SAN ANTONIO – The Texas State football team (1-3, 0-1 Sun Belt) suffered a 25-21 setback at UTSA (1-3, 0-0 C-USA) Saturday evening at the Alamodome.

True freshman quarterback Tyler Vitt came into the game late in the first quarter in relief for an injured Willie Jones III. The San Antonio native accounted for 218 total yards and all three Bobcat touchdowns. He passed for two scores and added a rushing TD as Texas State fell just short against the arch-rival Roadrunners.

Vitt completed 15-of-22 passes for 192 yards, while adding two interceptions and being sacked four times. Graduate transfer Keenen Brown finished the game as Vitt's go-to receiving target, hauling in nine receptions for 124 yards and one score.

UTSA scored on the third play of the game, a 27-yard scoop and score from Lorenzo Dantzler, to give the home team a 7-0 advantage just 53 seconds after the opening kickoff. Texas State went three-and-out on the ensuing drive and was forced to punt. The punt off the foot of Clayton Stewart traveled just 36 yards to set the Roadrunners up with great field position. UTSA cashed in 10 plays later on a seven-yard touchdown pass from Cordale Grundy to Tykee Ogle-Kellogg.

Needing a spark, Frankie Griffin delivered in a big way. The senior linebacker ripped the ball out from a UTSA wide receiver on a screen pass. Anthony J. Taylor fell on the ball to set the Bobcats up at the Texas State 36-yard line.

Enter Vitt. The freshman completed a 23-yard tight end throwback to Brown on his first snap back in his hometown. Two plays later, Hutch White tossed a 26-yard quarterback throwback to Vitt down the right sideline. The freshman capped off the drive by calling his own number on a quarterback sneak from one-yard out to narrow the score to 14-7. UTSA took a 17-7 lead into intermission after converting a field goal in the final minute of the opening half.

Fast forward to the third quarter, where Vitt led the Bobcats on a 10-play, 82-yard drive for a score. He completed all six passes for 71 yards on the drive. Three completions went to Brown for 39 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown. On the scoring play, the Roadrunners brought pressure, the offensive line held to allow Vitt to buy extra time to find Brown on a deep crossing route. Brown skirted by a pair of UTSA defenders to score. With 2:03 left in the third quarter, Texas State trailed 17-14.

The Roadrunners connected on a pair of field goals in the fourth quarter to up their lead to 23-14 with 10:14 left on the clock.

Once again needing a spark, Texas State turned to the special teams unit. Anthony D. Taylor blocked Yannis Routsas' punt, which was recovered by A.J. Krawczyk at the UTSA 14-yard line. Vitt completed a comeback route to T.J. Bedford on the first play of the drive for nine yards. After a holding penalty wiped away a touchdown run from Vitt, he bounced back to throw a strike to White for a 13-yard score later in the drive. The Bobcats trailed 23-21 with 5:08 remaining in the game.

The defense came up with the stop the Bobcats needed, giving the offense the ball back with 2:01 on the clock after Routsas' punt was downed at the TXST two-yard line. On the first play of the drive, however, Vitt was tackled in the endzone for a safety for the final score of 25-21.

Texas State will be back in action at home on Oct. 6 against Sun Belt foe Louisiana following an off weekend to close out September. The conference home opener will kick at 6 p.m. CDT from Bobcat Stadium.

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