on a nine-yard slant route for a touchdown. James Sherman converted the point after attempt to cut the Bobcats deficit to 17-14. However, that was the final points Texas State scored in the game.
 
UTSA closed out the first half scoring an additional 10 points to make take a 27-14 lead into halftime. The Roadrunners scored a touchdown on a five-yard run by Tyrell Clay and Sackett's extra point. Sackett also kicked a 43-yard field goal on the final play of the first half.
 
After Marcus Ripley pinned the Roadrunners back on their one-yard line, UTSA drove down the field for a 27-yard field goal by Sackett to increase the lead to 30-14.
 
The Roadrunners added to their lead to 37-14 with 11:17 left to play in the game when Rhodes ran for a 36-yard touchdown followed by a Sackett extra point. UTSA scored its final points on a 71-yard run by Brett Winnegan with 4:20 remaining on the clock for the final score of the contest.
 
Rhodes led UTSA with 174 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries to become the first player to rush for over 100 yards this season. Dalton Sturm also completed 17 of 25 passes for 212 yards and was sacked twice by the Bobcats.
 
Texas State ended the night netting 37 yards on the ground and Williams completed 9 of 24 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown. He also scored Texas State's other TD on the ground for his second rushing touchdown of the season. Anthony Smith led the Bobcats in rushing with 21 yards on four carries.
 
Following the loss, Texas State drops to 1-3 this season and will travel to Wyoming on Sept. 30 for the team's final non-conference game of the season. Kickoff in Laramie, Wyoming is scheduled for 3 p.m. The game will be streamed on Facebook Live.