SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA Roadrunners claimed the program’s first Conference USA crown in the 2021 Ryan Conference USA Championship on Friday night, hanging on to beat the WKU Hilltoppers 49-41 at the Alamodome in front of 41,148 fans.
All-American candidate UTSA RB Sincere McCormick was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, carrying 36 times for 204 yards and a trio of touchdowns in the win, the Roadrunners’ 12th win of the season. McCormick totaled the third-most rushing yards in C-USA Championship Game history in the win. His 36 carries tied for second-most in C-USA Championship Game history (WKU’s Anthony Wales in 2016).
Roadrunners QB Frank Harris was efficient in the victory, completing 19-28 passes for 218 yards with two touchdown and no interceptions, and also carried 11 times for 81 yards and a rushing score.
The two teams combined for 1,124 yards of total offense and 90 points on Friday, both of which were the second-most in Conference USA Championship history.
WKU opened the scoring in the first few minutes, as All-American candidate QB Bailey Zappe connected with WR Mitchell Tinsley on a 60-yard scoring toss. Zappe finished by completing 36-59 passes for a C-USA Championship Game record 577 yards with four touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Zappe became just the sixth player in FBS history to throw for over 5,000 yards and have 50 or more touchdown passes. Tinsley finished with 10 catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns.
UTSA tied things immediately at 7-7 when Harris burst free for a 24-yard touchdown scamper. WKU took the lead back 10-7 just minutes later. Then the Roadrunners unleashed an onslaught, outscoring the Hilltoppers 35-3 across the next two-plus quarters to extend their lead to 42-13 early in the third quarter, aided by a pair of WKU turnovers deep in their own territory, a muffed punt and an interception by DB Antonio Parks.
WKU came roaring back to trim the lead to 42-34 early in the fourth quarter, but the Roadrunners added a 28-yard touchdown from Harris to WR De’Corian Clark in the back of the end zone, midway through the fourth to extend the advantage to 49-34, and they were able to withstand another late WKU rally, capped by a 50-yard scoring strike from Zappe to WR Jerreth Sterns to cut the lead to eight. Sterns finished with 10 catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns, and on his final catch, became C-USA’s single-season receptions record-holder (137). He surpassed Louisiana Tech’s Trent Taylor, who had 136 in 2016.
The Hilltoppers made a defensive stop and got the ball back down one possession with 1:05 to play. Zappe’s Hail Mary effort was intercepted by UTSA DB Jahmal Sam as the clock expired.
-ConferenceUSA.com-
